Yoga Instructions: Inner Knee Forward

inner knee forwardInner knee forward is a yoga instruction I stole from the esteemed Genny Kapuler who beautifully blends Iyengar yoga with the Alexander Technique and a particularly amazing practice called Body-Mind Centering.

Rotations and counter rotations are essential for aligning the body. One of my standard instructions for setting up the legs is, “inner foot down, inner knee forward, inner thighs back.” Inner knee forward counters a tendency towards pronation of the foot and a knocking of the knees when a student grounds the inner arch of the foot. At the top of the leg the femur or thigh bone twists into the hip sockets. That is the result of the inner thighs moving back which, like grounding the inner foot, can turn the kneecaps in as well.

Acting as an external counter balance to these medial and internal actions, inner knee forward helps to set up and maintain the proper alignment of the leg.

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Kyphosis: Rounding of the upper back