applying your unique physiology to asana + beyond

I just finished leading a 4 day teacher mentorship program in Kansas, and as I sit on a plane on my way back to LA, the experience has left me on a bit of a high – and no, it’s not from drinking wine on the plane.  The students were buzzing for so many reasons and they’re smiling faces full of excitement were so fun to witness. But for me there was one very specific thing that made me joyous (again, no wine involved).

My excitement wasn’t because they had a great time.  It wasn’t because they learned way more about body mechanics and anatomy.  Nope, it wasn’t even because they can now sequence and cue in a more effective way.  It most certainly wasn’t even because they nailed a handstand or an arm balance.

The reason I’m thrilled is because this group of teachers learned one very important thing which will change the way they teach and practice for the better.  That one lesson is, there are no rules that work for everybody, especially when it comes to the poses.

While this statement at first seems both incredibly obvious and terrifying, leading to thoughts of “What? You mean I can’t do exactly what the person next to me is doing”, or “I can’t teach as if every student has the same physicality?”, and “you mean I have to figure out how to customise for every single person in class and tell them each what they’re supposed to do and how?” Eventually there is a very freeing realisation that you do not have to run around the room like a crazy person bossing each person about. There are structural patterns that students can be taught and learn and then personal responsibility and choice is possible for each student to embody which allows them to practice asana from a place of tremendous wisdom.

You see, knowing anatomy isn’t enough, there are mechanics as well that need to be incorporated.  On top of that are personal nuances and each individual’s structural patterns.

Within yoga teacher training programmes, anatomy is at least touched upon but it’s simply not enough.  The missing piece is how beyond the perfect blue print picture of a pose lies each individual student’s structure both physically and energetically.  Each student needs to layer their personal makeup onto the template of a pose in a customised way that allows the pose to still be a challenge, but lessens the risk of injury both acutely and over the long run.

Every single student needs something slightly different and certain poses may or may not work for them.  When teachers and students alike find poses that function well without causing injury and then they customise them to their own structure, the true message of yoga rings through loud and clear, as does the purpose of asana and the broader concept of a practice.

Even though everyone is slightly different, do not fear. There are personal physical patterns and ranges of motion, that once identified and learned by teachers as well as by the students, can be seen cascading in a repetitive and similar ways through different poses making it easier to understand the body and it’s capabilities and limitations.

What would be better than knowing that your own elbow’s structure meant you could personally customise the positioning of your hands in a consistent way for every single pose where they were on the mat.  How freeing to know that if your lower back does a certain thing in one pose that it is fair to say there is a pattern to that position and that it will show up many, many times throughout class.

That single grain of knowledge can open up a world of possibilities for both teachers and students alike within their asana practices.  It allows students to know what works for them, why, and how to stay true to their uniqueness making yogic philosophy something that can be tangibly touched in their physical practice. It can also allow students to access the poses they didn’t know were possible for them, and keep them away from ones that just functionally won’t be their friend.

July 8th – 10th at triyoga Soho we will cover exactly this in my workshop series, “Why Can’t I Do That?”, where we’ll look at not just anatomy and mechanics but how that shows up in each person’s body and how that layers over top of poses.  Students will leave understanding their bodies and how to position them with wisdom, both in public class as well as in their home practices.  Teachers will leave with a better understanding of the diversity within their student population and how to tailor their teaching style to help a great majority of students.  Plus we’ll have some laughs along the way and try some fun poses too!

Join Alexandria Crow in Camden
why can’t i do that?
your unique physiology + how it relates to asana + beyond
08 – 10 July 2016

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Alexandria Crow’s yoga experience has been about transformation. The physical challenges of yoga provided a natural familiarity for the former competitive gymnast, while the philosophy of yoga has given her tools she uses to approach life with a fearless attitude. Alex shares her personal experience of the transformative nature of yoga with her students. Her approach to teaching stems from her belief that the practice is for everyone. Alex completed extensive training starting with the YogaWorks 200-Hour Certification Program, followed by a lengthy one-on-one apprenticeship with James Brown (former lead teacher trainer for YogaWorks and founder of American Yoga School) over the course of almost 1,000 studio and classroom hours. Since 2010, she has been leading 200 and 300-Hour Teacher Trainings in Santa Monica, CA, and various cities around the United States. https://www.alexandriacrow.com/

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