Alighnment
A Solid Foundation From the Ground Up
(literally)
In Modern Postural Yoga, the definition of alignment has been usually reserved for a model that perscribes directions for skeletal alignment in and through a pose. For many practitioners painstaking, specific cues and instructions are given for how the muscular-skeletal system should be maneuvered for an optimal result.
These directions and cues do not come from any traditional yogic text or codex. Many verbal cues that were customarily used in every class have been removed due to lack of safety or potential harm.
Where the concept if alignment has been beneficial in my own practice it is in vein of balance.
What we do on the left we do on the right and vice versa.
If when we sit, we have tendency to cross our legs and we always do it on the right and not left we can create a muscular and skeletal imbalance. Since the muscular and skeletal systems are interconnected these imbalances can lead to consequences in the body.
Lifestyle has a profound effect on the way our skeletal and musculature develop over time. The intricacies between sedentary vs standing or squatting physical cultures has been noted to affect musculature and potentially skeletal composition. New cultural tropes like “sitting is the new smoking” or “text neck” are examples of these potential outcomes.
This is where a skillfully selected and personally curated asana practice can be useful in rehabilitating a body that has imbalances. If we have a weak back and inactive glutes from a sedentary lifestyle often times strengthening the back, core stabilizers, pelvic floor while activating the glutes can improve back and posture issues.
