Yoga for strength

 

Find your way through yoga. It helps strengthen, center and ground you for the day.

Find your way through yoga. It helps strengthen, center and ground you for the day.

 

Pranayama and Asana

I have been practicing and recently, teaching yoga. I have to say, that it has really strengthened me in general. I feel stronger in mind, body and soul. And able to stop myself from becoming overwhelmed when there is a difficulty in my life. When I practice the breathing (pranayama) and stay still in the poses (asana), I am ready for just about anything.

Strengthening the Knees

Today, I read that yoga can help to build stronger knees.

In the book Women’s Choices in Natural Healing by Adriane Fugh-Berman, MD, the author speaks on the power of yoga, especially the warrior poses for stronger knees.

Strengthening
Yoga brings about the strengthening of the knees through creating a more flexible you.
The warrior poses are the best.
Here are a few tips on how to stand in warrior:
Stand with your feet parallel about four feet apart. This is about even with your wrists when your arms are outstretched.
Now turn your left foot slightly in and turn your right food about 90 degrees.
This pose is very similar to a lunging fencer’s pose.
Always keep your chest facing straight ahead while you turn your head and look over your right knee.
You are looking at your right knee to make sure that it is in line with your right foot and vertical over your ankle.
Hold this pose for 8 slow breaths. ( If just beginning, do only 4 slow breaths in each warrior pose) In warrior one- your arms stretch high in the air, in warrior two- one arm in front and the other at the same level behind you- and you gaze down your middle finger through the forward stretched arm.
Acupressure and Herbs and Knee Pain
I love acupressure, and believe that rubbing and pressing around your knee cap can also help with pain. First place your hands around your knees and give it a good stimulating rub until you feel a lot of warmth. Then press with your index finger in a circle motion around each kneecap.

Herbs

Mix one drop of basil and one drop of sage essential oils into a carrier oil. Rub them onto your knees. It works as an anesthetic to help with pain.

Taken in part from: Berman, A. F. ( 1998). Women’s Choices in Natural Healing: Drug-Free Remedies from the World of Alternative Medicine. New York, NY. Rodale Press