How A Yoga Teacher Hurts Her Knee
Hello all! Here we are in late summer, when some of the most fun adventures happen, and I have hurt my knee. I’m not couch-bound, but I have to be careful with my activity level.
I will tell you it didn’t happen suddenly. It happened gradually. I’m sharing this for those readers who have a nagging pain but are choosing to ignore it. That was my path, and I have ended up with a meniscus injury in my knee. If it’s painful, chances are your body is asking you to do something about it. I learned that the hard way this year.
I have a genetic condition that results in hypermobility and loose joints. Perhaps that is why yoga was so appealing at first; hyper-mobile people are able to get into yoga poses that some with normal range of motion cannot. However, I have learned that just because I can do it, doesn’t mean I should do it. This is one of my biggest lessons in yoga practice.
“However, I have learned that just because I can do it, doesn’t mean I should do it. This is one of my biggest lessons in yoga practice. ”
I have been active and exercised regularly since my tween years, and I took up jogging around age 14. I believe this contributed to later knee pain. That’s not true for everyone, but I believe for me it has been. Eventually, around age 30, I had to stop running due to knee pain and shin splints that were hard to rehab.
Regardless of giving up running, as well as participating in regular yoga and weight training, my knee pain has increased over the last 8 years. There are other contributing factors, such as near flat feet and some hip problems.
In the last year, I’ve started doing heavier full-body weight lifting. I believe this led me to where I am today. Without rehabbing my knees, some of those big squatting movements and lunges overwhelmed my knee ligaments. Ironically, I hurt my knee on a morning when I was putting on my clothes for the day. Not a strenuous activity by any means. However, the meniscus tear came after many years of pain that I didn’t listen closely to.
It can be tempting for us to push through pain, even those of us devoted to practices that increase our body awareness. Sometimes, healthcare access gets in the way of us getting help. But sometimes, it is preventable. I hope this quick blog inspires someone who needs to to go get help. I know I could’ve gone to the orthopedist long ago, but I pushed through the pain instead. It’s a life lesson for a lot of us, and I hope I’ve learned it for good!
