The Spinal Column

In these photos I am preparing my hands and arms for Adho Mukha Svanasana, or downward facing dog. I'm organizing the grounding of my palm by pressing into the base of my thumb and index fingers, subsequently distributing that weight throughout both palms. The web between the thumb and index finger is a prime location for spiraling the arm, granted if you're wise enough to externally rotate the palms slightly while genuinely bending into the elbow. The barrels on my forearms represent the cylindrical aptitude of the forearm when moving in proper alignment. Again, weight bearing in the hands is ruled by the softness of the elbow. We never lock our elbows either. Locking the elbows may make you feel strong, but you are bypassing your deep core. Finally, I take this time to prepare my hands and arms for proper weight bearing because I need to access my shoulder blades. Hand, arm, shoulder, and shoulder blade movement is the most misrepresented and misunderstood physiology in Yoga...

This one's a rule. When standing and bearing weight in the legs, your knees must track over what can be perceived as 'Toe 2.5', not the 2nd toe, but not the 3rd toe either. Why do we say it this way vs. 'the center of your foot'? Because while this line is measurable, everyone's bone structure is beautifully different in subtle ways. To achieve this 'Foot to Knee Alignment' requires first, of course, solid grounding in all four corners of the feet, while then sensing where you need to shift weight in order to place your knee in its proper position. And again, this is an applied principle before we even begin to discuss lengthening. Good 'Foot To Knee Alignment' is also an access point for better hip mobility and stability. And, of course, when standing still on one or two legs, you never hyper-extend the knee by locking out the knee joint. A locked knee is a guaranteed injury, and access denied to your pelvis and deep tonic core.

The Multifidus Muscle is a vocabulary word you must understand in Alignment Yoga. I've referred to Isotonic exercises vs Isometric/ Tonic muscles vs Phasic muscles - and only the isotonic exercises strengthen and grow multifidi. And for our purposes, isotonic denotes slow deliberate movements and weight bearing, that recognizes where a person's "end range" exists: meaning work without pain. The brilliant serpentine nature of the exquisite multifidus, as its tiny hair-like fibers weave together the magesty of the spinal column, stabilizes all our movement. Strong multifidus rejects back pain, and as we move through The Alignment Yoga classes together, our J-Spines will begin to unfurl. We used to joke with our new students, saying after a few months of holding hard poses for 2 + minutes, that they grew an inch taller. Renewed posture and developed multifidus will actually add height over time. Before defining 'How To Lengthen', there will be a few more...

Drawing Circles, Applying Pressure, and Spreading the Weight Evenly --- Everything in Alignment Yoga is through the lens of The Skeletal System. We never cue muscles, because muscles follow proper skeletal weight bearing. When “grounding” through any part of the body, the idea of drawing circles on the parts of the body contacting the earth, applying pressure in the diagonal axis, and thus spreading the weight evenly is an act of the utmost consciousness. In Yoga, as in our routine movement we often bear weight repeatedly in certain areas of the body while never bearing weight in others. Identifying the base of the index fingers and big toes, while counteracting that pressure in the pinky fingers, toes, and throughout the heels establishes a secure connection to the ground. Every contact point ultimately becomes a leverage point as well for lengthening and spiraling, so grounding also requires an advanced attention to one’s body, allowing your intention to fire dormant muscles ov...

Because of The Trivium . Lancaster, PA was where we had a providential moment in time to work this method out. Many smart dedicated people practiced regularly, and although no one at the time was aware of what The Trivium is, we were instinctually following its wisdom. The Trivium is a scholar's tool, allowing one to decipher complex systems using classical observation, logic, and rhetoric. Alignment Yoga appealed to me because it didn't require that I blindly follow a "guru's" orders. It provided an observable foundation, upon which I could explore Yoga with confidence and ease. It also changed the goal of the practice. No longer was "standing on my head" or forcing my superficial muscles to unsafely dive past the stability of the isotonic strength, neccessary. Alignment Yoga and its four core parts perfectly encapsulate The Quadrivium, and therefore I can unequivocally; without doubt, state that it is true.

Alignment Yoga is a method of motion, which focuses on creating a healthy J-Spine . Alignment Yoga is a Physical Formula: 1. How To Ground 2. How To Lengthen 3. How to Spiral 4. How To Breathe - Grounding always precedes lengthening. Lengthening always precedes spiraling. Breath can be harnessed for healing after steps 1,2, and 3 have been applied. Alignment Yoga is a philosophical concept; because when you physically learn the 4-part process and successfully begin to untuck your tailbone and lift your sternum, you exude a very practical yet very powerful postural dignity rooted in the main principle of optimal health - space for our organ bodies to flourish.

Welcome to my blog! I look forward to sharing valuable knowledge and information for yogis and non-yogis alike. I received my 200-HR Yoga Teacher Certification in Alignment Yoga, taught by a highly-acclaimed physical therapist in Lancaster, Pennsylvania- who notably trained Elena Brower. I also spent the summer of 2015 completing a 100-HR Alignment Yoga training with the yoga teacher, professor, and author Amber Burke . As a loyal and conscientious student, I proudly assert that the style of Alignment Yoga developed here in Lancaster, PA is a very specific, well-defined approach that empowers all people with a body and physiology to benefit. Personally in the last 20 years, I have practiced many forms of Yoga; mainly Hatha but also the standard power/vinyasa flows, Iyengar, Sivananda, basic Ashtanga, the controversial Bikram - and the list goes on. The point I'm making is that what I will be discussing and demonstrating is a universal holistic approach that will improve any type of...