Your Yoga. Developing Joint Flexibility.

Developing Flexibility in the Joints

After I gave you my new practice "Siddhasana", and especially after saying in "The Genie Who Fulfils Every Wish" that this particular asana is most suitable, my inbox was flooded with requests for a practice to help people whose legs and joints are not flexible enough to sit in siddhasana.

I have answered this question for many people throughout the website's existence. But since there is such particular interest, I will bring everything together as a separate practice.

First, as I have told many people in letters, the main practice is squats. Begin by squatting in whatever way suits you, perhaps with your feet shoulder-width apart or together. For about a week, squat in the way you prefer. Those with very stiff joints will initially have a very small range of movement. What do I mean? Extend your arm in front of you, then bend it until your fingers touch your shoulder. That is the full range of movement. Now touch only your forehead with your fingers. That is a smaller range. Similarly, people with poor joint flexibility will be unable to squat all the way down. After a week, stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart and squat, trying to go as low as possible each time. After roughly a month, you may reach the point where your buttocks can touch the floor. A month is only an approximate time, of course; it depends on your starting condition. But this is the result to work towards.

This is the main exercise I usually recommend.

The second practice is fasting. Fast for one day every week. You may also fast for a week every three months, or longer. This is very good for cleansing your joints and tendons of accumulated waste, or, more directly, of cementing substances that restrict flexibility.

Running is an excellent practice that helps greatly here. Other sports can help too, such as swimming, cycling or martial arts.

After about a month of these activities, begin more specialised exercises. Sit on the floor, clasp your foot with your fingers interlaced, and gently draw it upwards. That is only a general outline. There are different ways to proceed. For example, slide your left arm beneath your left leg and draw it towards you. Or place your left foot on your right thigh and use your left hand to make gentle, springing downward presses on your left knee. It is very good to do this after a hot bath and in the evening, when ligaments, tendons and joints are most flexible.

Massaging the knees also helps. Massage them every day, perhaps using a cold-pressed oil such as linseed or olive oil. There is also a rather unusual form of massage: slapping. Simply slap your knees with your palms. The slaps should be fairly firm but just below the pain threshold: still pleasant, though a stronger slap would hurt.

I can also recommend the exercise from a practice I gave earlier. , shifting its focus slightly to the knees. Take two hot-water bottles and place them on your knees for 30 minutes daily, drinking orange, grapefruit or lemon juice while doing so.

I am absolutely certain that within six months you will be sitting in siddhasana.

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