Wintergreen essential oil (fr. l'huile de gaulthérie) - good for back pain, pain in the joints, sore muscles - the best natural pain killer, rheumatic pain relief. Very good effect if you had a 'bad' move during your practice and feel discomfort in some joints or if you come back to your practice after some pause, a massage with few drops of this oil helps to realize the discomfort in the joints or the soreness in the muscles. As well it helps after any other activity as running, swimming, climbing, etc.
A well-balanced yoga practice should include as many different ranges of movement as possible, so as to keep each joint functioning well. Joints are the place where two or more bones meet. Most of them are mobile, allowing the bones to move. Ligaments surround the joint to give support, they connect bones to bones. Tendons on each side of a joint, control the movements, they connect muscles to bones. Most muscles work in opposing pairs to enable active extension and flexion in the joints - when one contracts and shortens, the other lengthens in response, and vice versa. When we stretch in yoga asana, we are focusing mainly on muscles that lengthen as a result of another ones shortening.
Collectively the bones, ligaments, tendons and muscles of the human body form levers to create movement. A joint is the axis point and the muscles crossing the joint apply the effort, which then moves the lever, which in turn moves the load. For example in a Warrior || posture: the axis is the shoulder joint, the effort is applied by the deltoid muscles and the load is the weight of the extended arm. Fundamental ways to keep our joints save are:
- proper alignment: each asana has different variations, choose the one in which you are properly aligned and then step by step improve to the next level. Use props to help you.
- never overextend your joints, avoid 'locking' your knees or elbows. Some people have a natural hypermobility in some of their joints, which allows to move the joint beyond the normal range expected for that joint. They have to be really cautious during their practice and in general to keep attention trough out any daily activities, as their joints are hypermobile they easily could be unconsciously overextended, which might cause pain in the knees, hips, fingers, elbows.
Enjoy safe practice !
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