In YogAlign, we actively seek out positioning, alignment, and movement that reflects how we move in daily life. We avoid uncomfortable, unnatural, and compressive positions that restrict deep breathing or that cause spinal compression. The emphasis is on the posture and not on the poses. When we have aligned the spine in natural curves, the body connects naturally as a continuum. We feel relaxed, balanced, secure, and peaceful. And, as you practice YogAlign, you attain the innate muscle memory that allows you to stay in natural alignment. Without thinking about it-moving gracefully and with ease from the core center of your body. With a toned, flexible spine and strong stabilized joint functions. Showing up to YogAlign practice will allow you the time and space to get to know and support your body’s needs.
- YogAlign is functional breathing to improve heart health and strengthen posture muscles from the inside out.
When the diaphragm is not working at full capacity our, body will start to use muscles in the neck, back, and chest for breathing. Causing the body’s natural alignment to be compromised and unsupported. The Core SIP Breath or Structurally Informed Posture inhalation creates an extension in the body and an engagement of your waist muscles deep in your core. When you exhale in YogAlign, you will practice keeping this length in your spine and waist rather than letting the contraction movements of exhalation collapse your waist and pull your sternum and breastbone down.With our awareness, each inhale and exhale can be used to traction, align and strengthen your spine and the muscles that act upon it. Using this breathing process can support you in achieving natural alignment. That will free your neck and shoulder muscles from the constant strain and overuse that occurs when breathing and posture are less than ideal.
- YogAlign is posture awareness to reduce stress and strain on the spine, immune system, and mental health.
Sitting and standing with proper postural alignment will allow one to work more efficiently with less fatigue and strain on your body’s ligaments and muscles. Being aware of good posture is the first step to breaking old poor postural habits. In YogAlign, the psoas muscle is just one of the four muscles we will be referring to as the stabilizers or core muscles. The psoas major joins the upper body with the lower body. It forms part of a group of muscles called the hip flexors. Whose action is primarily to lift the upper leg towards the body when the body is fixed or to pull the body towards the leg when the leg is fixed. If constricted and weak, the psoas muscle can not only cause back and hip pain but can also engage the fight or flight nervous system, likely creating feelings of anxiety. Why is it important to learn how to engage, activate, lengthen and relax this muscle/ group? To be able to live pain-free from our core. Establishing and supporting our spine’s alignment and our natural curves in YogAlign practice is yet another way to live a pain-free life. Since spine alignment is a determinate of our overall health and quality of life. We should practice yoga postures that support and engage the natural curves of our spine. That is why in YogAlign practice, all yoga poses stimulate good posture and functional, real-life movement. Health is regained painlessly and quickly by addressing posture and breathing habits to attain natural alignment during yoga, fitness, and life.
- YogAlign is real-life movement creating muscle strength and improving stability, balance, and coordination.
Movement and play help build more durable and denser bones regardless of age. And learning to engage the body in its entirety instead of pieces creates a sustainable foundation. Learning and practicing Concentric/Eccentric PNF Neuromuscular Postures is simply tightening what feels tight. PNF is an acronym for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation. It is a technique where you are activating a specific muscle. To relax the muscles around a joint so you can decrease the stiffness around a joint. In YogAlign practice, we refer to this as resetting the tension. The PNF essentially outwits your habituated stretch reflexes and resets resting muscle length, which determines your level of flexibility. By consciously tightening a muscle past its normal contraction, or tightening what is already tight, during exercises. The nervous system throws a switch that opens you up to more flexibility. PNF allows you to become strong and flexible at the same time. And this occurs quickly with no pain or strain to muscles or joints. Sensory Body Awareness and Proprioception in YogAlign practice allow you to pay attention to the sensations of tension and or release in the muscles, a feeling of where the body is in space and time. And become aware of the kinesthetic sensations while moving through your yoga poses. Sensory Body Awareness and Proprioception will support you in practicing presence and awareness in the now ~ staying in the moment.
Inner Breath Yoga~ YogAlign 