Part 2: Discovering the New Alignment (part 2 of now 4 parts)

PART 2: DISCOVERING THE NEW ALIGNMENT 

(yesterday it was Part 1 of 3. Now it's Part 2 of 4. I'm re-aligning myself.)

I have seen the freedom and health through alignment trend evolve into over-stabilized, fearful, and resistant students (and teachers). What set us free, is now our jailer. We have aligned ourselves into a corner.

Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen said:

“alignment itself is not a goal. It is a continual dialogue between awareness and action.” 

What I see has having transpired, is that the dialogue part has been lost. It seems like the exploration and discovery aspect of the process of alignment has been replaced with a list of  “cues” and talking points. Sometimes it ever sounds like we are reciting scripts that had to be memorized in our 200 hr trainings. I’m not saying we shouldn’t keep an eye on the knee joint to make sure it’s not compromised, or that we shouldn’t address the issues of the lower back and neck. What I’m saying is that most people who come to class already have a basic sense of how to stand and place their bodies in a safe way. We are over-teaching. We are controlling. And one set of rules does not apply to each and every person out there.

Since it is rare that anyone has a home practice today, we need to include more of what a home practice can give us – which is getting to know our bodies, getting to know who we really are in there. 20 years ago, we didn’t have the option to take a yoga class everyday, so that our weekly class, our shot of inspiration from the teacher was an excellent way to shed some light and help guide us in our home practice. Now our student takes 5-7 yoga classes a week, with different teachers all telling them different things. Many are confused and not sure what is the “right” way to do the pose. The “right” way is the way that helps them achieve their goals, whether they be healing an injury, gaining strength or flexibility, or finding some peace in their day or life.

Why not empower our students through self-discovery? Why not stop assuming that our students know nothing about their bodies, and give them some freedom to explore different aspects of the poses so they can discover the appropriate version for themselves and their needs?  Maybe instead of telling them what they should be feeling, we could let them know what they shouldn’t be feeling (ie – strain in the low back, etc…). Most students are afraid of “getting it wrong,” so why not be the teacher that assumes they will get it right?

To be continued…