A common instruction in Virabhadrasana 1 is to ground the outer edge of the back foot. However, if this instruction is coupled with the cue to wrap the outer back thigh forward it can create rotational torque at the knee joint and stress the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament). The ACL attaches from the underside of the femur (posteriorly) to the topside of the tibia (anteriorly), and has two main functions: 1) to prevent hyperextension of the knee, and 2) to prevent excessive rotation between the femur and tibia when the knee is flexed. It's important for a flexed knee to be able to rotate a little bit, as this is what allows a person to pivot and change direction when walking. However, when the knee is straight the ACL becomes taught to prevent hyperextension. If a rotational force is applied to a straight knee, the already taught ACL will be overly stressed, potentially leading to pain within the knee and over-stretching of the ligament that causes subsequent instability in the joint.
In the above video we offer alternative cues for the back foot, leg and thigh that help prevent rotational torque and keep the knee safe.
11 Comments
Bhadra
8/5/2016 06:53:34 pm
Nice Jason. The optics help a lot to show what's happening!
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Rani
8/6/2016 05:07:52 am
Excellent tutorial ..good to SEE the bones in" action "in yoga poses.
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Leticia Sanchez
8/8/2016 12:42:27 pm
Gracias por tan bellas publicaciones.muy nutritivas y enriquecedoras.NAMASTE.
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Amanda Walsh
8/10/2016 06:13:48 pm
Awesome! Cannot wait for Module 3!!!
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Jason
3/2/2019 12:32:40 pm
Thanks Yvette! Sorry for the super late reply, but I kind of dropped the ball on my blog for awhile. But intending to start diving in again!
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Paula
1/26/2018 04:07:10 pm
Loved this video. Would love to see more videos like this. Informative and easy to understand. Thanks a lot!
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Leena
3/2/2019 11:54:53 am
Hello, thanks for sharing :)
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Jason
3/2/2019 12:36:53 pm
Hi Leena!
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