aralg

I have been practicing yoga for about 7 yrs and Bikram 2 yrs, and have recently started teaching. Locking the knee has always been a challenge for me! I have hyper mobile joints and even if I strongly pull my kneecap/quads up, my knee hyper-extends. What I have found and seen in students with similar issues is that focusing in on a strong strong stomach is a must. This is THE first cue in the posture after all! If I don’t have a core connection everything just sort of splays out! Not just a strong stomach though but everything drawn in and lifted.

I have started telling my students to pull their pubic bone up to their belly button (this strongly draws in lower belly and provides that important lift) then tuck the tail bone under (This provides stability). This can be hard to hold, just keep reinforcing it making it a first priority. These actions support the lower back. My back would hurt while I was in dandayamana janushirasana, now that I do this my back feels good! I focus solely on this and then lock my knee.

Before, the top of my femur bone would just stick out in front of my hip even though I strongly contracted my quads making my knee go waaay back. This core action helps fix this as I get a lift, plus I do try to pull the top of my femur back as well.

I suggest pulling the pubic bone toward the belly button, tucking the tailbone, as u contract quads imagine pulling the kneecap up towards the belly as well(this helps to keep the top of the femur from coming forward). This feels like one long strong line of energy/strength from the top of my head through my spine all the way through my hip, knee, ankle, foot. Plus, I have found I really need to press my heel and esp. the ball of my big toe in the floor for balance.

After this my neck and shoulders feel relaxed as well.

I have a strong balance and I am ready to lift my leg and kick my heel out. I tell my students that kicking out is secondary really to forming this strong foundation.

This core action is wonderful for pranayama, backbending, the compression postures, and dandayamana janushirasana is ultimately a compression posture!

I know in some body types this isn’t as essential(important though), but for those of us who tend to hyper extend it really is, I hope it helps!