"More important than knowing what kind of pose the student is doing is knowing what kind of
student is doing the pose." There is a revolution occurring in yoga today around the
alignment paradigm. The concept of one and only one ideal alignment for each yoga posture
taught through an aesthetic focus on how the student looks in the pose is being replaced by a
functional approach that acknowledges not only the intention of the posture but each student’s
unique biology and biography. In parallel the paradigm of focusing on the muscles as the
limiters and causal agents of movement is being replaced by a broader understanding. The role
of fascia is being recognized and incorporated into yoga classes and trainings. Beyond muscles
and fascia there is a wide spectrum of causes for and resistance to motion ranging from
various sources of tension to the qualities of compression. Your Body Your Yoga is the first
book in a series describing the many contributors to limitations in our yoga practice. This
book looks at the lower body and the variety of shapes movements and potential restrictions
to movement in the hips knees ankles and feet. Introduced are the causes of resistance to
movement the frequency extent and consequences of human variation and their implications for
our yoga practice. While short tight muscles can restrict movement there are many reasons for
a lack of mobility. The causes can be cast into a gradient called the “ What Stops Me?
Spectrum”: fascia ligaments and joint capsules can be tight and tense while compression
arising from the body contacting other parts of the body will also impede movement. How these
tissues develop their tension may be due to actions of our nervous or immune systems or it may
be due to our inherently unique body structure. Compression is the ultimate limiter of movement
and is variable depending upon a student’s individual skeletal structure. All students are
unique to varying degrees and this individuality determines their ability and progress in
their yoga practice and its benefit for them.
