This morning I completed the "Awareness of Knees" workshop at the MAC and had a magical turnout. I thought I would share a few simple tips from the workshop! Love this body of work ~ thank you Debbie Rosas! Here you go:
A nice image of the bones forming the knee to keep in mind while using this powerful hinge joint. Print and put it somewhere so you can understand your knee movement. My image is currently taped up on my kitchen refrigerator.
Using the 3 stages of learning ~ Look, Listen and Imagine ~ to help you to become aware of the design and function of YOUR knees.
3 Simple techniques from today's workshop to practice to help you feel the sensation of healthy knees:
1. Become aware of the healthy knees by softening the knees to feel the joint space rather than protecting the knees and locking the knees. Go to your hip and ankle joints and find mobility and stability ~ hese two joints have a great deal of mobility and space and stability. Imagine yours knees being "supported" by the ankle and knee joints. Then you can relax the knees just like your elbow joint.
2. Stand, Walk, Sit with feet hip width apart and parallel. If your feet are turned out or turned in without intention then the hip is pointing forward but the foot is turned out or in. This leaves the knee torquing to balance out the two directions of the foot and hip creating strain on the knee joint, ligaments and tendons. This is a simple technique and a process of re-learning and re-leasing from habitual movement. Be Parallel and Hip Width Apart. Look at your feet when you are standing, walking and sitting ~ look. Then look/listen in the direction your feet are pointing while you are standing, walking and sitting ~ listen. Look, listen, imagine your feet on two tracks like a train or cross county ski's ~ imagine.
3. Wag your tail. If you cannot wag your tail then your knees are locked, which leads to stiff knees, which leads to tight ankles. Wag your tail, unlock your knees and feel the space under your femur, behind your patella and above the tibia. Look, Listen, Imagine.
My goal as a NIA Facilitator and Educator is to help you move comfortably in your body!
