Knee crackling noise and yoga

Hello.. I joined yoga for post-pregnancy fitness before a year. I completed my 2 months course but was not able to do at home as I had to take care of my baby. Now baby is grown and I am planning to start doing yoga again, however I have developed right knee crackling noise while coming down stairs and sometimes I have pain in the knee.

I consulted ortho and he suggested me 2 simple quadriceps exercise and told me to avoid squats. Now my question is which all yoga poses should I avoid since I have knee pain. Also, my weight is reduced from 62 kgs to 55 kgs in last one year by running behind my little one and a little bit of walking everyday. However, fat on tummy and buttocks have not reduced a bit. Please suggest me yoga poses, pranayama to reduce the same considering my knee pain or can the knee problem be cured with yoga, if yes please let me know the postures.

Thanks


Answer

1. You have achieved most important after pregnancy that is to reduce weight.

2. Do the exercises suggested by your doctor, but do the exercises at a very slow pace.

3. Practicing of yoga poses and pranayama will facilitate proper blood circulation and removal of toxins from all parts of the body. A regular yoga practice will gradually cure your knee pain as blood circulation will improve and muscles will gain strength.

4. It is recommended that
~ Do proper warming up before your yoga practice.
~ Avoid sitting in padmasana or vajrasana.
~ You can sit in sukhasana for meditation and pranayama provided you do not feel discomfort or pain.
~ Any time you feel pain in the knees, restrict the movement in that particular asana.
~ Avoid asanas that require bending of legs at the knees or rotation of the legs along with bending at the knees.

5. As a part of warming up before yoga practice, Following warming up for the knees should be done before practice of asanas, but with very slow movements.

~ Sit comfortably with legs spread forwards, no bending at the knees. Now while bending your left knee upwards, slowly pull your left foot toward you. Hold for few seconds and then bring the leg in starting position by making the leg straight.
Similarly do for the other leg. (Repeat 5 times)

~ While sitting, keep legs forward (no bending at the knees), then flap your both legs raising knees 3 to 4 inches above the ground. Start at a slow pace and then increase the pace gradually.

~ While sitting, keep legs forward (no bending at the knees), rotate left foot first in clockwise then anticlockwise direction. Similarly rotate right feet first in clockwise and then anticlockwise direction. Repeat five to ten times.

6. Regular yoga practice will help you to reduce fat from tummy and buttocks. You can read more by clicking the following link.
Tummy reduction with yoga.

Hope this helps
Daljit