This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips, and how they each impact knee health. The ankle joint – a mighty mover The ankle joint transmits the weight of the body through to the feet and withstands thousands of steps each day. It also sends […]
How Yoga Can Help Ankle Dorsiflexion
This article is a continuation of Yoga for Healthy Ankles & Knees Part 1, and part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. Smart yoga for ankle dosiflexion Many yoga poses can help increase ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, especially if […]
Yoga for Healthy Hips & Knees Part 1
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. The knee-hip connection The hip joint is a large ball and socket joint with a diverse range of motion. It can flex forward, extend backward, adduct to the midline, abduct […]
Yoga RX for Your Hip Flexors
Yoga for long hip flexors Lengthen your hip flexors with an easy modified version of Virabhadrasana 1. If you sit a lot, practice this pose several times a day. It’s a great all-round healthy knee pose as it lengthens your hip flexors, hamstrings and calves; tones the buttocks and quads; and helps with ankle dorsiflexion. […]
The Knee-Hip Connection: Muscles and movement
This article is part of a series discussing the biomechanical connections between the feet, ankles, knees and hips and how they all impact knee health. The knee-hip connection Healthy hips are able to perform a diverse range of movements (see diagram right). All of these movements and their associated muscles have a direct impact on […]
Spinal Stability Exercises
By Ann West This is part 3 of 3 part a series on Spinal Stabilization. Creating spinal stability The key to this approach is to improve the nervous system’s ability to activate the pelvic floor (PF), transversus abdominus (TrA) and multifidus (MF) correctly. This is achieved by learning to voluntarily activate these muscles in near […]
Spinal Stabilization part 2
By Ann West This is part 2 of a 3 part series on Spinal Stabilization. Core training In cases of core muscular impairment the bottom line is that you cannot strengthen a muscle your nervous system cannot activate. You can practice all the core poses you want, but if you haven’t retrained the nervous system’s […]
Spinal Stabilization part 1
By Ann West This is part 1 of 3 part a series on Spinal Stabilization. Many people who suffer from back pain know that developing a strong, awake core is essential for spine health. But did you know that there are two layers of core muscles – an inner layer of stabilizing muscles that connect […]
Yoga & the Sacrum
The sacrum is a large, wedge shaped bone that sits at the base of our spine. It forms a strong foundation for the vertebrae above and is central to the structural bearing of our entire body. Sacrum anatomy Sacrum nerves How to locate your sacrum Sacrum pathology How yoga can help the sacrum Sacrum spiritual […]
4 Easy Restorative Yoga Poses
By Ann West These four easy restorative yoga poses can be practiced independently or together in the sequence below. If time is short, it’s preferable to practice fewer poses for longer holds, so the body and mind have a chance to completely rest in each position. Practice Tips Darkness: Try using an eye cover of […]