Does vajrasan good for aching knee pains or arthritis in elderly people. Can anybody advise .
Dear Tatvamasi,
The pose you mention would not be my first recommendation for arthritis and knee pain. Vajrasana moves the knee joint beyond normal range of motion, which can be harmful. Elderly people should start practicing vajrasana with a prop, for example, a rolled up towel between buttocks and calves. It is a good pose for digestion and for stretching the quadriceps, but vajrasana may do harm to painful knees.
It is better to practice pavanmuktanasana for arthritic conditions. Gentle movements in harmony with your breath. You should do the whole series to mobilise all of your important joints (ankles, knees, hips, spine, shoulders, wrists, fingers, neck). Pavanmuktanasana has been published by the Bihar School of Yoga (Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda) and by Mukunda Stiles (Structural Yoga Therapy). I teach this series to a group of student with arthritis and they really benefit from it.
May I suggest that you find a yoga teacher? Together you could address the cause of your knee pain and find more appropriate asanas to correct your condition. Besides asana, advice on diet, hot baths, light exercise, pranayama and meditation will help too.