A relaxing way to combat arthrosis is yoga for knee joints. Yoga exercises for joints, video exercises
For a person suffering from arthrosis knee joints yoga can be a real salvation. Its effectiveness has been recognized by several scientific works, and the first signs of disappearance of the disease are noticeable after just a few sessions. Among its main advantages, it can be noted that yoga has no age restrictions; both children and elderly people can practice it. At the same time, it is also suitable for the prevention of joint diseases and ligament tears, as it allows you to increase the elasticity and at the same time the strength of the latter. This is why yoga is recommended by many doctors as restorative and preventive procedures for arthritis of the knee joint.
What kind of disease is this?
Before talking about how yoga helps with arthrosis of the knee joint, it is necessary to understand the disease itself, its diagnosis, causes and consequences. This disease manifests itself mainly in old age, so most patients are over 40 years old. Our knee joints constantly withstand colossal loads of the entire body weight, but with arthritis it becomes increasingly difficult for them to do this, so pain in the knees appears during long walking, and gradually it becomes difficult for a person to even get up and sit down. With any movement a characteristic crunching sound appears.
The reason for all this is the salts that are deposited in the joints and knees throughout our lives, and sometimes a lack of fluid, which leads to impaired functionality of the knee joint. According to statistics, from 7 to 20 percent of the entire world population suffers from gonarthrosis, and it is difficult to cure. Therefore, it is important to identify it in the early stages, when something can still be done, otherwise the consequences can be quite dire. If you begin to notice a crunch in your knees when squatting, especially during physical exercise, and you begin to experience severe pain in this area, you should consult a doctor.
What does comprehensive treatment look like?
Even considering that yoga for arthritis can be quite useful, you should adhere to the comprehensive treatment prescribed by the doctor and often this is physical therapy. In this case, patients are asked not only to take certain medications, but also to perform exercises prescribed by the doctor. In addition to yoga, swimming and other light exercises can also help heal leg joints. The main rule here is not to overload your knees, because with arthrosis this poses a serious danger to your health. This list also includes cycling, which is good for the cardiovascular system, but does not put as much stress on the knees as jogging.
Light gymnastics can also help, because most exercises there can be performed from a sitting position, and this is important for such diseases in order to avoid unnecessary stress. Like yoga, you need to devote at least 20 minutes to it every day, and then cool down or massage the problem area to increase blood flow to it and reduce the release of lactic acid in the muscles. It would be very good to use warming ointments and massage creams in such massages, including creams prescribed by the attending physician. You can watch a video on the Internet to see how to properly do a warming massage.
Yoga for arthrosis
But of course, the most useful for such a diagnosis will be yoga exercises, which are precisely aimed at developing joint mobility. Most asanas use light and smooth movements, which is very important for the knee joints. This therapeutic exercise is suitable for everyone, regardless of your age or gender, therefore, with gonarthrosis, it will become a universal therapy for most patients. Yoga is best suited for beginners; it has a lot of different asanas, and it does not require any excessive load or flexibility on the person.
But even so, all the exercises described below must be performed very carefully, otherwise there is a risk of further harm to the knee. The practice of yoga therapy is quite widespread abroad, but here it has only recently become popular, so there are still few specialists in this field, and you have to learn everything on your own. You shouldn’t treat it as something unusual, it certainly carries a certain philosophy, but if it doesn’t suit you, no one forbids treating it as a branch of light gymnastics that will help cure joint diseases.
So, doing the following exercises will help you recover from joint diseases:
- You need to take a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your arms should be relaxed. You need to reach your toes with your fingertips, but you should not perform this asana through pain; you can even wear knee pads to reduce the load. At the same time, it is important to monitor your breathing; it should be calm and measured; proper breathing will saturate all your blood with oxygen and spread energy throughout your body. If you absolutely cannot reach your socks, then grab your legs from behind, pressing against them and lowering yourself down until the first painful sensations appear. Maintain this position for a minute.
- If it is difficult for you to perform asanas while standing, then you should switch to sitting poses. They use no less limbs, because the same legs are also actively used, but the load on the knees is reduced significantly. To get started, just sit down and straighten your legs, while making sure to maintain an even posture. After which, similar to the first option, try to reach the tips of your fingers, until the first sensation of pain, and stay in this position for several minutes. Then, returning to the original position, repeat 2 times. Important! The foot does not bend at a right angle; it should point its toes forward.
- Next, you need to move to a half-lying position; to do this, it is enough to lower yourself onto your elbows and forearms from the starting position of the previous asana. Next, you need to raise your legs approximately 45-60 degrees to the floor. This pose is dynamic, so you need to bend and unbend your legs, albeit slowly enough so as not to lose your breath, for up to 4 minutes. This will allow you to stretch your knee joint and slightly warm up other muscle groups, and also works well as a cool-down after a workout.
- And finally, you will have to lie on the floor with your back up, after which you will need to raise your legs at the joints several times. Unlike the previous dynamics, it is done for the number of repetitions, and not for time. The latter should be at least 50 on each leg, after which you can take a rest of up to 2 minutes and repeat the asana again. This time it will help stretch all the ligaments and develop sufficient joint flexibility.
In order to get the effect of these exercises, you need to repeat them several times a day, every day for at least a month of therapy. This will help not only in getting rid of arthrosis, but also in generally improving well-being and mood, thanks to dopamine, which is released during any physical exercise. And most importantly, without performing any movements that could lead to complications, the joints will receive all the necessary load, along with them the leg muscles will strengthen, which will allow you to gradually and completely forget about arthrosis of the knee joints.
Conclusion
Arthrosis in the knee joint is a fairly serious diagnosis that can change your entire life, but it is not incurable. By using exercises from hatha yoga and listening to the advice of doctors, patients can get better, or even get rid of such an unpleasant “surprise” of the body. But if you have already been cured, this is not at all a reason to quit yoga, because with its help you can continue to improve your quality of life and health, and most importantly, develop spiritually.
In the yoga community on FB the other day, the topic of strengthening the knees was discussed, as well as asanas that are acceptable in a mini-yoga complex for the knee joints. Maintaining a physiologically necessary and medically acceptable range of motion is mandatory therapy for any pain in the knee joint. The causes of pain in the knee joint can be different. The most common are inflammations and injuries of the menisci, ligament ruptures, as well as arthrosis of the knee joint (gonarthrosis). I’ll add my two cents to the discussion of this topic.
Colleagues suggest doing various forward bends from a sitting position, such as Pashchimotanasana and Upavishtakonasana, swinging the knees towards the floor with the feet moved towards the perineum (Baddha Konasana). I have nothing against it. Although in relation to the “butterfly”, pain in the knees is a contraindication, you can try - your knee will tell you whether this asana can be practiced or whether it is better to exclude it until better times. However, I would not recommend the second block of poses, such as Gomukhasana, Vajrasana and Supta Vajrasana in their pure form, for people with problems, much less ongoing pain, in the knee joint. The Iyengar yoga approach is more appropriate here.
Gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint is permissible and necessary, but when bending the knees in asanas, a bolster or a thick rope should be placed inside the joint; in Vajrasana, a blanket or bolster folded 4-8 times. For injuries to the knees and ankles, Vajrasana should generally be practiced very carefully; weak veins in the legs can also be a contraindication. Gomukhasana is best done by placing a block, bolster, or rolled-up blanket under the buttocks.
In any case, it seems to me more important to explain the fundamental approach to doing yoga with certain problems in the knee joint. All more people trying to find a life-saving healing remedy in yoga. And it really is there. Yoga is a powerful tool. If you know how to use it correctly...
To strengthen the knee joint, you need to evenly develop the strength of the back, front and internal muscles thighs, hamstrings and outer calves. In general, there is somewhere to roam. But at the same time, if you do not want to harm yourself, you must follow a number of extremely important conditions. First of all, you need to learn how to do jana bandha - a knee lock.
Janu bandha (knee lock) is a simultaneous tension of the muscles around the knee joint. Most exercises and asanas that involve the knees should be accompanied by janu bandha. To perform this lock, simultaneously tighten the front and back muscles of your thighs and pull your kneecap up your leg.
Let's give an example of a fairly powerful asana - Utkatasana, Chair Pose. Some experts advise starting with a “kneecap pull” with your legs straight, and then – without losing the feeling of the kneecaps being pulled up – bend your knees slightly and use your hamstrings to get into the pose. Other experts suggest simultaneously straining opposite muscle groups while performing Jana Bandha.
In both cases, key moment here – maintaining the feeling of a taut kneecap. It is advisable to remember this throughout the entire practice; it would not hurt even throughout the day, during normal life activities. This sensation is achieved by activating the anterior thigh muscles. When janu bandha is performed correctly, the entire front surface of the legs is pulled up - the hips, kneecaps, it is also advisable to include the arches of the feet, also pulling them up.
Utkatasana is an excellent asana for mastering Janu Bandha - it is easy to do in this squatting pose. Such simple power poses on one leg as Utthita Pavanmuktasana (standing position for releasing gases) and Niralamba Virabhadrasana (warrior pose without support) are also suitable for these purposes.
At correct use Janu bandha will reduce pain, reduce swelling, increase the stability of the knee and improve its ability to move freely. By regularly performing the knee lock, you are already doing a lot to strengthen the knee joint. I would include Jana Bandha as a mandatory element in gymnastics for arthrosis of the knee joint.
In addition, in straight-legged standing poses such as Utthita Trikonasana, you must ensure that the ankle and hip rotate at the same angle and in the same direction as the foot.
It is also important, when entering poses with a bent knee, for example, Jana Shirshasana, to bring the knee into the desired position without using your hands. Use your core, hips, knees, ankles and avoid pain. If you break your knees while sitting in Padmasana with your hands, you are putting your knee joints and the surrounding muscles and ligaments at significant risk.
It is equally important in asanas based on the leg bent at the knee, such as Utthita Parshvakonasana and Virabhadrasana I and I I, to ensure that the knee is directly above the heel and does not go beyond it, and the angle between the thigh and shin is obtuse or at least 90 degrees. As soon as the angle becomes acute, the load on the knee increases 7 times!
When performing crunches in a standing position, twist at the waist, keeping your hips motionless and turned forward. Fix and tighten your knees well, remember janu bandha. This will protect the knee joints from harmful twisting.
Compliance with these principles will not only protect your knees from injury, but will also turn your usual practice into a yoga therapy session, into a specialized yoga complex for the knee joints.
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Nowadays, with the development of technology, many people move little and spend more time at home. This provokes back diseases. To alleviate and solve such problems, to prevent the spine, spinal yoga therapy or therapeutic yoga will help.
Having a healthy spine is important because... it supports the entire body.
Comfortable life modern world leads to back problems:
- sedentary work or sedentary lifestyle (computer);
- frequent use of the car;
- use of the elevator.
All this creates convenience in our lives, but deprives us of mobility. Therefore, you feel discomfort in the back, a crunch in the neck. Diseases of the spinal column (scoliosis, kyphosis) are also monitored in children.
Basically, such problems are experienced by children who do not attend sports institutions and who spend little time outdoors.
In women, back diseases often occur during pregnancy, as the load on the back muscles increases. There is subsidence of the vertebrae, pinching of nerve endings.
There are many other reasons leading to back diseases:
- Overweight.
- Deficiency of calcium and other minerals, which weakens bone tissue.
- Irregular physical training with weight lifting can damage the spine and distort posture.
- Insufficient amount of water - the older a person gets, the less elastic the intervertebral discs are.
- Poor blood circulation and its stagnation leads to damage to the intervertebral discs or, even worse, to their rupture.
Everything in the human body is interconnected. The spine contains the most important human organ – the spinal cord. Therefore, any violation of the spinal system will lead to its imbalance.
The yogic complex for the spine copes well with such problems.
Yoga as a method of prevention and treatment of the spine
Yoga for the spine has been successfully used for prevention and as a way to treat back pain. Yoga works great for osteochondrosis of the spine. There are asanas that are performed to stretch the spine and strengthen a specific muscle group. Poses that improve muscle tone in the abdomen and strengthen the lumbar region are also used.
Yoga for joints and spine strengthens the back and stretches the vertebral bone. Bone tissue becomes more elastic, tension and fatigue are eliminated. Yoga works especially well for osteochondrosis.
Specially selected asanas promote recovery not only from osteochondrosis, but also from scoliosis, lordosis, kyphosis, hernias, arthritis and arthrosis.
Contraindications
It is not always possible to use yoga exercises to treat the back - the right approach is required. You cannot perform asanas if:
- one feels heaviness when doing the simplest asanas;
- infection in the musculoskeletal system;
- malignant neoplasms;
- traumatic brain injury;
- person after surgery;
- constant use of medications;
- there are exacerbations of any chronic diseases.
It is advisable to use yogic asanas to strengthen the spine in order to avoid back diseases. But if there is a problem, yoga will contribute to recovery.
In order not to harm your health, it is better to perform asanas with a specialist who will competently select the poses that suit you specifically.
In yoga for beginners, the simplest asanas that stretch the spine are initially offered.
Exercises for the spine
The proposed complex consists of simple, but very effective asanas. There is a correct approach to the spine. The selected asanas are suitable not only for a healthy spine, but also as therapy.
Warrior Pose 3
Stand on one leg, and the other is laid back. It’s good to pull your torso forward, grab any support with your hands, and look forward. Stay in the asana for at least three seconds. Then the position of the legs changes. This asana will strengthen the upper and lower limbs and energize you.
Bitilasana (cow)
The asana is done from a position on all fours. Inhaling, bend your back well and throw back your head. Exhaling, round your back, pull in your stomach, lower your chin, touching your chest. Bitilasana must be done three times. The asana will help relax and stretch the spinal muscles and tighten the stomach.
Cat-cow
The pose will correct the spine, relieve back pain, and make the stomach flat.
Standing on all fours, lift right hand and the left leg so that the extended limbs are parallel to the floor. Look ahead. Stay in the pose for a few seconds. Change the position of the limbs. The asana will improve balance and make muscles elastic.
Vyagrasana (tiger)
The exercise works well with the spine and back, allowing you to relax the nerves in the lumbosacral area. The abdominal organs become toned, which will reduce fat deposits in the buttocks and thighs. This asana is recommended to be performed for lumbosacral radiculitis.
To perform Tiger Pose, you need to get on all fours. Straighten your right leg, placing it parallel to the surface, but with your toes pointed towards your head. The gaze is directed upward. Without touching the surface, move your right leg towards you, touching your stomach with your thigh, and round your back. Tilt your head down, touching your right cheek to your knee. Straighten your leg again, moving to the previous position. Do this several times, alternating legs. To complicate Vyagrasana, you can bend the straightened leg, extending the toe towards the head.
Bunjangasana (Cobra)
Lie on your stomach, resting on your elbows, interlace your fingers. Relax your neck, lower your head into your hands. Inhaling, the head rises, looking upward. Arch your back well, tensing your muscles. Exhaling, stand in the starting position. Do Cobra at least three times. This asana helps increase blood circulation, a healthy spine will become more elastic, and the muscles of the neck and upper spine will relax. Cobra is good for osteochondrosis.
Makarasana (Crocodile)
Lie on your stomach, upper limbs in front of you with your fingers pointing towards you. Raise top part torso, stretching the spine. Lift your arms off the surface and straighten them forward, your feet slightly apart. Inhaling, lift the upper and lower limbs from the surface, direct your gaze upward and linger. Exhaling – lower. All back muscles are strengthened and internal organs are massaged. It is especially good to use this asana for osteochondrosis.
Ardha Navasana (Half Boat)
The spine is stretched, the back and lower back are strengthened.
While lying on your back, bend your legs so that your heels are near your buttocks. Upper limbs - along the body. As you exhale, raise your head and shoulder blades. The lower back does not move. Together with the upper body, the arms are extended parallel to the floor.
Setu bandha (Bridge)
Lie on your back with your legs bent, your feet flat on the surface, your upper limbs lying along your body, palms down. Inhaling, the pelvis rises, pressing the chin to the chest. Make the Bridge three times. Back pain will be relieved and fatigue will go away
Also included is a video of yoga practice on the correct approach to the spine (CP).
When starting a daily yoga exercise program, consider the following recommendations:
- It is forbidden to exercise when you feel unwell.
- Be sure to ventilate the room.
- Do not eat at least two hours before the start of class.
- Start with a warm-up.
- Prepare a special mat for asanas in a lying position.
- Positive attitude.
- If the asana doesn’t work out at first, do it to the best of your ability, don’t rush.
- If your knees hurt, you can put something under them (towel, pillow).
- Do asanas slowly, holding your breath.
- The last pose should be one of relaxation.
Having mastered the described complex, more complex asanas are used. By systematically practicing yoga, you can forget about osteochondrosis and lower back pain and have a healthy spine.
A more conscious approach to practice will help you avoid injuries to the knee joints, which often happen during yoga classes.
For example, you can easily get injured if you try to sit in lotus position without warming up. To prevent this from happening, it is important to always listen to your body and not strive at all costs to perform the asana in exactly the same way as the instructor does. Each of us has our own anatomical capabilities, and we need to prepare for each complex asana. For example, if you definitely want to sit in the lotus, regularly do the exercises for the knees, which I will talk about this time, and the complex for hip joints, which I already talked about ().
To protect the knee joint from injury, in standing poses, pay attention to the placement of the foot: point the knee in the same direction as the middle finger feet.
When performing standing poses, pull your knees using the muscles of the front of your thighs. This is not the same movement as pushing your knees back. To understand how to support your knee with your thigh muscles, sit in dandasana (described below) and remember the sensations you get when you pull your toes towards you. This is what you should feel when you pull your knees up in a standing position.
When doing crunches from a standing position, twist from the center of your waist, not from your hips. This way you will avoid the so-called skier effect - unwanted twisting of the knee joints. The knee should be fixed and pulled up, the hips should be motionless and directed forward, as if you were touching the wall in front of them.
A set of exercises for the knees
I offer you a simple set of exercises to improve the health of your knee joints. If you already have knee problems, perform this routine daily and reduce your range of motion slightly. As a preventive measure, it is enough to train two to three times a week. Perform almost all exercises dynamically, at a rhythm of movement that is comfortable for you - both fast and slow. Repeat each movement 6-12 times.
Standing knee bend
Place your feet together and bend your knees, lowering yourself to a comfortable height. Place your palms just above your knees. Perform circular movements with your knees, describing circles first counterclockwise, then in the opposite direction.
Half squat
Place your feet 50-70 cm wide and bend your knees, lowering your pelvis. Place your palms just above your knees, tighten your abdominal muscles. Perform circular movements with your knees, first outward, then inward as much. Then, without changing position, bend and straighten your legs without lifting your palms from your knees.
Squats on toes
Place your feet together and rise up onto your toes. Spread your knees to the sides and extend your arms forward. Work dynamically: lower your pelvis by squatting comfortable height and tightening your abdominal muscles, then rise up, bringing your knees together. As you perform squats, continue to balance on your toes. Repeat 6-12 times. Then lower yourself down again, spread your knees as wide as possible and hold this pose for 30 seconds to three minutes.
Undoubtedly, very useful for joints. But not every one, that’s the rub. On forums, verbal battles continue on topics including “hincha” and “janu bandha”, which from the point of view of some help to protect the joints, but from the point of view of others are erroneous, unnecessary practices. To the common man who simply came to yoga for health, these topics are absolutely incomprehensible and uninteresting, and rightly so. Yoga is a simple and understandable thing, and even those described in the general view asanas can be practiced with great success. However, the trouble is that, firstly, many come to yoga with poor health - most often this concerns the spine and joints, and most of the rest begin to do yoga so zealously (as if they were in a “rocking chair”) that they ruin their hitherto good health. health is already yoga, which undermines the authority of this wonderful science.
Of course, there are a lot of “little” tricks that a knowledgeable teacher will be happy to explain in an individual lesson (and the most responsible ones do this in the classroom), which will allow you to practice yoga in the safest way for your joints - and not worsen, but on the contrary, radically improve their condition - up to the return of “eternal youth” to the joints. But all these small supports will be useless when working with a “mad elephant” - a person who has decided to “conquer himself” with yoga. Such a person will quickly ruin his health in yoga lessons with any teacher, practicing any style. And first of all, it is the joints (especially the knees), and, perhaps, the lower back that will begin to “crumble”. As they say, a smart yogi will make him god-like, but a fool will take a shortcut to the grave. This is the law of life. So, as the famous treatise “Yoga Vasishtha” suggests, “don’t be a fool, but be smart” - this best advice on yoga, which can only be given.
So, let's get down to business. The first thing you need to learn when working with joints in yoga (and in yoga therapy for joint problems, yoga therapy for the spine, and even more so in groups with an anxious spine!): no violence! On the topic of injury safety in yoga, it is perhaps worth referring the attentive reader to the wonderful book “Yoga: the Art of Communication” by the outstanding yoga master of the post-Union, . The principle of “do no harm” by yoga has been elevated to the forefront, and in some places, perhaps, taken to the point of absurdity. However, by practicing mindfully and avoiding intense sensations during the session, the likelihood of injuring your body becomes negligible. This is very valuable for anyone who has joint problems (or, moreover, pain!). Therefore, I sincerely recommend that such practitioners visit the school of “classical yoga” by V. Boyko. However, you can practice carefully and not “according to Boyko”, simply guided by the principles outlined in classical treatises: non-violence, moderation, awareness, aspiration to the highest - i.e. long-term results. This, friends, is simply “Yoga Sutra” by Patanjali, which “nobody has canceled.”
Another argument in favor of the fact that joint health in yoga is not a matter of technique, but of moderation - the fact that even experienced ones, what can I say, are outstanding! - yoga teachers are capable of harming themselves, even knowing, it would seem, all the tricks, tricks and “tricks”. The same popular yogi in the USA is one of the most thoroughly traumatized yoga teachers still living on Earth. And this despite the fact that in his style, the attention to detail and “adjustment” of asanas is simply manic, and the yoga room, thanks to the abundance of props, becomes more like a torture room. Iyengar is miraculously still alive (as is Jackie Chan, for example), despite all the tricks of his yoga style, and healthy person It's difficult to name it. How much of Iyengar's own traumatic style of practice has spilled over into what he teaches (and what his teachers teach?)? The question is open, because again, it’s not about the technology, but about the people who make them. Although in the video you can see that B.K.S himself. practices sharply, with quick inputs and outputs, with tension. It is difficult to judge to what extent this practice is yoga. But we can say for sure: if you practice soberly, “according to Boyko,” then Iyengar yoga will bring more benefit than harm. And even a soft “” can be turned into a platform for injury to the whole body “a la B.K.S. Iyengar."
To be fair, it must be said that teachers and practitioners of any type of yoga often suffer injuries. The trouble is that having increased muscle mass additional techniques(such as “vinyasas”), which are not in classical yoga - the practitioner puts the health of the joints and spine at risk. If this is combined with an invincible sense of ego and the desire to win at any cost, the sum will be a disabled spine and joints in a matter of years, if not months.
How, after all, can you practice safely for your joints? Maybe put less strain on your joints? No, immobilization of the joint leads to its degeneration (any doctor will tell you this). We are lucky: the joint is like a sponge; with moderate exposure, the soft tissues of the joint begin to let in and “absorb” lubricants and auxiliary substances, healing the entire system. With proper care, you can “develop” a joint from virtually any initial condition, even a very deplorable one. This is even if you influence only “physics”, and do not resort to more subtle, energetic influences. However, extreme work of the joint wears it out and leads to drying out, no less than low mobility (which can generally lead to stiffness and loss of mobility). So, again, the truth is somewhere in the middle - yoga practice, in order to be beneficial for the joints, must be feasible, correct, regular (daily), careful (moderate). Yoga therapy for the spine and joints can be used at any age, but the approach must be individual.
Western people as a whole have, as a given, an open pelvis and weak knees - this is affected by sitting habits (on a chair, not squatting), irrational (and often simply unhealthy) nutrition, as well as (funny, but true!) defecation style. Hindus, who spend almost half their lives squatting, complain less about their knees and lower back - except in very old age, which is why it is easier for them to do yoga. Our health is affected by a small amount of oils in the diet, an abundance of meat (which gives rigidity and muscle hypertonicity), and chemical additives. On the other hand, natural fat milk, butter, and an abundance of greens and vegetables in the diet of Hindus - and vegetarian yogis - are extremely beneficial for joints. For those who suffer from joint problems and cannot yet switch to a vegetarian diet, I recommend replacing meat (as well as poultry and seafood in the diet) with fatty fish - it “lubricates” the joints and has a slightly less hostile effect on the body and mind.
Another “non-obvious” method of working with joints is cleansing the intestines - Shankha Prakshala (“Sink Gesture”). This yogic cleansing is included in the extensive list that, according to Patanjali, is recommended to be done before starting any yoga practice. By cleansing the entire body of waste, toxins, stagnation, strengthening the immune system and launching metabolic processes with renewed vigor, Shankha-Prakshalana radically improves the condition of the joints, literally “freeing” the joints and lower back. Experienced yogis (even whose bodies are already clean) do this practice regularly. People who experience joint problems during fasting should first do Shankha Prakshalana and only then fast.
Do not forget about safety precautions in asanas. Do not bend your knees if you feel discomfort in asanas such as (Downward Facing Dog), (Standing Downward Bend), (Head to Knee Pose), (Triangle Pose)! There is no need to “ease” the position of the knee - you need to rearrange the entire posture so that there is no discomfort! There is no benefit in going deeper into the asana than your body allows today, bending your knees and giving yourself “indulgences” that are dangerous from the point of view of redistributing weight and stress on the joints! This practice will undoubtedly lead to injury.
When starting to practice yoga in old age, give yourself 3-6 months before moving on to complex asanas, especially inverted ones. Pay special attention to the condition of your knees and the sensations in them! And also on the lower back and spine in general. If the teacher insists that you “catch up” with the main group and practice “by the sweat of your brow,” change the teacher, and perhaps the style of yoga. It is best, if you have the slightest doubt about the ideal condition of the joints and spine, to begin (the first year) to practice either individually or in a group of yoga therapy for the spine and joints. In old age, yoga is not just good for joints - it is vital! Competent yoga practice will allow you to never learn about arthrosis and radiculitis, osteoporosis and osteochondrosis, spinal hernias, stoop and related problems of internal organs (including the heart, lungs, digestive system).
The practice of yoga for young and old should begin with mastering warm-up exercises. In the school of Sivananda Yoga they are combined into several series called “Pavan-muktasana” (1-2-3). These are simple dynamic exercises that, even on their own, can solve most problems - and effectively prepare the body for the safe development of hatha yoga asanas. It is ideal to start yoga by mastering all the basic Pavan-muktasanas, and at the same time do feasible Shatkarmas (at least Shankha-prakshalana).
During yoga classes, do not neglect the warm-up: it should be either Pavan-muktasanas, or a warm-up from aerobics, fitness - or several circles. Don’t think that this is “for dummies” or even a “waste of time.” For example, two-time world champion in sports yoga Sergei Kulygin considers warm-up an important part of his own practice, and actively promotes its importance (another thing is that half an hour of “warm-up” with S. Kulygin can drive seven sweats out of another “experienced yogi”). So, when studying in a class or on your own, do not immediately start with asanas (especially difficult ones, or standing ones) - take 5-15 minutes to warm up in one form or another. If your favorite yoga teacher doesn't give you a warm-up. Arrive 15 minutes early, and while other students are checking text messages and yawning at the ceiling, do it.
The lotus pose, like Hanumanasana (longitudinal splits), is very dangerous for the joints if you start to practice with an “unopened” pelvis. This means that if you are not able to sit on a lotus without using your hands, it is better not to sit down (this, by the way, has become Lately speak in his classes A. Sidersky). If you are not able to place your knee on the floor (without using your hands!!) in Janu-sirshasana, the same thing. In Vrikshasana, do not do Ardha Padmasana if the half lotus gives even slight discomfort in the knee. The half lotus is not much safer than the lotus; if your pelvis is tight, your knees are problematic - don’t do it! Everything has its time. (pose of the sage Vamadeva),), Ardha Matsyendrasana with grip - proceed very vigilantly, at the slightest discomfort - release the pose, or delay its practice.
Remember that failure to comply with safety precautions when working in yoga asanas can lead to serious injuries such as meniscus injury, damage or even rupture of the knee joint ligaments, impaired gliding of the patella, etc. Avoid bruising your joints! Don't let anyone, including your teacher, put pressure on you (literally or figuratively) during a yoga class! Joints “break” quickly, but take a long time to recover! An unspoken rule that can be life-saving in yoga: if the knee experiences discomfort, the pose is taken incorrectly, or is premature (unbearable).
If you practice yoga asanas carefully and carefully, regularly, the condition of your joints will improve year after year, and healing and increasing the physiological mobility of the joints will go hand in hand with the general rejuvenation of the body - this is one of the secrets of yoga!
