April 28, 2025 • 19 mins
In the last two episodes, we've discussed keeping students safe in our classes by being more mindful of the alignment cues we use. However, what is correct alignment, and is it safe for all students?” Those questions were the inspiration for these episodes on how we teach alignment & what we teach students to believe about their personal alignment.
How has your teaching on alignment evolved since your initial Yoga Teacher Training?
Mine has evolved significantly!
In this episode, we'll focus on two more perspectives: strength vs flexibility and the effects alignment has on the Nervous System.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
We are continuing the alignmentconversation, and because this
conversation has so many legs,I've been mindful about how I
cover all of the many beliefsthat surround it.
In the last two episodes, wecovered alignment cues that are
fear-based or one size fits all,and we've discussed how skeletal
(00:22):
variations and students'personal preferences play a role
in alignment.
All of these so far are validreasons why alignment.
In even simple poses like AnaMountain Pose can and should be
allowed to look different instudents' bodies.
In this episode, I'm going tofocus on two more perspectives,
(00:45):
which are strength versusflexibility and the effects on
the nervous system.
So let's get into it.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
(01:07):
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
(01:31):
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
(01:51):
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I am always soglad that you are here.
You know, I love havingconversations around anatomy,
(02:13):
pain, injuries, the nervoussystem, and how these affect
your sequencing over the yearsand throughout my continuing
education.
I found that these differentconversations were not being
tied together.
For example, if I wanted tolearn more about understanding
pain, I was just learning aboutpain in the body and brain, but
(02:36):
that education was not beingtied back to.
Sequencing or what I can do inmy classes to help students.
I worked on putting those piecestogether myself, and while I was
doing that, I started divingeven deeper into certain
subjects, one of them beingalignment and questioned why
(02:58):
we're so rigid when it comes toit.
Yeah, because what looks okay inyour body doesn't necessarily
feel good.
In mine, in the previousepisodes, we discussed keeping
students safe in our classesbecause I believe we all want
that, right?
However.
It makes you question what iscorrect alignment and is it safe
(03:24):
for all students?
That took me down a rabbit holeand was inspiration for these
episodes on what we teachstudents about alignment.
For a moment, I want you tothink about how your teaching on
alignment has evolved since yourinitial yoga teacher training.
(03:45):
I know my teaching and thinkingabout alignment has changed
significantly.
Initially, we were taught toteach alignment as a set of
fixed cues.
I was taught certain posturerequirements that were
considered correct for aparticular pose and for all
(04:06):
bodies.
Just have a look in many of theyoga books or magazines, and the
correct alignment is there, eventhough variations and
modifications are also added, orGod forbid, the full expression
of the pose.
There is a standard look thatthe pose must have according to
(04:29):
these publications, however.
The more we learn aboutmovement, science, biomechanics,
and inclusivity, it shows thatwe've incorporated an emphasis
on functional movement,individual variation, and
nervous system safety over rigidalignment cues.
(04:50):
In this episode, I'm gonna focuson two more perspectives, which
are strength versus flexibilityand effects on the nervous
system.
First, let's talk about strengthversus flexibility.
We used to think and teach thatflexibility was the priority and
(05:10):
students were encouraged to pushdeeper into stretches.
If we're honest, we even helpthem go deeper with our hands on
a.
We also used alignment cues thatwere aimed at increasing range
of motion, sometimes at theexpense of being in control of
our joints at their end range.
(05:33):
This sparked the conversationaround mobility training, and
when I use the term mobility, Imean joint control, not simply
moving well.
Now we know that moreflexibility isn't always better.
In fact, many people need morestrength.
And joint control and range ofmotion exercises as well.
(05:56):
Overstretching can lead to jointinstability, hypermobility
issues, and increased pain.
And because we know this, now,we can teach alignment that
emphasizes engaging muscles tosupport joints rather than
simply going deeper into a pose.
(06:17):
Now you may be asking whystrength matters more than
extreme flexibility.
Well, that's a great question.
Being strong helps to protectyour joints as well as aiding in
preventing injuries.
Remember, muscles help toprovide stability for the
joints.
(06:38):
If you're stretching too muchwithout adding strength, it can
lead to tendon tears andoverstretched ligaments.
There have been cases ofstudents tearing their hamstring
tendons.
Straight off the ischialtuberosity.
That's the bottom of your pelvisthat we often refer to as the
sit bones They tore it off thebone because they were trying to
(07:01):
push into full splits withoutbeing properly prepared and with
little strength and control oftheir joints.
Without strength and mobilitytraining, hypermobile, students
can easily overstretch ligamentsleading to joint pain and
instability.
When I talk about mobility, I amspecifically talking about being
(07:24):
in control of your joints inwhatever range you have.
This is referred to as activerange of motion, and it's more
functional and beneficial foryour body and your students'
bodies when practicing yoga.
The ability to hold a pose withcontrol rather than just
(07:46):
passively sinking into it ismore useful for everyday
movement.
For example, and I teach this alot, instead of passively
collapsing into half pigeon,teach students to stay upright.
Squeeze their glutes andpossibly lift their hands from
(08:07):
their mat.
This variation requiresposterior chain engagement of
the upper body as well as gluteengagement.
Students will not be sinkinginto the stretch in the front
hip.
Instead, they're engaging theirmusculature in order to be in
control of their joints.
In this pose, it's hard, I'm notgonna lie, but it's a great way
(08:31):
to add a bit of strength andmobility into your classes.
One of the biggest lessons I'velearned in my continuing
education on movement is thatflexibility without strength
creates weakness.
Over emphasizing stretching canlead to ligament laxity, which
in turn leads to chronic painand instability.
(08:56):
You can teach students to engagetheir muscles actively while
stretching to help buildstrength and control.
Also, encourage them to takestrength classes too.
This is so important.
I always tell my students thatthey should not.
Only be practicing yoga.
I learned this in my own bodytoo.
(09:17):
It's part of the reason why Igot injured from my yoga
practice.
The key to remember here is thathypermobility research has shown
us.
That too much flexibilitywithout strength leads to
instability and injury risk.
Instead of prioritizing deepflexibility, you should help
(09:38):
students build strength andcontrol in every range of
motion.
How did I learn this?
I started studying mobility.
When you think of alignment, areyou just thinking of it as a
physical positioning that we'reteaching?
Well, alignment is not justphysical.
(10:00):
It's also about the nervoussystem.
You might've been taught that.
Alignment is a physical conceptlike stacking bones, joint
angles, muscle engagement,teaching alignment this way came
from a focus on protecting thebody from injury by achieving
the correct positioning.
(10:21):
Think of it this way, instead.
Alignment is about how thenervous system feels in the
pose, not just how a student'sbody looks.
If a student is holding tension,struggling to breathe or feels
anxious, then the alignmentthey're practicing.
(10:41):
Isn't truly right for them.
Their nervous system's responsematters.
If a pose creates strain orstress, it's likely doing more
harm than good, and alsoupregulating their nervous
system.
I remember practicing yoga yearsago, and I was in a seated
twist, and the teacher came tome to give me an assist.
(11:05):
I'm guilty.
I respected this teacher andwanted to please her.
So when she was adjusting meinto a deeper twist, I stopped
breathing.
Not in a threatening way, ormaybe it was signaling a threat
to my nervous system, now that Ithink about it.
But I just wanted to twist asfar as she wanted me to go.
(11:28):
She did notice and told me tobreathe and backed off of her
assists.
But this is a big cue.
If you notice students areholding their breath, then they
have probably gone too far in apose.
Wherever they situate themselvesin their alignment of pose, they
should be able to breatheeasily.
(11:50):
This is the key.
Alignment is often taught as abiomechanical principle, but
it's also deeply connected tothe nervous system.
If one of your students feelsunsafe.
Unstable or overwhelmed in apose.
Their nervous system reacts bytensing muscles limiting
(12:11):
movement, or even triggeringpain responses.
Here are some signs thatalignment isn't working for the
nervous system.
number one, holding the breath.
Number two, clenching musclesexcessively.
Number three.
Feeling unstable, wobbly, orfearful?
(12:33):
Number four, pain, discomfort,or a sense of pushing through
something unpleasant.
And number five, mental oremotional resistance to the
pose.
If you notice a studentexperiencing these reactions,
their nervous system issignaling that something needs
(12:55):
to change, whether that's thepose, their breathing, or their
overall sense of safety.
Here are a few ways to help makealignment more nervous system
friendly.
Number one, prioritize stabilityand control over depth and
flexibility.
(13:15):
A student who feels unstable andoppose might tense up to feel
like they're protectingthemselves.
Instead of encouraging studentsto go deeper, help them back off
and find a strong and stablefoundation.
Where they feel more supported.
Number two, encourage breathawareness.
(13:37):
If students are holding theirbreath, they may be experiencing
nervous system stress.
Guide them back to their breathand encourage them to breathe
slowly and evenly before goingdeeper in a pose.
Number three.
Avoid rigid cues that causefear.
(13:58):
Fear-based alignment, cues likenever let your knee go past your
toes or you'll get injuredactually trigger the sympathetic
nervous system That's the fightor flight response.
Making students more tense andafraid to move.
instead, use neutral andinvitational language, like
(14:20):
explore how this position feelsin your body.
And number four, give permissionto exit the pose.
Students should never feel likethey're trapped in alignment or
that they would be reprimandedif they come out of a pose.
You'd be surprised how manystudents have experienced this.
I don't know what this is, butit's not yoga, and students
(14:44):
shouldn't be afraid to care forthemselves at any point
throughout class.
Normalize rest and modificationsby saying things like, if this
variation isn't working today,try this instead.
Teach rest and modificationstoo.
We have to look deeper intoalignment further than what it
(15:06):
looks like and more so into howit feels in the body, how
positioning feels to a student'ssafety.
also think of alignment asnervous system friendly.
Strength versus flexibility andthe effects alignment has on a
student's nervous system, aren'treally taught in 200 hour yoga
(15:29):
teacher trainings.
And I mean, I get it.
The 200 hour training is justthe start.
And yes, you have to learn thefundamentals of yoga and build
on One way you build is to thinkand teach alignment in a way
that is safe, open, accessible,and honors Students' needs,
(15:50):
their needs vary, so alignmentshould vary as well.
To tie this whole conversationabout alignment together, we
need to talk about preventinginjuries.
I wanna dedicate an entireepisode to that because I have a
lot to say and I don't want itto get lost in the sauce.
So for now, digest thisconversation around flexibility
(16:14):
versus strength.
Look at your sequences andnotice where you can add in more
control rather than flexibility.
Then when you're teaching noticeif students are tensing up, if
they're clenching their teeth,if they're holding their breath,
and teach them to pull back alittle bit and breathe.
(16:35):
I'm excited for you to try thisout and see how it changes the
way you think about teachingalignment.
I always want you to leavefeeling empowered.
I too have been here.
I didn't know any better, butthen I learned more about
anatomy, movement, injuries, andthe nervous system, and it
(16:56):
changed my teaching forever.
This is what I want for you tocontinue to learn and evolve
your teaching.
If you want a deeperunderstanding of anatomy and how
it might change the way youteach, you're in the right
place.
I know it might feeloverwhelming at the start, but
there are ways to makeunderstanding it a little less
(17:18):
complex.
I teach anatomy as it relates toteaching yoga, so you aren't
learning random bones andmuscles, but understanding how
these parts of the body areincorporated.
Into the yoga practice.
I believe with all my heart thatyoga teachers are movement
educators, and we mustunderstand the human body and
(17:40):
its movements in order to beeffective in our teaching.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation, and sometimes
teaching can feel lonely, whichis another reason why I started
this podcast.
So you'd have a place to go toask questions and get answers if
you haven't already.
(18:00):
Download the ebook sequencingfor different injuries.
The link is in the show notes, Ipromise you it will help form a
foundation for teaching studentswith injuries and aging bodies.
The information will also helpyou understand how to
accommodate students ofdifferent abilities, and it'll
be a great resource for you toreturn to again and again.
(18:24):
When you download the ebook,you'll be joining my newsletter.
That's just for yoga teachers.
I've got more exciting teachingscoming soon, so I wanna tell you
all about them.
The link is in the show notesbelow, and I would love for you
to join it so we can always stayconnected.
You know that my goal is for youto love the yoga teaching life.
(18:46):
And allow it to be fulfillingand rewarding.
If you love this episode, let meknow.
I've added a link in the shownotes for you to send me a quick
text message about your thoughtson this episode.
I won't know your phone number.
It's just a neat addition to theplatform I use that allows for
this new and super easy way foryou to communicate with me.
(19:08):
Once you click on it, it willtake you to your messages, but
don't delete the code.
That's how your message will getto me, and I would love to know
your thoughts.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops and share itwith another yoga teacher who
you think would love to be in onthese conversations.
(19:28):
Thank you for helping to spreadthe word about this podcast and
if you've been taking notes inyour journal as you listen to
these episodes, I'm so glad youare and I would love to hear
about it.
Alright, that's it for now.
Bye.
We are continuing the alignmentconversation, and because this
conversation has so many legs,I've been mindful about how I
cover all of the many beliefsthat surround it.
In the last two episodes, wecovered alignment cues that are
fear-based or one size fits all,and we've discussed how skeletal
(00:22):
variations and students'personal preferences play a role
in alignment.
All of these so far are validreasons why alignment.
In even simple poses like AnaMountain Pose can and should be
allowed to look different instudents' bodies.
In this episode, I'm going tofocus on two more perspectives,
(00:45):
which are strength versusflexibility and the effects on
the nervous system.
So let's get into it.
Welcome to the EssentialConversations for Yoga Teachers
Podcast with me.
I'm Monica Bright and I've beenteaching yoga and running my
yoga business for over a decade.
(01:07):
This is the podcast for you.
If you are a yoga teacher,you're looking for support.
You love to be in conversation,and you're a lifelong student.
In this podcast, I'll share withyou.
My life as a yoga teacher, thelessons I've learned, my process
for building my business andhelpful ideas, tools, strategies
(01:31):
and systems I use and you canuse so that your business
thrives.
We'll cover a diverse range oftopics that will help you,
whether you're just starting outor you've got years under your
belt and you wanna dive deep andset yourself up for success.
I am so glad you're here.
(01:51):
Listen, I don't take myself tooseriously, so expect to hear
some laughs along the way.
Now let's do this together.
Welcome back to the podcast.
I'm Monica, and I am always soglad that you are here.
You know, I love havingconversations around anatomy,
(02:13):
pain, injuries, the nervoussystem, and how these affect
your sequencing over the yearsand throughout my continuing
education.
I found that these differentconversations were not being
tied together.
For example, if I wanted tolearn more about understanding
pain, I was just learning aboutpain in the body and brain, but
(02:36):
that education was not beingtied back to.
Sequencing or what I can do inmy classes to help students.
I worked on putting those piecestogether myself, and while I was
doing that, I started divingeven deeper into certain
subjects, one of them beingalignment and questioned why
(02:58):
we're so rigid when it comes toit.
Yeah, because what looks okay inyour body doesn't necessarily
feel good.
In mine, in the previousepisodes, we discussed keeping
students safe in our classesbecause I believe we all want
that, right?
However.
It makes you question what iscorrect alignment and is it safe
(03:24):
for all students?
That took me down a rabbit holeand was inspiration for these
episodes on what we teachstudents about alignment.
For a moment, I want you tothink about how your teaching on
alignment has evolved since yourinitial yoga teacher training.
(03:45):
I know my teaching and thinkingabout alignment has changed
significantly.
Initially, we were taught toteach alignment as a set of
fixed cues.
I was taught certain posturerequirements that were
considered correct for aparticular pose and for all
(04:06):
bodies.
Just have a look in many of theyoga books or magazines, and the
correct alignment is there, eventhough variations and
modifications are also added, orGod forbid, the full expression
of the pose.
There is a standard look thatthe pose must have according to
(04:29):
these publications, however.
The more we learn aboutmovement, science, biomechanics,
and inclusivity, it shows thatwe've incorporated an emphasis
on functional movement,individual variation, and
nervous system safety over rigidalignment cues.
(04:50):
In this episode, I'm gonna focuson two more perspectives, which
are strength versus flexibilityand effects on the nervous
system.
First, let's talk about strengthversus flexibility.
We used to think and teach thatflexibility was the priority and
(05:10):
students were encouraged to pushdeeper into stretches.
If we're honest, we even helpthem go deeper with our hands on
a.
We also used alignment cues thatwere aimed at increasing range
of motion, sometimes at theexpense of being in control of
our joints at their end range.
(05:33):
This sparked the conversationaround mobility training, and
when I use the term mobility, Imean joint control, not simply
moving well.
Now we know that moreflexibility isn't always better.
In fact, many people need morestrength.
And joint control and range ofmotion exercises as well.
(05:56):
Overstretching can lead to jointinstability, hypermobility
issues, and increased pain.
And because we know this, now,we can teach alignment that
emphasizes engaging muscles tosupport joints rather than
simply going deeper into a pose.
(06:17):
Now you may be asking whystrength matters more than
extreme flexibility.
Well, that's a great question.
Being strong helps to protectyour joints as well as aiding in
preventing injuries.
Remember, muscles help toprovide stability for the
joints.
(06:38):
If you're stretching too muchwithout adding strength, it can
lead to tendon tears andoverstretched ligaments.
There have been cases ofstudents tearing their hamstring
tendons.
Straight off the ischialtuberosity.
That's the bottom of your pelvisthat we often refer to as the
sit bones They tore it off thebone because they were trying to
(07:01):
push into full splits withoutbeing properly prepared and with
little strength and control oftheir joints.
Without strength and mobilitytraining, hypermobile, students
can easily overstretch ligamentsleading to joint pain and
instability.
When I talk about mobility, I amspecifically talking about being
(07:24):
in control of your joints inwhatever range you have.
This is referred to as activerange of motion, and it's more
functional and beneficial foryour body and your students'
bodies when practicing yoga.
The ability to hold a pose withcontrol rather than just
(07:46):
passively sinking into it ismore useful for everyday
movement.
For example, and I teach this alot, instead of passively
collapsing into half pigeon,teach students to stay upright.
Squeeze their glutes andpossibly lift their hands from
(08:07):
their mat.
This variation requiresposterior chain engagement of
the upper body as well as gluteengagement.
Students will not be sinkinginto the stretch in the front
hip.
Instead, they're engaging theirmusculature in order to be in
control of their joints.
In this pose, it's hard, I'm notgonna lie, but it's a great way
(08:31):
to add a bit of strength andmobility into your classes.
One of the biggest lessons I'velearned in my continuing
education on movement is thatflexibility without strength
creates weakness.
Over emphasizing stretching canlead to ligament laxity, which
in turn leads to chronic painand instability.
(08:56):
You can teach students to engagetheir muscles actively while
stretching to help buildstrength and control.
Also, encourage them to takestrength classes too.
This is so important.
I always tell my students thatthey should not.
Only be practicing yoga.
I learned this in my own bodytoo.
(09:17):
It's part of the reason why Igot injured from my yoga
practice.
The key to remember here is thathypermobility research has shown
us.
That too much flexibilitywithout strength leads to
instability and injury risk.
Instead of prioritizing deepflexibility, you should help
(09:38):
students build strength andcontrol in every range of
motion.
How did I learn this?
I started studying mobility.
When you think of alignment, areyou just thinking of it as a
physical positioning that we'reteaching?
Well, alignment is not justphysical.
(10:00):
It's also about the nervoussystem.
You might've been taught that.
Alignment is a physical conceptlike stacking bones, joint
angles, muscle engagement,teaching alignment this way came
from a focus on protecting thebody from injury by achieving
the correct positioning.
(10:21):
Think of it this way, instead.
Alignment is about how thenervous system feels in the
pose, not just how a student'sbody looks.
If a student is holding tension,struggling to breathe or feels
anxious, then the alignmentthey're practicing.
(10:41):
Isn't truly right for them.
Their nervous system's responsematters.
If a pose creates strain orstress, it's likely doing more
harm than good, and alsoupregulating their nervous
system.
I remember practicing yoga yearsago, and I was in a seated
twist, and the teacher came tome to give me an assist.
(11:05):
I'm guilty.
I respected this teacher andwanted to please her.
So when she was adjusting meinto a deeper twist, I stopped
breathing.
Not in a threatening way, ormaybe it was signaling a threat
to my nervous system, now that Ithink about it.
But I just wanted to twist asfar as she wanted me to go.
(11:28):
She did notice and told me tobreathe and backed off of her
assists.
But this is a big cue.
If you notice students areholding their breath, then they
have probably gone too far in apose.
Wherever they situate themselvesin their alignment of pose, they
should be able to breatheeasily.
(11:50):
This is the key.
Alignment is often taught as abiomechanical principle, but
it's also deeply connected tothe nervous system.
If one of your students feelsunsafe.
Unstable or overwhelmed in apose.
Their nervous system reacts bytensing muscles limiting
(12:11):
movement, or even triggeringpain responses.
Here are some signs thatalignment isn't working for the
nervous system.
number one, holding the breath.
Number two, clenching musclesexcessively.
Number three.
Feeling unstable, wobbly, orfearful?
(12:33):
Number four, pain, discomfort,or a sense of pushing through
something unpleasant.
And number five, mental oremotional resistance to the
pose.
If you notice a studentexperiencing these reactions,
their nervous system issignaling that something needs
(12:55):
to change, whether that's thepose, their breathing, or their
overall sense of safety.
Here are a few ways to help makealignment more nervous system
friendly.
Number one, prioritize stabilityand control over depth and
flexibility.
(13:15):
A student who feels unstable andoppose might tense up to feel
like they're protectingthemselves.
Instead of encouraging studentsto go deeper, help them back off
and find a strong and stablefoundation.
Where they feel more supported.
Number two, encourage breathawareness.
(13:37):
If students are holding theirbreath, they may be experiencing
nervous system stress.
Guide them back to their breathand encourage them to breathe
slowly and evenly before goingdeeper in a pose.
Number three.
Avoid rigid cues that causefear.
(13:58):
Fear-based alignment, cues likenever let your knee go past your
toes or you'll get injuredactually trigger the sympathetic
nervous system That's the fightor flight response.
Making students more tense andafraid to move.
instead, use neutral andinvitational language, like
(14:20):
explore how this position feelsin your body.
And number four, give permissionto exit the pose.
Students should never feel likethey're trapped in alignment or
that they would be reprimandedif they come out of a pose.
You'd be surprised how manystudents have experienced this.
I don't know what this is, butit's not yoga, and students
(14:44):
shouldn't be afraid to care forthemselves at any point
throughout class.
Normalize rest and modificationsby saying things like, if this
variation isn't working today,try this instead.
Teach rest and modificationstoo.
We have to look deeper intoalignment further than what it
(15:06):
looks like and more so into howit feels in the body, how
positioning feels to a student'ssafety.
also think of alignment asnervous system friendly.
Strength versus flexibility andthe effects alignment has on a
student's nervous system, aren'treally taught in 200 hour yoga
(15:29):
teacher trainings.
And I mean, I get it.
The 200 hour training is justthe start.
And yes, you have to learn thefundamentals of yoga and build
on One way you build is to thinkand teach alignment in a way
that is safe, open, accessible,and honors Students' needs,
(15:50):
their needs vary, so alignmentshould vary as well.
To tie this whole conversationabout alignment together, we
need to talk about preventinginjuries.
I wanna dedicate an entireepisode to that because I have a
lot to say and I don't want itto get lost in the sauce.
So for now, digest thisconversation around flexibility
(16:14):
versus strength.
Look at your sequences andnotice where you can add in more
control rather than flexibility.
Then when you're teaching noticeif students are tensing up, if
they're clenching their teeth,if they're holding their breath,
and teach them to pull back alittle bit and breathe.
(16:35):
I'm excited for you to try thisout and see how it changes the
way you think about teachingalignment.
I always want you to leavefeeling empowered.
I too have been here.
I didn't know any better, butthen I learned more about
anatomy, movement, injuries, andthe nervous system, and it
(16:56):
changed my teaching forever.
This is what I want for you tocontinue to learn and evolve
your teaching.
If you want a deeperunderstanding of anatomy and how
it might change the way youteach, you're in the right
place.
I know it might feeloverwhelming at the start, but
there are ways to makeunderstanding it a little less
(17:18):
complex.
I teach anatomy as it relates toteaching yoga, so you aren't
learning random bones andmuscles, but understanding how
these parts of the body areincorporated.
Into the yoga practice.
I believe with all my heart thatyoga teachers are movement
educators, and we mustunderstand the human body and
(17:40):
its movements in order to beeffective in our teaching.
It's so important for us to havethis conversation, and sometimes
teaching can feel lonely, whichis another reason why I started
this podcast.
So you'd have a place to go toask questions and get answers if
you haven't already.
(18:00):
Download the ebook sequencingfor different injuries.
The link is in the show notes, Ipromise you it will help form a
foundation for teaching studentswith injuries and aging bodies.
The information will also helpyou understand how to
accommodate students ofdifferent abilities, and it'll
be a great resource for you toreturn to again and again.
(18:24):
When you download the ebook,you'll be joining my newsletter.
That's just for yoga teachers.
I've got more exciting teachingscoming soon, so I wanna tell you
all about them.
The link is in the show notesbelow, and I would love for you
to join it so we can always stayconnected.
You know that my goal is for youto love the yoga teaching life.
(18:46):
And allow it to be fulfillingand rewarding.
If you love this episode, let meknow.
I've added a link in the shownotes for you to send me a quick
text message about your thoughtson this episode.
I won't know your phone number.
It's just a neat addition to theplatform I use that allows for
this new and super easy way foryou to communicate with me.
(19:08):
Once you click on it, it willtake you to your messages, but
don't delete the code.
That's how your message will getto me, and I would love to know
your thoughts.
Subscribe to the podcast soyou're always in the know when a
new episode drops and share itwith another yoga teacher who
you think would love to be in onthese conversations.
(19:28):
Thank you for helping to spreadthe word about this podcast and
if you've been taking notes inyour journal as you listen to
these episodes, I'm so glad youare and I would love to hear
about it.
Alright, that's it for now.
Bye.
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