Move Mindfully, Find What Feels Good
Day 30 on our 30 day yoga journey with Adriene. Today's theme is about being you.
Use what you've done on the previous days and find what feels good.
It’s about listening to yourself and responding.
A genuine practice with a truthful process only you know.
That is what it’s about.
And that is why Adriene made this… Her offering to you.
To us.
To the world.
The time is now.
Never give up on finding your true light for the betterment of all.
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image captured from the video
Today's Spotlight Type Of Yoga
Sridaiva/Bowspring
After leaving Anusara Yoga (see above) in 2012, John Friend started Sridaiva with Colorado studio owner Desi Springer. This style introduces a new alignment system, which they call the bowspring. It's pretty different from other types of yoga in that the knees stay bent in many poses and the pelvis is always tipping forward to maintain the spinal curves. Proponents say they find a new source of strength and power from this alignment.
Sridaiva and Bowspring Basics
When I contacted Desi Springer to talk about Sridaiva, she suggested students that are new to the method take at least 10 classes in order to get used to the terminology and approach. I thought this sounded like a big investment of time and money for the sake of giving something a try. A student has to really want this to work for them in order to keep coming back. But as I took my first few classes, her recommendation started to make more sense to me. My first class was, frankly, not very enjoyable. Had I not been determined to give Sridaiva a fair shake, I probably would not have continued with this method. My subsequent classes were much better. I began to understand the shapes of the poses and my body’s muscle memory started to kick in, making it easier for me to keep my knees bent and heels raised, two of the ways Sridaiva reinforces what they call the Bowspring alignment. This Bowspring, which emphasizes the natural curves of the spine by tipping the pelvis forward in almost all postures, is the cornerstone of Sridaiva’s alignment system. Downward Facing Dog, for instance, become Crouching Cat with your knees bent, heels lifted, and pelvis tipped forward.
Interestingly, the Bowspring approach seems to be taking off on its own. I recently read an article on the Bowspring that did not mention Sridaiva or John Friend at all. Several teachers I know likewise are playing with an untucked tail and teaching standing poses with bent knees and weight on the balls of the feet without talking about Sridaiva.
For more on this type of yoga go to this article.
Featured image source.
For more types of yoga go here.
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