Yoga Alignment: Enhance Your Practice
Featured Classes Focused on Precision and Refinement
Alignment refers to the precise positioning of the body in each yoga pose to maximize benefits, enhance strength and flexibility without causing pain, and importantly, to prevent injury. Proper alignment improves circulation, creates inner space in the joints, and promotes a balanced flow of energy through the body, leading to overall health and well-being.
This week’s featured classes will refine your understanding of alignment so you can apply it to your postures.
- The Foundation of Alignment with Richard Freeman: Prana governs inhaling, while Apana governs exhaling. This class explores how these two primary patterns of Internal Shakti form the foundation of alignment and how they interrelate.
- Basic Iyengar Alignment with Marla Apt: This class covers the fundamental alignment for the first two standing poses typically taught to beginners: Virabhadrasana II (Warrior Pose) and Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose). Prop: Block.
- Sattvic Alignment with Marc Holzman: When the body and mind are in sattvic alignment, deeper meditation becomes more accessible. This class includes a short 5-minute asana practice to move energy through the body, 2 minutes of alternate nostril pranayama to soothe and balance the nervous system, and approximately 10 minutes of meditation using a simple mantra to deepen your practice.
- Align & Refine Your Arm Balances with Darren Rhodes: Explore the counterbalance arm balance sequence and take several arm balances to the next level of alignment and refinement. The insights gained in this class are applicable to asana across the board.
- Divine Alignment with Kia Miller: Discover how the way you stand influences each pose you perform. Find your true Tadasana (Mountain Pose) and progressively build towards a balancing posture – Warrior III. Challenge yourself with this sequence and discover your own Divine Alignment. Props: 2 Blocks.
- Lower Back and Upper Body Alignment with Steven Espinosa: This segment of Yoga for Dancers focuses on lower back and upper body alignment. Learn to address the tendency for dancers to have a hyper-flexible lower lumbar spine and how to protect it during yoga practice. The class also covers the alignment of the arms, shoulders, and upper back (port de bras) and includes a strong standing pose flow and several shoulder openers. Suitable for non-dancers as well.
- Align & Refine Yoga Postures with Jason Crandell: This sequence focuses on aligning and refining your standing postures. It will strengthen your thighs, stretch your inner legs, and improve your understanding of Warrior II, Triangle Pose, and Side Angle Pose. This thorough practice will leave you feeling better and enhance your understanding of how to align your hips in these essential postures.
