Foot of the Mountain Yoga

I am sharing this from "Beyond the Clouds" - the social enterprise with whom I am leading a Yoga trip to Bhutan and Nepal next November 2027.

Five Minutes That Saved 1,653 Lives: A School Vanished, But Its Children Survived

Bidur, Nuwakot — On Wednesday morning, the Trishuli River became a force of destruction. Within minutes, floodwaters and debris swept through Tribhuvan Trishuli Secondary School, destroying classrooms, walls, playgrounds and almost everything the school had built over the years.

But there is one thing the flood could not take.

The lives of 1,653 children.

That morning, students from play group to Grade 12 had gathered for their usual morning prayers. It was an ordinary school morning—children standing together, teachers around them, and another day of learning about to begin.

Then the warning came.

Teachers suddenly had only minutes to make a decision that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. They shouted at the children to leave everything behind and run toward higher ground. No bags. No books. No belongings. Just run.

Headmaster Rajendra Dawadi and the teachers rushed from one group of students to another, desperately making sure as many children as possible were moving away from the river.

And then the flood arrived.

The school that had been filled with children's voices was suddenly swallowed by mud, water and debris.

The difference between life and death may have been only a few minutes. The headmaster later said that even a delay of one or two minutes could have changed everything.

Imagine that moment—a school full of children, a raging river approaching, teachers screaming for everyone to run, and parents somewhere outside waiting and praying that their children would be safe.

Today, the classrooms may be gone. The playground may be buried. The walls can be rebuilt.

But those five minutes of warning gave 1,653 families something priceless: their children coming home alive.

In the middle of one of Nepal's darkest flood disasters, this is a story of fear, courage, and an extraordinary escape.

The school was destroyed. The memories may remain. But the children survived. 🕊️🇳🇵

https://www.beyondtheclouds.org.nz/sacred-bhutan-with-judy-cameron

Sacred Bhutan with Judy Cameron | Beyond the Clouds Imagine beginning each day with yoga in the tranquil setting of Bhutan, where nature and mindfulness come together. Share meaningful conversations with like-minded travellers while discovering one of the world's most peaceful countries.

Book now on www.footofthemountainyoga.co.uk !

So true!

Yikes! Or, Yes! Should the foot be against the knee in Tree Pose?

When I first started teaching yoga I would always correct students who put their foot against their knee in Tree Pose. However, once I learned more about anatomy and biomechanics, I realized that my cuing was due to more Urban Myth than science.

The knee is stabilized by several ligaments. The collateral ligaments help to prevent valgus and varus movements. These ligaments are quite strong and damage to these fascial tissues almost always occurs during dynamic movements. Sports like tennis, skiing, hockey, football, basketball and even dancing place a lot of stress on these ligaments and they are fine. Static stress, such as we experience when standing in Tree Pose is actually quite tiny in comparison. You can feel this—stand in Tree with your foot against the opposite knee and feel just how much stress you are creating. Then, move the foot higher. You are still pressing against
the leg and the amount of stress at the knee is virtually the same. In either case, this level of stress is far, far below the ligaments' tolerance. (The study below shows that elderly collateral ligaments can withstand 400~600 newtons of force, which is about 90~135 pounds. There is no way that you are pressing that hard against the inner knee. That is almost the full body weight.)

https://www.jospt.org/doi/pdf/10.2519/jospt.2012.3919

I believe that the foot against the knee in Tree Pose may be quite healthy for the knee. Like all tissues, the knee ligaments need some stress to stay strong. If we never stress them, they will atrophy. So, the small stress we create with the foot against the knee in Tree is far from dangerous and may be mildly healthy for the knee. Of course, there are always some students with degeneration or some other problem so that they have to be very careful with their knees, but these people would also have to be careful walking up stairs or dancing! If you students can dance, they can place their foot against the knee.

Instead of frightening the student with an Urban Myth, I now prefer to ask her, “What do you feel when you put your foot there?” If there is no pain while she is in the pose, when she comes out or over the next few days, there is no need for her to change. Indeed, many elderly students with poor balance can’t get the foot any higher. They become too unstable. But, the foot against the knee is comfortable and still challenges their balance.

So, rather than think “Yikes!” when you see this, consider what the student’s experience is — is this position right for her? The answer is probably, “Yes!”

Cheers
Bernie

INDIA UPDATE ! 1st to 12th April 2026 Now open for booking

Northern India Trip 2026 - Update This recording is for intended audiences only.Recorded on 6/62025By Lindsey Porter of and Judy Cameron of Footofthemountainyoga - sharing and talkin...

FREE Introductory Zoom to BWY Pregnancy Module this Sunday 23rd June 2024 10am to 12 midday. All welcome! The module itself commences in September in Edinburgh. Find out more by contacting me via www.footofthemountainyoga.co.uk and the link to your free Zoom place.

Foot of the Mountain Yoga | Judy Cameron I currently teach a variety of classes from Kingussie to Aberfeldy. I live with my husband in a beautiful old farmhouse in the Scottish Highlands - at the foot of a mountain overlooking a loch.

My new website just got launched this week. Take a look!

Foot of the Mountain Yoga | Judy Cameron I currently teach a variety of classes from Kingussie to Aberfeldy. I live with my husband in a beautiful old farmhouse in the Scottish Highlands - at the foot of a mountain overlooking a loch.