By Marlene (Matrikaa) Gast, Yogaratna
“Your knee is shot,” pronounced Eva’s doctor. An online Svaroopa® yoga student since 2022, she injured her right knee walking her dog and doing yard work, leading to knee replacement surgery in May. In September, I called to learn when she would resume her yoga.
Eva reported, “I was doing well with daily PT exercises, Ujjayi Pranayama, and walking. At the gym, I spent time on a ‘new step machine,’ recumbent bike and rowing machine — 10 minutes each. Best was the pool. I felt so buoyant! I even did the can-can in the water — and, unfortunately, over did it.
“Two days later, I couldn’t walk with a straight knee. To straighten it, I could barely do 2 seconds of the 5 minutes of my PT exercise. Once every hour, I sit upright in a chair with a bench at the same height across from me. My knee is straight while my foot rests on the bench. I lean forward without bending my shoulders until I feel a moderate stretch. But after my pool can-can, the pain at the back of my knee is unbearable, and my thigh spasms.”
Hearing this, I recommended yoga therapy. Online, Eva settled into a supported Shavasana, I led her through Ujjayi Pranayama for about 5 minutes. Then I guided her in a gentle tailbone release pose followed by Dhanurasana Leg with a therapeutic adaptation.
Afterward, she reported feeling exponentially better. I recommended that she do her daily PT exercise for 1 minute only and follow it with this therapeutic sequence. I suggested increasing the PT time by 1 minute each day to return to 5 minutes.
On September 30th, Eva returned to my beginners’ yoga class, which features the Primary Spinal Openers. She substituted Dhanu Leg for Lunge. Afterward, she felt “glowy, floaty and really good.” With Svaroopa® blankets under her knee, Eva did Lunge in the next class.
She says, “For the first time since surgery, I had enough flexion in my knee to move forward into the pose. Lunge does something for my whole spine like nothing else. Lunge makes everything flow.”
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