The shoulder girdle and the pelvis balance around the midline of the imaginary string. Stand as though there were a string connected to the top of your head, with a puppeteer pulling you upright. This will lengthen the back of your neck, bringing your chin down toward your clavicle. Inhale and lift up from the crown of your head.Let your shoulder blades relax down your back, without pinching them in toward the spine. Exhale and tuck your lower ribs in toward the spine.If your hips are unlevel, try to draw them on a line parallel to the floor. Bring your pelvis to a neutral position between cat tilt and dog tilt.Don’t overtighten the thighs, though, and don’t hyperextend or lock out your knees. Engage your quadriceps a little to lift your kneecaps. Line up your knees over your toes and below your hips.The toes of both feet should point straight forward. When your feet are in the right place, there’s probably about a fist’s width of space between your big toes. For our purposes, your “hips” are the place where your femurs and pelvis meet, just below the anterior superior iliac spines (ASIS), or hip points. It’s a pose you’ll want to know inside out, or bottom to top. You need structural support, but you want access to microadjustments from the muscles of the lower leg.Īll balance poses-in fact, virtually all yoga poses-are variations on Mountain Pose, which is standing in neutral alignment. In one-legged standing poses, keep your supporting leg long but don’t lock out at the knee. ![]() ![]() ![]() You may be able to power through a pose like Chair Pose by relying on your muscles, but the pose will feel easier with appropriate skeletal alignment. Find the appropriate ratio of structural alignment-the position of your bones-to muscular strength.Taking some of each approach will allow you to notice which side is tighter and to work yourself toward balance by achieving equal release side to side. This can be measured quantitatively-say, by spending three or five or ten breaths in each pose-or qualitatively, by holding the pose on each side until you get the impression of evenness. For asymmetrical poses, spend equivalent time on each side.Physically this makes balance easier, and metaphorically it teaches you self-reliance. Choose something that’s not moving: the edge of your mat, a speck on the floor or wall, the corner of a window. Similarly, find a gazing point ( drishti) to help you steady yourself by keeping your eyes still, you encourage stillness in the body. It seems obvious, and at some point your body will insist you breathe, but you will find more control in balance poses by remaining aware of your breath and letting it stabilize you. See also: Protect Your Knees: Learn to Avoid Hyperextension Never hyperextend your knees in Mountain or any pose. Learn Mountain Pose well, and let it inform every other posture you take. Some principles apply in all balance poses: Yoga balance poses also teach a more subtle awareness of your body’s center of gravity in different positions, along with a finer sense of how the body works as a unit to balance. First, there’s the literal work of the balance poses, which will strengthen your lower legs and hone your proprioception so you grow more aware of where your body is in space. Get full access to Outside Learn, our online education hub featuring in-depth yoga, fitness, & nutrition courses, when you
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