Koh Phangan is a HUGE destination for yoga in Southeast Asia. You’ll find all kinds of yoga and yoga related activities on this island, and we love it all: hatha, vinyasa, alignment yoga, acro, chanting, meditation, therapy, laughter, children’s, yin, and so many others!
At Ananda Yoga & Detox Center, we’re offering alignment yoga because it is one of the best ways to accommodate different skill levels, abilities, and body types within a class. Our yoga class schedule is kept up to date on our website.
What is Alignment Yoga?
Alignment – Finding the optimal arrangement between various parts of your body to maximize the flow of prana & grace.
Here are some reasons why alignment yoga is important for your yoga practice.
Clear Instructions for: Beginners, Intermediate, and Advanced Students
Body awareness opens up new possibilities for all students. An understanding of where to lengthen, contract, extend, rotate, and engage will allow for a greater freedom of movement, with less pain and discomfort.
- Beginner students are given precise instructions on how to discover the general shape of the pose.
- Intermediate students will skillfully unlock more advanced postures as their understanding of anatomy grows.
- Advanced students will learn to connect muscular engagements with flows of energy, and truly deepen their practice.
Safely Practice Yoga Poses
Performing some yoga poses incorrectly can be dangerous. Straining muscles, ligaments, and tendons will do more harm on your body than good.
Alignment yoga teachers have a strong understanding of anatomy. Instead of receiving vague descriptions, you’ll receive strong and enlightening cues.
Vague Core Instructions
If you’ve been to enough yoga classes, you’ve probably experienced the teacher who uses the soft, yet higher pitched faux spiritual voice…
“Expand your inner light, and bloom outward from the flower of your heart.”
Precise and Clear Core Instructions
Hopefully, you’ve also experienced a knowledgeable teacher with an intelligent command of language…
“Energetically pull your navel back to your spine, and then lift that energy upwards through the crown of your head. Notice the muscular contraction between your pelvis and ribs. Feel your chest rise and your abdominals become firm.”
We prefer and embody the later.
Develop a solid understanding how your body works, and you will do all forms of yoga better!
Optimized Energy Flow
The better your alignment, the more optimal the flow of energy or prana is throughout your body.
Everything that we do involves energy. Not only our movement, but our interactions with others and relationships are an exchange of energy.
When we align our bodies properly, and improve our posture, our energy is uplifted. Our conversations and enthusiasm are more positive and engaging. This directly affects how we treat others and the karma that we spread.
Whether you’re awakening your kundalini, expanding your consciousness, or just enlivening your spirit, alignment yoga will clear these energy channels for a more powerful practice, and a more engaged life!
Realign the Body From Daily Activities
Most people spend a lot of time hunched over a desk and keyboard. We spend a lot of time sitting down, or doing repetitive movements that misalign our bodies.
Working on correct alignment in our yoga poses, helps us to realign our bodies from the misalignments that our day-to-day activities cause. These misalignments can cause all sorts of problems from back pain, stress, sore joints, sciatica, low energy, migraines, and more.
The physical practice of alignment yoga helps us to find balance within our bodies.
Would you like to experience our alignment yoga in person?