Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

In another installment from our Assistant Director of Trainings, Andrea Russell, we learn the benefits of the Classic Sun Salutations and how to practice them.

In Part 2 in our series on Headstand, Scott shares a pose for people who don't feel comfortable with Headstand, which delivers most of the benefits.

In Part 1 of a new series, Scott describes how a pose many traditions consider the most important of all poses, can be done by anyone, and some of the lesser known benefits. In particular, how people born Caesarean section can gain special benefit from headstand. Includes the debut appearance of Amelia the kitten.

In Andrea's second video, she presents the Alignment Yoga approach to Uddiayana Bandha, and a simple Pre-Yoga technique to begin accessing it. This exercise helps wake up vital energy in the lower belly, and can help ease tension in the lower back, jaw, neck and shoulders.

We're overjoyed to welcome Andrea Russell, Assistant Director of AY Trainings, to our blog. She has taught yoga for over 10 years and been involved in Alignment Yoga trainings since they began. In her first video, she demonstrates a classic Pre-Yoga technique of Alignment Yoga - the Dead Bug series. This invigorating exercise develops your core and increases coordination, especially between the right and left sides of the body (and the brain).

Walking and running are among the most natural of all human activities. Children are generally up on their feet before they’re even potty-trained, and it’s not uncommon that they’re running, too! Running is a uniquely joyous human activity. Children at play can scarcely contain their joy in running after each other, and we often find joy watching others run. Witness the popularity of watching various athletic events – the human body in motion, and specifically running, is a joy to behold. Many of us hope to recapture that joy by running for fitness, yet how many of us have captured the ease and lightness we’re seeking? I witness the majority of runners on the trail, and their facial expressions indicate some sort of pain or discomfort. In my work as a Yoga Therapist , this observation is reinforced – many runners suffer injuries and often are in pain. This is unfortunate, as running is a natural movement of the human body . We don’t generally believe that walking will ultimately lead t...

Gravity Juice on the feet is one of the most unique and effective of all the Pre-Yoga techniques. While I've been using this technique and teaching students in the studio for years, I'm excited now to share this tool with the larger yoga community. Try it out, and let us know your results. Here's an excerpt from the video below: The sole of the foot relates to the whole rest of the body. In reflexology, the top of the foot relates to the upper back between the shoulder blades. So many yoga students walk into class and complain about how stiff and tight they are between the shoulder blades. Quite often, these exercises begin to release those tight, stiff muscles. We can also consider the foot as our primary shock-absorber. If we step on an irregular surface, the foot absorbs the irregularity. If the foot is very stiff and rigid, it transmits that shock higher up into our system. This can cause knee strain and an unstable SI joint. Getting more pliability in the sole of the f...

The old Johnnie Taylor song reminded us that where there's smoke, there's fire . In the human body, where there's pain, there's inflammation. In teaching therapeutic yoga, I rarely find pain without accompanying inflammation. Inflammation is the body's response to irritants. In some cases the irritant may be faulty biomechanics, while in other cases the cause may be mental stress. In both cases, Yoga is a powerful ally in healing. Quite often, however, yoga breathing and postures alone do not root out the cause of the inflammation. Without getting to the cause, the benefits of Yoga are often short-lived. As mentioned in Part 1, inappropriate food choices are a common cause of inflammation. Food choices that are clearly detrimental to health include too many refined foods, lack of fresh fruits and vegetables, or excess consumption of fried foods. Quite often, however, the food choices responsible for chronic inflammation are not as obvious. Frequently we'll find ...

The notion of one-size-fits-all can be captivating. There's something appealing about erasing our differences, and we'll frequently turn to our physical form to express this desire. Many years ago I worked as a bicycle mechanic. The early 90's weren't such a robust time for budding Yoga teachers, and the day-job provided a modicum of financial stability. (As day jobs go, you could do worse than wrenching bikes.) While fixing another rusty hybrid bicycle, Jason observed that in the bicycle's attempt to do everything, it ended up not doing anything well. It didn't readily go off-road, nor did the hybrid bicycle offer much in terms of on-road performance. The negation of excellence in the pursuit of homogeneity has left us the poorer in more arenas than bicycling. It used to be that clothes billed themselves as one-size-fits-all. In the age of rampant obesity, only the muumuu can now make good on that claim. In response, we're finding clothing that bills itself...

For more information, visit www.alignmentyoga.com .

As I mentioned in the previous blog entry, breathing is one of the least understood aspects of Yoga. True, we have many images and techniques regarding breathing techniques, though at the end of the day, the incidence of incorrect breathing is epidemic. Perhaps you’ve heard teachers suggest belly breathing , filling the collarbones , b reathing into the side ribs , filling the armpit-chest or other secondary instructions. While each of these carries an element of truth, in isolation, they’re often misleading. These instructions are all based on the assumption that the diaphragm is moving properly. In our 21st century world, this assumption doesn’t carry much weight. Perhaps proper diaphragm movement was commonplace at some other time and place, but today it’s become exceedingly rare. Why do we care about the movement of the diaphragm? The diaphragm signals the brain whether to be content, or ready-for-the-worst. If the diaphragm is moving improperly, the sympathetic nervous sys...

I often refer to the Three Fundamentals as Clandestine Yoga. We often think of yoga as something we do in a specific time and place, away from all distractions. While a disciplined practice is a powerful ally, we aren’t likely to bust out a triangle pose in the frozen-food aisle when we feel our hips stiffening up, nor are we likely to set aside our daily work to practice shoulderstand each time our neck aches. The Three Fundamentals are powerful medicine and can be practiced at any time and at any place. Alignment Yoga classes generally start with a meditation on the Three Fundamentals. This helps us drop the stresses and tensions we unconsciously burden ourselves with, and sets the stage for a focused, joyful yoga practice. Keeping the Three Fundamentals in mind while practicing the yogasana strengthens the muscles of inner awareness, and paves the way for moving through the day with more ease and equanimity. The Three Fundamentals are uniquely applicable to Westerners – the yo...