Scott Anderson, Ph.D.

Solitude can be a powerful ally in the inward journey; though just as readily, solitude can be the province of self-deception. Perhaps you've experienced moments of great clarity, only to have your repose shattered by the intrusions of your wife/husband/child/pet. How many of us daydream about the potential for enlightenment, if only we could only escape from the distractions all around us? Relationship becomes the true test of our inward journey. If we are as kind, open-hearted and generous when surrounded by the most difficult people, then our practice has really borne fruit. Within our own bodies, relationship is every bit as important. I encounter many yoga students who have studied individual muscles at great length, yet have neglected to consider how the muscles are to glide across each other in healthy movement. The body is a collection of layers. Atop the bones are the deepest muscles, and atop those muscles are more layers of muscles. The capacity of muscles to glide ...

Alignment Yoga is indigenous to the Driftless Region of Wisconsin. The seasons keep us honest, and days like this invite a longer-than-usual practice. After a few hours of snow removal and a hot cup of tea, an afternoon inversion practice seemed like just the thing. Seasons Greetings! ~ Scott www.alignmentyoga.com

Nicolas Leonard Sadi Carnot was not known as a yoga teacher, though his scientific work has great application for those of us interested in Moksha (yogic liberation). Carnot was a French physicist who laid the theoretical groundwork that led to the development of the internal combustion engine. Whether you loathe or love this particular technology, Carnot's work was the start of a long line of innovation that led to harnessing the Motive Power of Fire . Having developed the thermodynamic principles (now known as the Carnot Cycle) that made internal combustion engines possible, Carnot also described what is now known as the Second Law of Thermodynamics. Understanding the conceptual framework of the Second Law of Thermodynamics can be liberating for students of yoga. There are many ways we can express the 2nd law, as its wisdom has proven useful across many branches of science. In essence, the 2nd law tells us that an ordered system is very difficult to maintain. As time goes on, it ...

The other day I was reading an article about yoga injuries. When you're a full-time yoga teacher, the subject of yoga-injuries is a pretty disheartening matter. I imagine an auto mechanic feels similarly when a wheel falls off during a test-drive (ahem, not that I know anything about that particular example!). The article, titled Understanding and Preventing Yoga Injuries , appeared in the 2009 International Journal of Yoga Therapy . While yoga remains a safe and effective path, the article underscored the need for yoga teachers to better understand the mechanics of the body. I was watching a colleague teaching Utthita Trikonasana , commonly known as Triangle Pose. It is virtually ubiquitous in most yoga classes; and while it has the potential to open the hips and free up the spine, it also has the potential to strain the sacroiliac (SI) joints. Given how many millions of Triangle poses are likely taught each day, a deeper understanding of pelvic anatomy could help many people live...

The equinox marked the official start of autumn, and our recent spate of cool weather underscores this astronomical observation. We've had our fair share of frost-on-the-pumpkin days, and what wasn't harvested already is next season's compost-able material. After a string of cool and rainy days, a sunny day in the 50's is shorts and T-shirt weather. It's also the time to get the windows washed and the screens put away. Such are the rituals of the Midwest. Have a great fall, and for those living in Northern climates, don't forget to drain your outdoor spigots, put away the screens and make sure there's no debris around to clog the inlet of the snow-blower. From all of us here at the Blue Mounds Dharma Center, Happy autumn! ~ Scott www.alignmentyoga.com

While the majority of creatures occupy a more horizontal place in this world, we human beings occupy a uniquely vertical niche. We exist within a tiny operating window in the vertical plane, which requires both functional hardware and operable software. In practicing yoga, we often focus on the hardware - are the muscles sufficiently toned? are the muscles flexible? do the joints have full mobility within the healthy range of the musculature? While functional hardware is essential to optimal health, it’s only a portion of the equation. Without coherent software, our motions are disjointed and inefficient. The software of the human being is the interface of body and mind - clearly within the jurisdiction of a healthy yoga practice. It’s not sufficient to ask whether or not we can make any particular movement, optimal efficiency asks how we make the movement; and for each one there are generally several ways to accomplish the desired movement. There’s the most efficient way, and then ...