I have been teaching Virasana a lot in classes these last few weeks. It’s a great pose for lengthening quadriceps and ‘helps the knees is by bringing them through their complete range of flexion, nourishing joint surfaces that might otherwise be neglected.’ However many students can find this pose uncomfortable due to tightness in ankles, hips, or more importantly because they have a knee injury.
This is an informative article on what is going on in Virasana and whether you should or shouldn’t practice the pose with a knee injury. And this is a great article on how to practice Virasana safely. To summarise:
– Don’t force
– Go slowly
– Avoid pain
– Keep feet inline with shins
– Avoid overstretching the knees
– Keep ankles near the hips
– Use props! If needed sit up on blocks or use a blanket/stick between the back of the knees as below, or use a blanket under the ankles if sitting on the heels.
