Practicing Proper Alignment of a Yoga Pose
Has this ever happened to you? You are practicing a pose and your expression of it doesn’t look or feel like anyone else’s. You feel awkward and off balance and maybe you are struggling a bit to get the shape right.
First, congratulations and welcome to the “practice” of Yoga. This is the perfect opportunity for you to discover a more harmonious relationship to the particular asana that you are struggling with.
It’s my job to determine the source of the difficulty and to then guide you toward a safe and productive expression of the pose for your body. There are a few things I look for when this is happening.
Alignment of the mind and body to achieve your unique expression of a yoga pose
Is your body properly aligned? Sometimes all that is needed is a small adjustment to bring the body into alignment and balance. I build poses from the ground up. If your feet or the way you are sitting is out of alignment, the rest of the body might feel a little off.
How flexible are you? It really doesn’t matter. Everybody is at a different place in their journey. What matters is that you don’t attempt to force your body to lengthen. It will happen naturally over time. If you force your body to stretch, you will get injured. Meet yourself where you are and relax. Consistency is important to see results over time.
How strong are you? Sometimes a pose has to be modified until you develop enough strength to find the full expression of it. With time and practice, you will be stronger. Plank is a great example. If you are lacking upper body strength there are other ways of doing it to build strength and stamina.
How is your coordination? Take your time getting into and out of a pose. Be mindful of your movements. You don’t have to get there quickly.
Do you feel balanced? There are a few things that need to happen simultaneously to achieve a balancing pose. Proper breathing, soft unfocused gaze (Dristi), a neutral awareness, proper alignment and strength will help you get there. Balance doesn’t always look like complete stillness. Your body may wobble a little bit or even fall out of the pose. That’s ok. Just start over. It’s also ok to use some support, like a hand on a wall to help you get there.
How is your body proportioned? Sometimes adjustments need to be made to be in a pose comfortably. An example is pregnancy. As the belly grows, the center of gravity changes, so sometimes the pose needs to change a little too.
Are you in your head? Are you thinking about the pose more than feeling the pose? This is pretty common when learning something new. What I encourage you to do is to find the pose, then relax and breathe. Allow yourself to let go of the thinking and shift into experiencing the pose. It can take many many times to get comfortable learning a pose, so give yourself grace. With consistency and practice, you will find that you will not need to think about it so much and you will find your own rhythm.
Can you sense where your body is in space? Looking into a mirror or watching other people takes you out of your body and into your head. Everybody is different and poses can look different. It is more beneficial to feel the pose than to worry about what it looks like. The more you practice, the more naturally you will be able to get into the pose. Mirrors are helpful to a point, just don’t get too focused on what you look like and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.
enjoy your yoga journey
Ideally, you will be able to shift your body in a way that allows you to create a version of the pose that feels fully expressed for you both physically and energetically. Yoga is a transformative journey. Practicing mindfully will not only develop your physical body, you will also be stronger mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Be patient with yourself, be consistent and relax with the process.