11/29/2021
Should you lock your knees in standing asanas? Sometimes, yes. As a rule, or as a habit, no.
Locking your knees uses the full range of movement available to you. It is good to use that at least some of the time. Using the full range of movement of your knees is not harmful to them (unless it causes you pain; avoid it in that case).
But you don’t want to make a habit of “locking” your knees in full extension or hyperextension in all standing asanas. The reason is: when you straighten your knee fully, the last stage of the movement actually “un-aligns” the femur and tibia a little by rotating them out of their usual straight-line orientation.
This anatomical feature is useful because it allows us to stand on straight knees with less muscle effort. You need to un-rotate the knee before it can bend so you don’t have to keep squeezing your muscles to stop your knee from buckling when you’re standing for a longer time.
But you don’t walk, run, twist, jump or do any loaded movement with fully straight, locked knees. Try it; you’ll notice how awkward it is. Bending your knees (even a little) forces you to activate your muscles. This creates more dynamic or active stability than static or passive stability. That’s what you need when you intend to move. It is a better pattern to make a habit of when you’re moving from standing.
Alignment in asanas is not about creating a shape. We do asanas for a purpose. The way we do asanas should align with our purpose, not align us in a fixed shape! 🙏🙂
Dr. Ganesh Mohan
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