The cartilage in joints such as the knee acts as a shock absorber and allows the bones to glide smoothly over one another. Functioning something like a sponge, this cartilage is nourished by synovial fluid, which is squeezed out with movement, allowing a fresh supply to be soaked up. If range of movement is limited, areas of the cartilage degenerate due to a lack of sustenance, and become unable to cushion the bones as they move. Along with increasing range of movement, asana practice can also help improve the alignment of bones, potentially reducing the wear and tear. By increasing the range of motion in a joint, and taking you out of familiar movement patterns – and the literal grooves in the joint surface that can result – there tends to be less wear and tear in any one area. (source: Timothy McCall, M.D.)
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Reading Room
- Autobiography of a Yogi
- Brene Brown, Researcher & Story Teller
- Bringing Yoga To Life – The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living – by Donna Farhi
- Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language, Symbols, Secrets & Metaphors
- In An Unspoken Voice – How The Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness – by Peter Levine
- Intuition, Knowing Beyond Logic by Osho
- Live in a Better Way by Dalai Lama
- Living, Loving & Learning by Leo Buscaglia
- Striking Thoughts – Wisdom for Daily Living
- The Deeper Dimension of Yoga by George Feuerstein
- The Four Agreements
- The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikarchar
- The Seeker's Guide – Making Your Life A Spiritual Adventure
- The Untethered Soul
- The Way We're Working Isn't Working by Tony Schwartz
- Yoga & Ayurveda, Self-Healing & Self-Realization by David Frawley
- Yoga Gems by Georg Feuerstein
- Yoga Journal
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