Lift the knee then the flexed foot up on top of your other shin. The knee is a hinge joint with a limited capacity for rotation. The Daily Bandha Protecting Your Knee In Pigeon Pose If you have pain on the inside of your knee the simple test to see if its a rotational issue is to rotate both your upper and lower leg externally while in lotus be careful not to push your knee toward the floor too strongly. Lotus Pose Outer Knee Pain . But if you have tried getting into this posture for years and all you get is pain in the knees please understand that yoga will not change the shape of your bones. This pose creates an essential foundation for meditation practice while helping to manage stress with a conscious stretch in the front of the thighs and ankles. However both do occur. The hips flex abduct and externally rotate and the knees flex and rotate a small amount. With this breath we can further relax the muscles and the mind leading to a mental release from knee pain. Forcin...