Alignment in yoga Doesn't Mean "In Straight Lines"

Alignment is a buzz word in yoga.

There's a general consensus that alignment is very important. At the same time, there's a shockingly small amount of discussion about what alignment actually means. Sure, we can talk about how our body should look, but is that useful? If we base our postures on what looks nice, does this forsake how the body is put together?

Often times, yes. 

One of the most common forms of approaching alignment is to attempt to put the body into straight lines or perfect circles. We are visual creatures. What looks good is appealing to us. However, when it comes to working with the body, we should realize that we're not necessarily made to be in straight lines or perfect circles. More importantly, we can develop our practice in a profound way if we stop worrying about the visual outcome, and think more about the internal actions. In a physical practice, we should consider something much deeper than what we look like. 

To approach alignment in this way, we should consider the following:

• How does the body work?
• What muscles are we using?
• Where are the attachment points of those muscles?
• What are we engaging and relaxing to make the shape of the posture? 
• Why are we doing the posture in the first place?

If we can answer these questions, our understanding of alignment and our physical practice will develop in a profound way.