Located between the highly mobile hip and ankle, the knee is a modified hinge joint that permits us to walk, run, knee, jump, squat, and move in the world. While the knee primarily moves in one direction like a hinge, it does have some capacity to twist when the knee is bent.
In yoga, practitioners are invited to explore the full range of motion that is possible at their hip joint. However, if the hip joint is not particularly mobile (due to skeletal factors or muscular or fascial tightness), it can become tempting to capitalize on the knee’s ability to twist in order to achieve the pose.
Understanding the functional movement of the knee will allow you to keep the knee safe while effectively opening the hips to your best capacity.
Note for CE Credits: If you are a current teacher taking this course for Yoga Alliance CE credits, you may submit for 3 hours of credit in Anatomy
