Weak or inflexible ankles. i cannot sit on my ankles without being in agony

I am 56 and started doing doyogawithme for 4 months every day. It has been fantastic. I am managing intermediate 2 lessons and getting more flexible and stronger. I practice between one and two hours a day. But there is one simple thing I cannot do without discomfort. I cannot sit on my knees. Even with support it kills my ankles. What can I do to improve my ankle strength and flexibility. many shoulder exercises involve sitting on your knees. it is frustrating.

Hi Rupert,

I am happy to hear you have taken such a deep dive into yoga! There is usually one or two things that pop up in the first year that are challenging for one reason or another. It could be sketatal variation or tightness. Either way we don’t want you in agaony so there are a couple of choices. You can sit on your knees with your toes tucked under, you can roll a towel and place that under your ankles, or you can sit cross legged instead. Props such as blocks are also great! Over time this should get a bit better if it is a flexibility issue.

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I was also going to suggest a rolled up towel, I use one frequently even for Childs Pose. Good luck.

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