How is your Alignment? 😳

Before I harp on, what is Alignment? [NEW REEL]

As always, what I present is science presented simplistically.

Alignment is the position of your limbs stacked up in space and time. The more “stacked” they are, the better aligned the structure, and the better that structure is able to absorb load.

Take Crow Pose as an example. If your alignment is off, you might wobble and fall. If it’s almost right, you might feel too much weight in one wrist. When you get your alignment right, the distribution of your weight (and gravity) is so even across your joints that the pose can feel almost effortless.

Now, how is your alignment in something like Warrior 2?

Is it an important question? The answer is a bit of a yes and no.

If you do a lot of yoga, the demand of the poses eventually catches up with you. Repeated exposure to the same shapes can start to place strain on your joints and ligaments. If your alignment is good, your body usually has more than enough tolerance, because the demand of Warrior 2 is distributed fairly evenly across the body. If your alignment is off, you might feel pins and needles in your toes, and more often than not your front thigh becomes massively fatigued.

To check in with your alignment next time you’re in a pose, close your eyes for a second or two. If you’re in a standing pose and you struggle to balance, there’s a good chance something is off. If you can stay steady, your alignment is probably working well for you in that moment.

If it feels off, this isn’t an overnight fix. Yoga, after all, is a journey, and it takes you through different phases. Every now and again, it’s worth checking in with your body in standing poses, because good alignment now is what helps ensure that when you’re 90, you’re still doing yoga.

Check out the links to the poses tutorials if you are intrigued and visit AkramYoga.co.uk for info on my Anatomy Blueprint.

Namaskar

Zahir 👳🏾‍♂️

🟠 THE YOGA ANATOMY BLUEPRINT - [Website]

🟠 In-house Yoga Teacher Training? 🧘🏽‍♀️ - [Link] (new page)