Q: I use all of these modifications in my classes, based on the various abilities of the students in front of me. You don't need to do the classic version to get the benefits of the pose. Even keeping one hand within reach of a wall helps students develop confidence, as I encourage them to take their hand off the wall even for a second or two. Nonetheless, I do have a problem with this instruction: "You can place your right foot anywhere along the inseam of your left leg that works for your hip openness and ability." The one place I advise students NOT to place their foot is on the inside of their knee. That's a recipe for injury if they press too hard with the foot, especially if they also hyperextend their knees. The joint simply isn't designed to take that kind of stress. I advocate bending the knee slightly (just to unlock it), and then contracting the quad as I would in Tadasana or any other straight-legged pose. Thoughts?
A: It is wonderful to learn that these modifications are already benefiting students out there! And I totally agree that even the modified Tree pose is of immense benefit to those who practice it regularly. Regarding the placement of the lifted foot, I would direct our readers to the caution section of my original post that clearly states:
“For everyone, avoid placing the heel of your raised foot against the inside of the knee joint; it should always be either above or below that landmark. If you do not know where the inside of your knee joint is, ask your teacher show you.”
I have observed that you can usually place your heel just a few inches above the joint and let the arch of your foot cradle the center bulge of knee joint bones of your straight leg, with the ball of your foot below the joint and placed, as with all the variations, along the inseam of the straight leg. As long as the practitioner is clear about pressing the straight leg into the sole of the lifted foot while pressing the lifted foot if you have any concerns about the health of a student’s or your own knee, then have the heel below the joint line, or place the foot well above the joint line with the ball of the foot just above that line. This last option, of course, depends on the openness of the top leg hip.
As for the question about my thoughts on slightly bending the knee just to unlock it, and then contracting the quad as she would in Mountain pose (Tadasana) or any other standing pose, I have the following thoughts:
It depends! I would certainly consider a slight micro-bend to the knee of the straight leg if the practitioner has significant hyperextension of the knee with the presence of pain when doing the pose in the classic way. I might even have the practitioner do it this way if they have a hyperextended knees without pain to teach them an alternative to doing the pose with the bottom knee locked out. However, many students with hyperextension of the knee may never develop problems with the joint, so I am cautious not to imply there is something “wrong” with their unique structure!
For those who I might teach the pose with a micro-bend to the knee, I am assuming that our reader has the student maintain that slight bend as they engage the quads, which would help to stabilize the joint in the new and unfamiliar alignment.
Finally, in general, when I bring attention to the knee joint of the straight leg in Tree and in most standing poses that involve a straight leg, I have moved away from the idea of “engaging the quads,” as it can actually encourage the tendency to hyperextend a knee that already has that predisposition. Instead, I encourage students to engage the muscles around the entire circumference of the knee joint to bring evenness to the muscular support and stability of the knee (another way to think about this is "to firm the knee joint"). This was a wonderful image and idea that our teacher Donald Moyer used to employ regularly, and I have found to be of great benefit to those I have passed it onto in my classes.
—Baxter
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