Each class I teach (and take) offers me new knowledge. Take a recent Aligned Yoga class:

I’m teaching Supta Padangusthasana (supine leg extension), using a strap. As I pushed my foot up into the strap, I isometrically drew my heel towards my sit bones (Thank You, Christina Sell). It was amazing to me that I could feel the hamstrings fire in this position. I’d tried it standing, felt it there fine. Finding the same sensation in a supine position without the foot rooted, was a surprise.

By firing the hamstrings, they become stronger, making the stretch more safe and effective —- good things. Students had to do it along with me a second time, just so I could make sure I was feeling what I thought I was feeling. I could even touch the hamstrings and feel the energizing! And, some of them felt it as well. Next time, more will feel it; the seed has been planted.

OK, we moved off the floor for a few standing poses. I’ve kicked up the cueing lately — offering more. I remember being taught that we, as teachers, should use no more than 3 cues for any one pose. Well, strike that down. While I do agree that is valuable for a new-to-yoga student; the students in class today have practiced with me for a while, they know my inclinations, and they roll with the punches (so to speak). Many more than 3 cues = stronger and more-aligned poses — good stuff!

And, finally. I’ve finished my 4-day webinar with Doug Keller. In it, he spoke about the benefit of inner spiraling the arms to create more arm mobility and counteract forward glide of the head of the humerus.

In the same class, we took arms overhead with palms facing hips (inner spiral), and keeping that position of the arms all the way to overhead. All felt a significant lengthening through the torso by doing this. And, best of all, several had straighter elbows in poses like tree pose and while extending arms overhead. Once arms were overhead, they were able to turn palms towards one another to complete the pose.

I came home and did some ‘googling’ to figure out why. Doug pointed out in the webinar that muscles overlap one another, creating a security blanket for many of our joints. I am thinking that this security blanket could also hamper muscle extension. In this case, the rear deltoid is overlapping top of biceps, which connects below the elbow. If the deltoid is tight, doesn’t it make sense that the biceps will be affected, causing elbows to bend? I could be all wrong about my theory, but I do know that the inner spiral while raising arms did help to straighten elbows — something to think about !!!

Always a discovery. If you’d like to share one of yours, leave a comment. LOVE COMMENTS !!!!

Take care,