I enjoyed a lovely yoga class last night with a delightful little packet of dynamite. Dressed in her traditional Indian attire, the teacher hailed from that very part of the world, the home of yoga, and her Hatha class was truly the real deal. Under her loose fitting clothing, she was an inspiring powerhouse of strength, combined with graceful flexibility.
As we moved into the various postures, “listen” she would say. As we bent the knees into a sustained knee bend “listen to your knees” she said; as we moved into cobra, “listen to your back” she said. As we moved through the session, “listen to your joints” she kept saying.
In any yoga session, and perhaps, in fact, in any type of physical (or not so physical) activity, we should be listening, not just to our bodies, but specifically to our joints. Our joints are where the movement happens, our joints are what support us, our joints feel the strain when we are not moving as best we should. Our joints are the key to strength, flexibility, movement, and good musculoskeletal health.
Tune in, move with consciousness and listen to your knees, listen to your back, listen to your joints. Really hear what they are saying, what they like, and more importantly what they don’t like. Hear them, respect them, and look after them, for your joints are some of your most valuable assets.
One Thousand Days of Yoga 