Yoga Corner : Teaching Tools
Grounding the Femurs
1: Pushing the top of the femurs from the front of the thighs to the back of the thighs.
a) To be more precise; in a straight leg move the top of the femur (close to the pelvis) from the front of the thigh to the back of the thigh as you resist the top shin bone (close to the knee) from the back shin bone to the front shin bone.
Exercise:
Stand in Tadasana about a block distance from the wall with your back towards the wall. Place a block at the back of each top thigh and also against the wall and push the front of the thighs into the back of the thighs into the blocks into the wall as you resist the top shin bones forward towards the center of the room.
2: Double action of the femurs (adduction / abduction )
At the top femurs (close to the pelvis) move the femurs from the inner thighs to the outer thighs (abduction) and at the same time at the lower femurs (close to the knees) move the femurs from the outer thighs to the inner thighs (adduction)
Exercise: Place a block a the mid to lower thighs and a belt around the greater trochanters. Squeeze the block evenly with the inner thighs while simultaneously pushing the greater trochanters evenly out into the belt.
b) Then in a bent leg; move the top of the femur (close to the pelvis) from the front of the thigh to the back of the thigh as you resist the top shin bone (close to the knee) from the front shin bone to the back shin bone.
Exercise: In Utthita Parsvakonasana, place stacked up blocks under your top thigh bone and push the top thigh bone from the front of the thigh to the back of the thigh into the block towards the oor as you resist the top shin bone backwards.
Prepared and demonstrated by Donna Read
Donna would like to express gratitude to her teacher, Hart Lazer and to his teachers for their inspiration and wisdom.
