Im a female, 41 and have just taken up bikram yoga again and noticed that my knees are very knock. I get upset when I try to do certain poses and my body looks odd or not aligned. I asked one of the teachers and she said that the bikram yoga would help to align my legs. Is this correct or should I try a more structural type of yoga such as iyengar yoga for my knees as I am very conscious of my legs in class. Which would be the best type of yoga for this problem?
Without seeing your practice or your knees, I can’t give any recommendation for a class to attend… but I will tell you that wearing long pants and going to classes without mirrors will make the transition to healthier knees a much less stressful enterprise to undertake.
Hello Bunny,
I like that answer above me.
So very interesting that you’ve chosen a practice which mandates a speedo and provides wall-to-wall mirrors while you are addressing the larger issue of how you feel toward yourself/body. Of course it’s overstated to say that the nexus of yoga is our relationship to ourselves but I’m curious if you yourself feel like such a practice is supportive to what you are confronting - and that is a rhetorical question only you can (internally) answer.
Structural issues with the musculo-skeletal system (in this case bones et al) takes four things; focus, specifics, time, and patience. I personally do not believe a repetitive, generalized practice targets such things. That is NOT to say there isn’t benefit from a repetitive, generalized practice, there is. I’m simply saying that a streamlined protocol of practice (beyond, but including, asana) is far more effective for dealing with knock knees and bow legs et al.
Great responses above.
Also, I think the answer the Bikram teacher gave you to your question may be the best indication of whether Bikram is right for you.
It is misleading to say that yoga fixes anything, without addressing your particular issues. I’m not saying that all Bikram teachers are like this… but you want to take the approach of finding a teacher who will help you progress, rather than a method.
There are common ways that a body develops - tightens and weakens - around ‘knock knees’, so general suggestions can be given, but the body is so complex, it a difficult task to take on.
However, I will give one suggestion that seems to help in almost anyone with knock knees. Go into downward dog, with knees bent, then do the following:
- Ensure that you are equally rooted into the base knuckle your big toe and the base knuckle of your little toe.
- Activate your feet in a way that feels like you are slightly lifting the arches of your feet. You will feel your ankles lift a little as well.
- Lift your kneecaps slightly toward the outsides of your hips. You will feel a slight rotation of your thighs outward and a shifting of your knees and thighs outward as well.
- Then shift your body weight back as you would when you move into downward dog.
It’s really important to keep the weight equally on the outsides and insides of the feet. And, it’s also important not to ‘push’ or ‘tighten’ your body. I use the word ‘slightly’ to emphasize this. You want to ‘energize’ or ‘activate’ so that you only use as much effort as you need to move into the pose.
Let me know what you guys think. This is one of those movements that I have found almost universally helpful for people with knock knees.