Hello World!

So my first blog! Exciting but slightly nerve-wracking too… But anyway, I’m game if you are - so let’s give it a shot!

If you’ve read the blurb about me on my webpage, then you will know that teaching movement is a second career for me and that I am an alignment and biomechanics’ geek. Changing careers has been a big step and I am only just starting on my teaching journey, but so far I love it and I am finding it rewarding - most days anyway ;)

So the other night, I had one of those rewarding moments with a student. It was really awesome! I know I posted about this on Instagram but I just wanted to go into a bit more detail about the pose here.

The pose was Trikonasana, AKA Triangle Pose. Trikonasana is a pose which shows up in so many yoga classes, yet can often be misaligned. Some common misalignments can include students hyperextending through their front leg; internally rotating their front leg; sticking their derriere out; excessively flexing in their thoracic spine; and not rotating their torso.

In addition, some of the cues teachers offer their students to try to correct what they see in front of them aren’t always helpful either unfortunately, so the misalignment may remain or the student just feels confused about what they should do. For example, being told to imagine yourself between two panes of glass to encourage a student to not stick their bum out, unflex their spine and/or rotate their torso, in my view, isn’t particularly helpful or realistic (I always wonder whether the teacher giving this cue has actually ever tried Trikonasana between two panes of glass themselves - then perhaps they would realise what a ridiculous cue this is…). Equally, whilst it sounds a lovely cue, “open your heart” may not always quite produce the desired result without further instruction or explanation being given.

So anyway, back to the other night and my student. I had noticed that when I cue my student into Trikonasana that her torso would seem to pitch forward when she took her bottom hand down towards the floor. We’d tried various cues relating to rotating the torso, verbal and physical, and also the use of a block. But then we tried something different which involves extending the thoracic spine and focussing on lateral flexion, whilst still keeping the rotation going. And voila! We got it!

The result: no more pitching her torso forward, towards the floor, but rotated and open, and my student felt a luxurious stretch down the top side of her body and also through her pecs. This physical aspect led to new sensations and a deeper experience for my student, which she loved. And me: well, I thought I might just pee my pants as I was so excited about how strong and open my student looked, and how she was beaming from ear to ear because of what she was feeling :)

And so this confirmed to me that this new path I have chosen is right for me. I love to help people achieve things and to feel better in their body and their mind. It was also a reminder that depth and beauty can be found in foundational postures that show up practically every day in an average yoga class; we just need to take the time focus on them, slow things down and tune in.

Happy Wednesday all! :)

My student's gorgeous Trikonasana, working thoracic extension, lateral flexion and rotation.

#yoga #yogaeverydamnday #pleasepractice #trikonasana #trianglepose #neverstoplearning