Cure For Knee Pain
/Dear Yogis,
Friday Email n Monday, I know! I was healing in the 42 minerals of the natural thermal Roman waters of Bath at the weekend!
Talking of healing, on the previous Sunday at Chithurst Monastery, I gained enlightenment. Here it is; I heard that castor oil combined with frankincense essential oil cures knee pain. Knowledge of this magic existed in prehistoric Ethiopia and Egypt, in Ayurvedic, Chinese and folk medicine, and in writings of the great Greek herbalists. I am amazed at how my terrible knee pain has gone.
Here comes the science bit. Concentrate! Ninety percent of castor oil is ricinoleic acid, which subdues inflammatory enzymes, blocks the chemical signals that cause pain and swelling, numbs discomfort and reduces swelling.
While Castor oil deals with one pathway of pain production, frankincense essential oil completes the one-two punch combination, preventing aggressive white blood cells from gathering. My school playground had a lot of white blood cells. They’d hear the call: ‘Fight. Fight. FIGHT!’ and everyone would swarm to the trouble to join in. Frankincense is the teacher who prevents the call. The pathway to increasing the trouble no longer exists. (Any doctors reading this, please excuse me).
You might not get Lotus Pose back or get BBB (bendy beyond belief) but you definitely can feel normal!
Classes
Come to class! I’m totally into the magic of Yin Yoga but the promise of morning Ashtanga remains strong. Just at the basic level, we go from standing up, suddenly down in Plank, up again, down again, building strength and all kinds of movement in every direction. Could this be more important to balance and confidence as the years go by!
Mon, Tues & Wed evenings = Stretchy yoga at 7.00-8.00pm – this is the popular one with a bit of Yin.
Friday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30-9.30am – this is the more ‘dynamic’ one.
Friday evening = Yin and Restorative Yoga – 6.30-8.00pm – A proper unwind – fortnightly.
Saturday morning = Ashtanga at 8.30 – 10.00am – this is the longer ‘dynamic’ one.
Sunday morning = Yoga-For-Strength at 8.30 – 10.00am – this is Ashtanga with push-ups and weights.
And, by the way, you can post a google review of my classes here.
Yoga in the News
The European Space Agency has: Celestial yoga by astronaut Sophie Adenot. ‘For years, yoga has been one of my favourite ways to find balance and unwind… and that has not changed on board the International Space Station! I end every day with a few yin yoga stretches. It's a quiet moment to pause, breathe, and transition from a full day of work to a good night's sleep. And yes, yoga feels a little different when gravity is no longer part of the equation!’
Modern Ghana has: How India Regulates Yoga: What Africa Needs to Know. ‘The practitioner needs to understand the person's health condition, limitations, possible contraindications and when the person should be referred to a physician or another healthcare professional. This is no longer simply an Indian discussion. In 2025, The World Health Organisation published its Training in Yoga technical report addressing competency-based training for yoga. WHO noted variations in yoga training internationally and the absence of a uniform global regulatory process.’
Come to class! Feel the ancient magic!
