OPTIMAL ALIGNMENT IN YOGA
Anusara Yoga's Universal Principles of Alignment
Anusara Yoga’s five Universal Principles of Alignment allow us to find our body’s Optimal Blueprint in every pose.
Note: Every pose has one focal point (core of pelvis, bottom of heart, or center of upper palate), which is a key power center in the body into which Muscular Energy collects and from which Organic Energy extends out.
1. SET THE FOUNDATION & OPEN TO GRACE: Set your foundation: Properly set & release down the part of your body that touches the earth. Open to grace: Open to the beauty and goodness inside and all around you, say yes to life, open to something bigger, release any limiting definitions of yourself. Grace is anything that brings you into your heart and the beauty of any moment. Grace is one of the tools that allows us to experience chitananda, our true nature of consciousness and ecstatic bliss, which is the highest intention of yoga. “Inner body bright, side bodies long, head of your armbones back, outer body soft.”
2. MUSCULAR ENERGY: Muscular Energy has 3 components: 1) Hug muscles to bones, 2) Squeeze legs & arms toward midline, 3) Draw energy from feet & fingers into focal point. “Hug into your midline/focal point.”
3. INNER SPIRAL (Expanding Spiral): In your lower body, Inner Spiral runs from inner edge of feet (big toe) up through pelvis into outer edges of waistline. Inner Spiral has 3 primary effects: 1) Turns front of legs & pelvis inward (towards) midline, 2) Moves inner edges of feet, legs & pelvis (pubic symphysis & sitting bones) backward; inner heels, inner knees & inner thighs move back, 3) Broadens (laterally expands) legs & pelvis apart. “Move (inner) thighs back & wide.”
4. OUTER SPIRAL (Contracting Spiral): In your lower body, Outer Spiral moves from outer edges of waistline down through tailbone & out through feet (baby toes). Outer Spiral has 3 primary effects: 1) Draws sides of pelvis, legs & feet together (into midline), 2) Moves inner edges of pelvis (tailbone, base of sacrum & sitting bones) forward, 3) Turns pelvic bone & legs outward. “Extend tailbone toward pubic bone.”
5. ORGANIC ENERGY (ACTIVE EXTENSION) Organic Energy has 3 components: 1) Extend out from focal point through toes, fingers & crown of head, 2) Laterally expand legs & pelvis out from midline, 3) Concentrically expand muscles (e.g., from core lines of legs to skin). “Actively expand out from midline/focal point in all directions.”
Every pose has one active Focal Point. Muscular Energy draws in and Organic Energy extends out from the active Focal Point. There are 3 Focal Points: the Pelvic Focal Point (core of pelvis), the Heart Focal Point (bottom of heart) and the Upper Palate Focal Point (roof of mouth; sometimes called Skull Focal Point). The active Focal Point is the focal point nearest the most weight-bearing part of the pose.
Note: Every pose has one focal point (core of pelvis, bottom of heart, or center of upper palate), which is a key power center in the body into which Muscular Energy collects and from which Organic Energy extends out.
1. SET THE FOUNDATION & OPEN TO GRACE: Set your foundation: Properly set & release down the part of your body that touches the earth. Open to grace: Open to the beauty and goodness inside and all around you, say yes to life, open to something bigger, release any limiting definitions of yourself. Grace is anything that brings you into your heart and the beauty of any moment. Grace is one of the tools that allows us to experience chitananda, our true nature of consciousness and ecstatic bliss, which is the highest intention of yoga. “Inner body bright, side bodies long, head of your armbones back, outer body soft.”
2. MUSCULAR ENERGY: Muscular Energy has 3 components: 1) Hug muscles to bones, 2) Squeeze legs & arms toward midline, 3) Draw energy from feet & fingers into focal point. “Hug into your midline/focal point.”
3. INNER SPIRAL (Expanding Spiral): In your lower body, Inner Spiral runs from inner edge of feet (big toe) up through pelvis into outer edges of waistline. Inner Spiral has 3 primary effects: 1) Turns front of legs & pelvis inward (towards) midline, 2) Moves inner edges of feet, legs & pelvis (pubic symphysis & sitting bones) backward; inner heels, inner knees & inner thighs move back, 3) Broadens (laterally expands) legs & pelvis apart. “Move (inner) thighs back & wide.”
4. OUTER SPIRAL (Contracting Spiral): In your lower body, Outer Spiral moves from outer edges of waistline down through tailbone & out through feet (baby toes). Outer Spiral has 3 primary effects: 1) Draws sides of pelvis, legs & feet together (into midline), 2) Moves inner edges of pelvis (tailbone, base of sacrum & sitting bones) forward, 3) Turns pelvic bone & legs outward. “Extend tailbone toward pubic bone.”
5. ORGANIC ENERGY (ACTIVE EXTENSION) Organic Energy has 3 components: 1) Extend out from focal point through toes, fingers & crown of head, 2) Laterally expand legs & pelvis out from midline, 3) Concentrically expand muscles (e.g., from core lines of legs to skin). “Actively expand out from midline/focal point in all directions.”
Every pose has one active Focal Point. Muscular Energy draws in and Organic Energy extends out from the active Focal Point. There are 3 Focal Points: the Pelvic Focal Point (core of pelvis), the Heart Focal Point (bottom of heart) and the Upper Palate Focal Point (roof of mouth; sometimes called Skull Focal Point). The active Focal Point is the focal point nearest the most weight-bearing part of the pose.
Anusara Yoga's Seven Loops
Anusara Yoga systematically guides us into ideal alignment in every yoga pose. While Anusara Yoga's 5 Universal Principles of Alignment are the primary energy currents required in each pose, the Seven Loops are secondary energy movements which further enhance alignment.
LOOPS are circular flows of subtle energy that rotate in the sagittal plane of the body and interconnect to each other like gears. These intersecting loops rotate in opposite directions, with the exception of the thigh & pelvic loops.
Even though each Loop is spinning in a particular direction, the primary flow of Organic Extension moves Loops out away from the Focal Point. Loops below the Focal Point extend toward earth into the foundation of the pose and Loops above the Focal Point extend up toward the sky. So, while each Loop is spinning in a sagittal plane of motion, its ultimate direction of movement is away from the Focal Point.
ANKLE LOOP: “Lift & spread toes”
The ankle loop starts at base of shinbone just above ankle; moves down back of heel, forward along bottom of foot, then back up through center of arch to front of shin base. Organic Energy helps to initiate Ankle Loop.
SHIN LOOP: “Draw heels back & shins forward”
The shin loop starts at base of shinbone just above ankle; moves up back of calf to top of shins just below knee, forward through top of shin, then down front of shin back to base of shin. Muscular Energy helps to initiate Shin Loop & Shin Loop helps draw Muscular Energy up from Foundation
THIGH LOOP: “Move tops of thighs back (& apart)”
The thigh loop starts at top of thighbone in core of pelvis (Pelvic Focal Point); moves down back of leg to top of calf, forward through top of shin, then up front of leg through lower abdomen back to Pelvic Focal Point. Inner Spiral helps to initiate Thigh Loop.
PELVIC LOOP: “Move pelvis & glutes downward, bringing length to lower back”, “Extend tailbone down”
The pelvic loop starts in core of abdomen in line with middle of lumbar just below navel; moves down from middle of lumbar to middle of buttocks in line with bottom of sacrum, forward through floor of pelvis (Pelvic Focal Point) to top of pubic bone, then up lower abdomen to just below navel. Outer Spiral helps to initiate Pelvic Loop. Pelvic Loop has same direction of rotation as Thigh Loop, but opposite effect on alignment (Pelvic Loop moves top of thighs forward).
KIDNEY LOOP: “Move waistline back”, “Inflate your kidneys”
The kidney loop starts in core of abdomen in line with middle of lumbar just below navel; moves up back from just below kidneys to bottom of shoulder blades, forward through top of diaphragm (Heart Focal Point) to base of sternum, then down solar plexus to just below navel. Opening to Grace helps to initiate Kidney Loop.
SHOULDER LOOP: “Lengthen your side-body, move the head of your armbones back, shoulder blades on back”, “Bring bottom of shoulder blades toward heart & back of heart forward” , “Lift your heart”
The shoulder loop starts at center of upper palate (Upper Palate Focal Point); moves down back of neck and upper back to bottom of shoulder blades, forward through bottom of heart and top of diaphragm, then up chest and throat from base of sternum to upper palate. Muscular Energy helps to initiate Shoulder Loop.
SKULL LOOP: “Draw head & gaze level”, “Draw hyoid in”
Skull loop starts at center of upper palate (Upper Palate Focal Point); moves back & up along back of skull, forward over top of head, then down face back to upper palate. Organic Energy helps to initiate Skull Loop.
LOOPS are circular flows of subtle energy that rotate in the sagittal plane of the body and interconnect to each other like gears. These intersecting loops rotate in opposite directions, with the exception of the thigh & pelvic loops.
Even though each Loop is spinning in a particular direction, the primary flow of Organic Extension moves Loops out away from the Focal Point. Loops below the Focal Point extend toward earth into the foundation of the pose and Loops above the Focal Point extend up toward the sky. So, while each Loop is spinning in a sagittal plane of motion, its ultimate direction of movement is away from the Focal Point.
ANKLE LOOP: “Lift & spread toes”
The ankle loop starts at base of shinbone just above ankle; moves down back of heel, forward along bottom of foot, then back up through center of arch to front of shin base. Organic Energy helps to initiate Ankle Loop.
SHIN LOOP: “Draw heels back & shins forward”
The shin loop starts at base of shinbone just above ankle; moves up back of calf to top of shins just below knee, forward through top of shin, then down front of shin back to base of shin. Muscular Energy helps to initiate Shin Loop & Shin Loop helps draw Muscular Energy up from Foundation
THIGH LOOP: “Move tops of thighs back (& apart)”
The thigh loop starts at top of thighbone in core of pelvis (Pelvic Focal Point); moves down back of leg to top of calf, forward through top of shin, then up front of leg through lower abdomen back to Pelvic Focal Point. Inner Spiral helps to initiate Thigh Loop.
PELVIC LOOP: “Move pelvis & glutes downward, bringing length to lower back”, “Extend tailbone down”
The pelvic loop starts in core of abdomen in line with middle of lumbar just below navel; moves down from middle of lumbar to middle of buttocks in line with bottom of sacrum, forward through floor of pelvis (Pelvic Focal Point) to top of pubic bone, then up lower abdomen to just below navel. Outer Spiral helps to initiate Pelvic Loop. Pelvic Loop has same direction of rotation as Thigh Loop, but opposite effect on alignment (Pelvic Loop moves top of thighs forward).
KIDNEY LOOP: “Move waistline back”, “Inflate your kidneys”
The kidney loop starts in core of abdomen in line with middle of lumbar just below navel; moves up back from just below kidneys to bottom of shoulder blades, forward through top of diaphragm (Heart Focal Point) to base of sternum, then down solar plexus to just below navel. Opening to Grace helps to initiate Kidney Loop.
SHOULDER LOOP: “Lengthen your side-body, move the head of your armbones back, shoulder blades on back”, “Bring bottom of shoulder blades toward heart & back of heart forward” , “Lift your heart”
The shoulder loop starts at center of upper palate (Upper Palate Focal Point); moves down back of neck and upper back to bottom of shoulder blades, forward through bottom of heart and top of diaphragm, then up chest and throat from base of sternum to upper palate. Muscular Energy helps to initiate Shoulder Loop.
SKULL LOOP: “Draw head & gaze level”, “Draw hyoid in”
Skull loop starts at center of upper palate (Upper Palate Focal Point); moves back & up along back of skull, forward over top of head, then down face back to upper palate. Organic Energy helps to initiate Skull Loop.
Source: While the Anusara Yoga Five Universal Principles of Alignment and Seven Loops can be found all over the internet, the original source of Anusara's alignment principles is through Anusara Yoga's founder, John Friend. John Friend introduced these teachings to me during several workshops. In addition, this information was refined for me through the direct teachings of Tiffany Wood & David Belz.
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