Defining & Teaching Alignment

Defining Alignment

Defining Alignment

In yoga, alignment refers to how the body is placed in the field of gravity. “Alignment, conceptually, is not good or bad. It’s just a description of how we are arranged in space.” (David Keil)

Alignment often concerns the outer body: bones, muscles, feet, arms, head, etc. It may also refer to the inner body such as organs. The breath is intimately involved in arranging the body in yoga.

The goal of alignment is to support the student’s experience of a pose. It’s typically intended to assist students in exploring in healthy, functional ways, and to avoid injury.

Asanas don’t have alignment — people have alignment. – Leslie Kaminoff