how to find perfect alignment in every yoga pose

Hi, and welcome or welcome back. So on our yoga teacher training, Every day we have an asana clinic, which is taking a pose [00:01:00] and breaking it down, learning how to teach it safely, learning what alignment points to look out for and exploring how different bodies might experience the pose, when to use props, and so much more. Anyway, often in this part of the day, in the asana clinic, especially towards the beginning of the training, trainees will often ask something along the lines of, "What is the right way to do this pose?"

Or "Should my feet be here and should my legs be like this or like that?" Or "Where should I feel this pose?" And I think, really, I find it a bit disconcerting that there is an idea of a perfect pose, of perfect alignment. That you should have your feet this far apart, which so should your neighbor whose feet are completely different size or her hips are, or [00:02:00] actually she holds tension in her lower back, so her feet need to be like this or like that.

And if you think about it, your body changes from the beginning of the class to the end. So even if there was perfect alignment, should that be perfect for how your body is at the beginning of the class or at the end? Anyway. Well, I think I've made my point. I don't think perfect alignment exists. But there is actually some chat about how to find the perfect pose in the Yoga Sutras, an ancient and much revered text of yoga.

There actually isn't that much about the physical practice of yoga in this book, just three sutras or sentences really. And the first one says that asana, the poses of yoga, should be steady and [00:03:00] comfortable. So yogi, next time you practice See if you can perfectly align every pose, finding a version of it where your body is both steady and comfortable.

Now, this doesn't necessarily mean easy or without challenge, but it means without discomfort, without strain. And for bonus points, make sure that the version of the pose that you've chosen helps your mind be steady and comfortable too. when talking about perfect alignment, Desikachar, a really well-respected yoga teacher, says, "It is attention without tension, loosening up without slackness. if the mind is distracted during our asana practice, then it [00:04:00] is not really asana."

So practicing in this way, staying mindful and working towards steadiness and comfort in every pose does two things. Actually, it does lots of things, but I'll talk about just two for now. So firstly, it keeps us present right here in this moment, a truly mindful practice. And when we are right here in this now moment, we are not mentally drafting our email reply to Fred or planning what order we need to do things when we get home, or indeed worrying, "Why did we say that thing to that person?

Argh." And setting off the stress response. There are endless research-based benefits to mindfulness, including improved stress resilience, reduced anxiety, improved attention and focus, better sleep , [00:05:00] reduction in the intensity of chronic pain, and so, so much more. All that from practicing your perfect alignment, your perfect version of steadiness and comfort in your body and mind in each pose.

The second main benefit is that practicing this way, mindfully, probably improves interoception. Interoception is our sense of how we are inside. things like noticing your own hunger and thirst, how tired you are, your stress levels, what emotions you're experiencing, and so on.

This might not seem like a big deal, but if you're in tune with how you are feeling, you can really feel into the good moments, and you can do something about the more tricky moments. How many times have you caught the subject of an email as you're heading out the door? [00:06:00] Something like bill overdue or another project for you.

And then a couple of hours later, you find yourself snapping at someone and they say... Or maybe you catch yourself and you ask yourself, "What is going on with me today?" And you realise you've been feeling particularly frazzled, and when you break it down, it's going back to that subject that you half-read hours ago on your way out the door, and it's been bubbling under the surface since then.

In theory, improved interoception through a mindful asana practice will reduce the chances of situations like this. Okay, team, I think it's time to summarise. Yes, there are alignment principles in place in lots of poses to keep your body safe and your joints safe. But if you want to find your perfect alignment in every pose, then stay present.

Check in with yourself that you're [00:07:00] breathing with a level of ease, that your mind isn't jazzed up by the pose, and that it feels steady and not uncomfortable. I really hope that's helped. Why not give it a go today? in the show notes, I've linked to a 10-minute asana practice with me where you can try it out.

Just 10 minutes of regularly checking in with your body and mind in each moment, each breath, each pose. Enjoy, yogis, and as always, happy practising..