Grounding Heels Is Activation

The use of the heels in Alignment Yoga cannot be understated. A solid exercise to begin igniting the heels' power involves pressing your heels into a wall. An Alignment Yoga teacher would never cue the heels down and flat against the floor in Adho Mukha Svanasana/downward facing dog. Your heels should look like my heels pressing against the wall. Even if you aren't practicing with a wall, you are still creating that resistant tension with your heels in the pose. Notice also how my toes are super tucked under, like in a Toe Stand stretch. Even if you have to manually assist your pinky toe, get it in a Toe Stand position.
This New Age BS that there's no tension in Yoga, or rather, that the goal of Yoga is to release tension must be dispelled today. In Alignment Yoga we create tension exactly where we want it, and we use that tension to direct our pose. So from your downward facing dog position with your heels pressing into the wall, roll out into a high plank position keeping your heels in the same relative position, initiating the rolling into and out of plank by driving those heels back in space. Repeat this exercise daily for a minimum of 2 min. Adho Mukha Svanasana to Phalakasana or Kumbhakasana - back and forth, over and over, developing the connection to your heel strength.

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