Yoga Critical Alignment_PB
YOGA: CRITICAL ALIGNMENT
YOGA: CRITICAL ALIGNMENT Building a Strong, Flexible Practice through Intelligent Sequencing and Mindful Movement Gert van Leeuwen Shambhala Boston & London 2013
The information in this book is not intended as a substitute for personalized instruction and advice from an experienced yoga instructor. The reader should consult a physician before beginning this or any yoga practice or exercise program. Shambhala Publications and the author are not responsible for any adverse effects or consequences resulting directly or indirectly from the use of any of the suggestions discussed in this book. If you experience pain or injuries during or after these practices, it may indicate a problem that requires the attention of your physician. Shambhala Publications, Inc. Horticultural Hall 300 Massachusetts Avenue Boston, Massachusetts 02115 www. shambhala. com English translation © 2013 Gert van Leeuwen, www. criticalalignment. nl. © 2013 Uitgeverij Altamira, Haarlem, The Netherlands; a division of the Gottmer Uitgeversgroep BV, www. altamira. nl. Originally published in Dutch under the title: Critical Alignment Yoga, © 2009. Design and illustrations by Zander Dekker, www. zanderdekker. com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition Printed in the United States of America o This edition is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National Standards Institute z39. 48 Standard. k Shambhala makes every effort to print on recycled paper. For more information please visit www. shambhala. com. Distributed in the United States by Random House, Inc. , and in Canada by Random House of Canada Ltd Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Leeuwen, Gert van. Yoga: critical alignment: building a strong, flexible practice through intelligent sequencing and mindful movement / Gert van Leeuwen. pages cm isbn 978-1-61180-063-0 (pbk. ) 1. Hatha yoga. 2. Yoga. 3. Mind and body. I. Title. ra781. 7. l447 2013 613. 7 046—dc23 2012047852
v Contents Preface vii Part One. Critical Alignment and the Tradition 1. Critical Alignment in the Modern Yoga Tradition 3 Part Two. The Foundations of Critical Alignment 2. Introduction to Movement Chains 11 3. Embracing the Total Experience of Movement 28 4. Malformations 37 5. Meditation, Pranayama, and Asanas 61 Part Three. Building Blocks of Movement Chains 6. Understanding Connections and Movement Chains 87 Part Four. Learning the Exercises 7. Meditation and Pranayama Exercises 131 8. Inversions 141 9. Standing Poses 191 10. Forward Bends 240 11. Backbends 273 12. Twists 303 13. Seated Poses, Shoulder and Abdominal Exercises, and Relaxation Practices 328 Part Five. Teaching Yoga and Building Lesson Plans 14. Planning the Lessons 351 Notes 399 Asana Index 401 Index 409 About the Author 413
vii Preface I first met my yoga teachers, Norman E. Sjoman and H. V. Dattatreya, thirty years ago. They came from Mysore, South India, and were teaching in Amsterdam in 1983. Although I had practiced yoga for many years prior, their classes were a turning point for me. Their approach was totally different from the yoga previously taught in the Netherlands in the 1980s. They were not hindered by traditions, nor did they flout a mystical approach. Their teaching was based on rational experience and research. They tested their anatomical knowledge and their theories of movement against modern scientific research, and they compared movement in yoga with other forms of movement. The open-minded attitude they fostered allowed me to analyze other types of movement theories and inspired me to conscientiously refine my own knowledge of yoga exercises. My first project was the headstand, for which I developed a headstand bench. With the help of this bench and newly developed mobilization techniques for deeply penetrating the muscular structure of the body, I succeeded in restoring the alignment of the spinal column in a very precise way for people with upper-back complaints. As a result of this, my teacher, Norman Sjoman, suggested that I name this unique practice “Critical Alignment. ” Since then the headstand project has been followed by a flood of other insights, which led to the development of an altogether new insight into yoga movement. As the alignment of body parts plays such an important role in this vision, I decided to use “Critical Alignment” as the name for my whole method. I have therefore named this book, in which the whole method is described, Yoga: Critical Alignment. During the process of writing Yoga: Critical Alignment, I have developed many new ideas. These ideas have become welcome supplements to the method. I developed the concept of connections and was able to eliminate overly general descriptions such as “relaxation” or “space” in my teaching by articulating concrete steps toward accessing higher consciousness. I believe it is important to link yoga to the circumstances and experiences of daily life. Much of our physical and mental stress is caused by our social and psychological landscape. I pay a lot of attention to the mutual relationship between the physical and psychological buildup of tension and show how yoga is able to break these patterns. My vision for Critical Alignment has grown into a thick book with many illustrations. In fact, it has become a reference manual that is eminently suitable for experienced yoga students, teachers in training, and teachers. It is my hope that this information will be meaningful for serious beginners as well. The concepts of Critical Alignment enrich other yoga styles and other related disciplines such as dance and massage therapy, and can be easily integrated into those practices. It has already been established from studies at the University of Amsterdam that this method has a superior application in physical therapy.
viii pr eface I hope that my book challenges the image of yoga as a static tradition to be strictly followed. Yoga should be approached as an open tradition which can be developed through study, creativity, and positive thinking. Acknowledgments Writing such an extensive book while continuing my busy practice as a teacher and therapist was an enormous effort. I could never have written this book without the help of a number of people close to me. First, I want to mention Wijnand Geraerts. He transformed my practice-based thinking into the structure and shape that this book now represents. I thank him sincerely for the enormous amount of work and energy he has spent on both the Dutch and the English versions. I would also like to thank Monique Stoop for her final critical editing of the text. Furthermore I would like to thank my dear friend Heiltje van der Kroon for all the work she did and for her loving support, as well as for being a model, along with Kina Broekmans, for all the illustrations and pictures. I would like to thank my publisher in the Netherlands, Chris van Gelderen, for the trust, patience, and freedom he gave me during the long period when I was writing the book. I want to thank Zander Dekker for his continuous support, his enthusiasm, and the skill with which he designed the illustrations and the layout. Further thanks go to Klaas Fopma for the photographs inside the book and Barend van Herpe for the cover photograph in the original Dutch edition. I also want to thank Jacoline Norden and Selle Postma, who substituted for me in my classes when I was writing. I want to thank my friend Paul Braaksma for his support and all the students, teachers in training, and graduate teachers at my institute, Bharata Yoga. Over the years they have been the guinea pigs for me to test my ideas, and through their sometimes critical but positive responses, they have contributed to the making of my book. A special word of thanks is due to Prof. C. V. Chandrasekhar for his many years of inspiration as my Bharata Natyam dance teacher. His strict yet open-minded way of teaching influenced my teaching of yoga. Finally, I would like to thank Bert Mentink and Dick Bakker. They are practitioners of other disciplines, orthomanual medicine and cognitive behavior therapy, respectively, and working with them for many years has been very fruitful for the Critical Alignment method. For the English edition I would first like to thank Lucie van Leeuwen. She spontaneously offered to translate my book into English and spent many hours on the first translation. I also want to thank Norman Sjoman, who not only edited the first translation but also gave valuable feedback on the text. Being a Sanskrit scholar and the author of a number of books, including The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace and Yoga Touchstone (Black Lotus books), his comments on chapter 5 provided a new perspective for this part of the text. I also wish to thank John Abbott, Derk Sauer, and Ellen Verbeek for their support and their help to find an American publisher. Finally, I give special thanks to Shambhala Publications, who was willing to publish this substantial volume on yoga.
Part One Critical Alignment and the Tradition
2 In this first section, I present a general outline of the Critical Alignment concept, along with a short explanation of yoga traditions. The foundations of Critical Alignment are formed from two of the most important of these traditions: the asana system and the meditative/philosophical system. By joining these two disciplines into one system, I have developed a new concept in modern yoga — Critical Alignment.
3 1 CRITICAL ALIGNMENT IN THE MODERN YOGA TRADITION 1. 1 Introduction 1. 2 Meditation and philosophy in yoga 1. 3 Asana in yoga 1. 4 Critical Alignment and modern asana 1. 1 Introduction India has a long tradition of philosophy and meditation. Yoga is at the very center of these traditions as it is part of the basic practice of every philosophical system and meditation tradition. This chapter highlights the disciplines and the people who have been important to the development of the yoga system and sources of inspiration for the Critical Alignment concept. You could say that yoga consists of two main disciplines: one is a meditative/philosophical discipline, and one works with particular physical exercises (the asanas). This is an oversimplification, but it clarifies my argument. The physical tradition of yoga is not very old historically; no ancient manuscripts that refer to the precise practice of asanas have been found. This is not true for the meditative/philosophical history that, with some effort, can be traced back to ancient texts, including that of Patanjali (allegedly from around 150 b. c. e. ). This chapter illustrates how Critical Alignment has united both disciplines and, in doing so, initiated a unique practice within yoga today that has the potential to transform the way we practice. 1. 2 Meditation and philosophy in yoga Yoga is one of six traditional disciplines of Indian philosophy and is best described as a meditative/philosophical system. The oldest of the six disciplines and the most important for yoga is the Samkhya philosophy. Samkhya is a dualistic philosophy that assumes two primeval forces are at work in the universe — namely, purusa (consciousness) and prakrti (material existence). The enormous complexity and diversity of the universe is derived from the interaction of these two forces. Samkhya bases its conclusions about the universe purely and simply on logical thinking; thus, in contrast to many religions, it does not call on revelation to support its insights.
4 cri tic a l a lignment and th e tr adition Today, the Samkhya philosophy and the yoga philosophy are closely connected, and the yoga philosophy recognizes the existence of the primal forces of purusa and prakrti. There are, however, essential differences: • Yoga, for example, recognizes the existence of a God, although belief in God is not necessary to reach liberation. • Yoga recognizes unique physical and moral practices that have been embraced by Samkhya and are also adopted in various formats by other Indian philosophical systems. References to yoga in the Upanishads and other very old texts indicate that yoga probably has a long tradition. Most of the information on the meditative/philosophical aspect of yoga came from Patanjali, who presented it as a spiritual discipline. He has been a great influence and deserves a brief introduction. Patanjali and the eight limbs of yoga Patanjali is the author of the Yoga Sutras, a collection of short aphorisms that address different subjects, such as the essence of yoga, the results you can expect from a consistent meditation practice, and the practical methods you should follow to achieve these results. However, no prominent schools have actually practiced yoga as it is described in the Yoga Sutras, so it can be considered a dead tradition. The Sutras are short and powerful and lend themselves easily to interpretation. They have been explained by many commentators in numerous ways and from various spiritual viewpoints. The first classical interpretation was by Vyasa (around 600 c. e. ). His commentary has long been the standard interpretation. Patanjali gives the following definition of yoga in the second sutra1: Yoga is the restraint of the movements of the mind. This can be interpreted as “the yoga practitioner can concentrate completely on one thing. ” It does not refer to the restraint of all movements of the mind. There is, however, a form of concentration in which even that one thing disappears and we meditate on what lies beyond. This metaphysical concept is an extension of breathing and meditation. For this sort of meditation, the level of concentration has to be extremely focused and held for a long time. Vyasa describes this sort of concentration in the Yoga Sutras as follows: “If the subject on which the meditator concentrates slowly fades but is followed by the same thought, and this process repeats itself, even during sleep, then it is yogic meditation. ” What makes the Yoga Sutras interesting is that they make this seemingly unattainable goal possible. Patanjali also states that we should not concentrate on the end result but enjoy the path itself. The second pada (chapter) of the Sutras gives the physical means to this ultimate concentration — the eightfold path, or the eight limbs of yoga. The practice of asanas is the third limb of the eightfold path and is preceded by yamas and niyamas, which provide a practical guide to living that can be compared to the moral rules of all religions. Following the asanas are pranayama (breathing exercises), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (enlightenment). The Sanskrit scholar and yoga practitioner Norman E. Sjoman is an authority on the
cr i tical alignment in the modern yoga t r adit ion 5 Yoga Sutras and interprets Patanjali’s definition of the word samadhi as “when you see only that object (the mind) being, as it were, empty. ”2 This definition can be compared to that already mentioned from the second Sutra, so we could say that yoga, according to Patanjali, is the same as samadhi. Patanjali gives a new meaning to the word yoga. Before this time, yoga had always been defined as “union,” referring to the union of the individual soul with the universal soul. When we examine the definition of samadhi in more detail, we can see that Patanjali is actually referring to the acquisition of knowledge. Here is a simple example. Imagine three people watching a girl walk down the opposite side of the street. Each of these people — the mother, the boyfriend with whom she just broke up, and the best friend with whom she is going on vacation — have their own thoughts about the girl. In other words, they have all added their own “I” element to their observations. The girl is certainly not seen as she really is but through the tinted glasses of personal feelings, memories, and so on that color each watcher’s observation. According to the definition of samadhi, the object (in this case, the girl) should not be colored by the “I” element; it should be observed as it really is. This is only possible through meditation. 1. 3 Asana in yoga It is often claimed that the yoga poses used today come from an ancient tradition, but little is known about the development of asanas through the ages. Only limited information can be found prior to 1400 c. e. , and what is available is very fragmented. Texts from between 1400 and 1800 c. e. describe asanas such as Hathapradipika by Svatmarama (fifteenth century). Unfortunately, these texts are cursory. For example, the instructions for Paschimottanasana (see chapter 10. 5, number 6) read as follows: “Stretch both legs straight like sticks on the floor. Hold the toes with both hands. Let the forehead rest on the knees. . . . This is the most important pose of all the asanas. It directs the course of the breath along the back or spine, stimulates the digestive fire, contracts the stomach, and gives the practitioner good health. ” Although these instructions are interesting to read, they are unsuitable as a guide for teaching. What adjustments would I offer if a student experienced pain in her lower back or became breathless during Paschimottanasana? It is a source of confusion that all physical forms of yoga are now called Hatha Yoga. Hatha Yoga is actually an independent tradition that focuses on the awakening of kundalini, a form of physical energy that can be awakened with the help of special exercises and breathing techniques. Hatha Yoga (Rider & Company, 1951), written by Theos Bernard, describes in detail the terms that must be fulfilled in order to awaken kundalini. Practitioners must be able to stand on their head for three hours, sit in Padmasana for three hours, and be able to hold their breath for one hour. The only manuscript describing just the asanas is from the period between 1811 and 1868. It contains drawings of poses and was found in the palace library of Mysore. This document is also unsuitable for teaching purposes, because of the way the descriptions of the asanas can be hard to follow and are not very logical. 3 In this book, I have limited myself to the developments in the yoga tradition from South India in the twentieth century. This tradition, through its lineage of teachers, has made the primary contribution to the modern asana tradition, which is closely related to ideas in Critical Alignment.
6 critic a l a lignment and t h e tr adition The first teacher I want to discuss is Krishnamacariar. He was affiliated with the palace of Mysore in the 1930s and taught the maharaja’s family both simple and difficult asanas without any sort of system or preparation. The poses were not divided into the related groups we know today from Pattabhi Jois, the founder of Ashtanga Yoga, and B. K. S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar Yoga (both of whom were Krishnamacariar’s students). Krishnamacariar was a unique source of knowledge and inspiration. It seems that under his guidance, gymnastic and even military exercises were incorporated into the asana system. 4 Pattabhi Jois and B. K. S. Iyengar both organized poses into groups or sequences. Pattabhi Jois created three groups, consisting of series of primary, intermediate, and advanced asanas. He inserted groups of movement (vinyasas) between individual asanas that he learned from Krishnamacariar. The movements can be quite complicated, especially in the advanced series. There is also a special breathing technique that accompanies the movements called Ujjayi breath. These series are strenuous and take approximately two hours of continuous movement per series. Power yoga, the popular style of yoga, is based on this system. B. K. S. Iyengar shaped the series into groups of physiologically related asanas: spe cifically, standing poses, forward bends, backbends, twists, balance poses, and inversions. He excluded the vinyasas and brought Ujjayi breath and other techniques under the umbrella of pranayama. He also held the poses for longer periods of time. All this led to a greater precision, which allowed the asanas to penetrate the body deeply and achieve beneficial effects. Iyengar is well known in the West, partly through his book, Light on Yoga, which has had a huge circulation. 1. 4 Critical Alignment and modern asana Critical Alignment stems from this aforementioned modern yoga tradition and is closely related to the system developed by Iyengar. This means, among other things, that it uses the same grouping of asanas and that the poses are held for long periods of time. Critical Alignment, however, goes further. It recognizes the importance of chains of movement where small movements are fluidly passed on through the relevant body parts to create larger movements. It emphasizes the essential role of the postural muscles in larger movements (see chapter 2. 2 for an explanation of postural and movement muscles). To reach the postural muscles and the skeletal areas they serve, Critical Alignment introduces different innovations. First, the grouping of the asanas has been refined to include subgroups so that precise penetration, literally, to bone level is possible (see part 4). With respect to this, Critical Alignment introduces a detailed description of connections between body parts that are crucial for transferring smaller movements from which the asanas are built (see part 3). Furthermore, the upper back should ideally be straight (see chapter 2). All of this has important implications for the practice of asanas. Regarding the meditative/philosophical aspect of yoga, as a teacher, I have been more motivated by the Yoga Sutras than by the Hatha Yoga tradition. I am especially inspired by Patanjali’s statement that we should not color our perceptions with our “I” components but should see situations and people as they really are. This point of view is valuable for practicing yoga. By returning you to a situation in which you can see yourself as
cr i tical alignment in the modern yoga t r adit ion 7 you truly are, assuming that body and mind are one, the bodywork done in yoga attains far-reaching significance. Yoga exercises serve not only to make you feel fitter, but they become a way of experiencing yourself through your body — that is, objectively, without the filter of your “I” component. Patanjali gives the following instruction for practicing asanas5: Relax the effort and meditate on the endless. This sutra is understood by many modern schools to mean that the effort should come first, that the movement must be complete before the muscles can relax. This results in teaching methods where the movement is produced through willpower; the (superficial) large movement muscles are used primarily, and the (deeper) postural muscles are relatively inactive. Critical Alignment, on the other hand, works with the original meaning of this sutra and states that the effort should be relaxed. This occurs by relaxing the movement muscles prior to the movement, so the postural muscles get the opportunity to produce the movement from a place of relaxation. Rather than forcing movement through willpower, relaxation is associated with terms like relaxed breathing, pressure, right balance, and total awareness. As I will explain in the following chapters, the superficial movement muscles are particularly sensitive to tension and stress. During performance of the asanas, Critical Alignment emphasizes the development of total attention. It is total attention, together with breathing, that makes it possible to view stiffness in the movement chains objectively for what it really is: tension resulting from psychological and social pressures that lead to a stagnation of energy and limit free movement. This objective observation of ourselves allows us to release tension and return to an earlier, free, and open — feeling effortless, with no trace of muscular tension — state of moving (see chapter 5 for examples). Critical Alignment also emphasizes the spiritual side of practicing asanas. Practice not only serves a therapeutic goal, but it establishes balance in the body, so the body becomes open and subtle, and free energy can circulate. We can experience a total awareness during asana practice that gives us an acute feeling of being in the here and now. This is how Critical Alignment unites the meditative/philosophical and the asana disciplines of yoga so they cannot exist independently of each other; they are completely intertwined. That is why Critical Alignment has an entirely new place within the modern yoga world and is essential for revitalizing contemporary yoga practice.
Part Two The Foundations of Critical Alignment
10 In the previous chapter, I illustrated how the meditative/philosophical limb and the asana limb of the yoga system are united within Critical Alignment. In this part, I will expand on certain aspects of this concept to give it more substance. I will emphasize the following points: 1. Ordinary body movements and asanas (chapter 2) The theory of movement chains is central to the concept of Critical Alignment, which explains in a simple way how ordinary, daily movements are carried out and how they can cause physical problems. In a movement chain, relevant body parts pass along smaller movements to each other in order to achieve movement. Both the postural and movement muscles have leading roles here. When these muscles work together in harmony, movement is open, fluid, and light. When their cooperation is disturbed (mostly through a stiffening of the movement muscles), then restrictions develop in the movement chains. These restrictions can lead to serious problems. Movement chains are also important in the performance of asanas, but there are clear differences between asana movements and ordinary movements. In Critical Alignment, relaxation of the movement muscles is central, because this relaxation makes it possible to pass on smaller movements at the skeletal level. This is not necessary in ordinary movement. Through the relaxation of the movement muscles and the passing along of smaller movements, yoga practice can be used successfully to release restrictions in the movement chains. 2. Habitual movements and consciousness (chapters 3 and 4) We all develop unique postural and movement patterns during our lives. These patterns frequently lead to a serious degeneration in range of motion and can be so harmful that they lead to malformations of the skeleton. Habitual patterns are caused by the body’s reaction to social and psychological influences, which include ambition, motivations, and stress. Critical Alignment shows how these distorted movement patterns can be resolved, allowing your body to return to an open, light balance by practicing asanas in a correct manner with total attention. Through attentive practice, you can come face-to-face with your ambitions and other motivations and with the stress that is an inevitable part of such ambitions. This mental attitude of awareness allows you to create space in your body by remaining passive and not trying to change the situation. Total attention ensures that ambition and stress slowly lose their grip on your body. This leads to the possibility of returning to a better balance within the chains of movement, which supports deeper awareness. 3. The interaction between the body, thought, and emotions and the realization of total attention (chapter 5) One of the first steps in developing awareness is confrontating personal ambitions and mental stress while practicing yoga poses. Total attention is necessary to deal with this confrontation; otherwise, you will remain unaware of the ambitions and stress. Total attention can only arise when the body and mind become relaxed through correct balance in asanas. It is not so much a question of cooperation between mind and body as it is a union of the body intelligence with the mental intelligence through which a new form of consciousness can be realized. Openness, relaxation, and a feeling of space in the body and mind are typical of this consciousness. This makes it possible to trancend the limited “I” consciousness and become aware of the here and now. Thus, we enter the area of meditation and spirituality, and our yoga practice becomes a spiritual discipline.
11 2 INTRODUCTION TO MOVEMENT CHAINS 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 Ordinary movements such as walking and lifting evolve through movement chains, while postural and movement muscles work together to pass small movements through the body. 2. 3 Distorted interaction between postural and movement muscles leads to restrictions in movement chains and other physical problems. 2. 4 The yoga practices of Critical Alignment are aimed at the skeleton; they are based on principles that differ from ordinary movements. 2. 4. 1 In Critical Alignment, smaller movements in movement chains are passed through the midline of the body by the free movement of the skeleton. 2. 4. 2 The movement chains of yoga asanas have diverse functions. 2. 5 Critical Alignment, with props and manual mobilization techniques, can break through movement restrictions and restore mobility. 2. 6 The healing effects of Critical Alignment are twofold: therapeutic and meditative. 2. 6. 1 Critical Alignment restores interaction between postural and movement muscles and, through this, your relationship with the body. 2. 6. 2 A relationship with the body is a prerequisite for an experience of the self. 2. 1 Introduction Almost everyone experiences diminishing mobility during their lives. This is a gradual process, but it can also be instantaneous, as in the case of an accident or injury. Mobility is dependent on the flexibility of the joints and the spinal column and on the ease of movement in the muscles that support them. These factors are inseparable: if muscles are stiff, they cannot move the joints with ease; if the joints are stiff, the muscles cannot perform their function adequately. For many, this is the beginning of a negative spiral that develops gradually over the years and does not disappear spontaneously. We may become progressively stiffer. In the long term, this stiffness can become so serious that it becomes a threat to our health. Most people do not want to fall into this situation, and it is preventable. Indeed, yoga is gaining in popularity worldwide because it can help with prevention. Yoga focuses on keeping the body flexible, on supple movement and all that this encompasses.
12 th e foundations of critical alignment These days, everyone has an idea of how movement occurs. The following simplified description of movement is widely documented: the central nervous system activates the muscles via the nerves; the muscles move certain parts of the skeleton, creating a complete movement. My theory is that this is only half the story. For example, it explains how bad posture can cause a pinched nerve whereby certain muscles cannot function properly and walking becomes difficult (as discussed in chapter 4). But movement encompasses much more. Through simple observation, it is obvious that the entire body is involved, not just a few discrete parts. For example, when done well, walking involves not only the legs but also the arms and the torso; there is a suppleness and “swing. ” All the separate parts of the body work harmoniously together to form a fluid movement. Similarly, if there is stiffness in a certain area, this is mirrored throughout the body and results in an unnatural, forced manner of movement. Yoga is often wrongly seen as being static. A yoga pose necessarily involves movement. Complex movements must be initiated to achieve an end position. What occurs during these movements dictates the appearance of the end pose. The entire body is involved with maneuvering into an asana, just as it is in walking. Therefore, it is crucial to pay close attention not only to the final pose but to the movements leading up to it. This chapter explores how parts of the body communicate with each other, forming (movement) chains in which small movements are passed along, making open, free movement possible. The concept of movement chains is applied to both ordinary, everyday movements and to yoga practice. Ordinary daily movements are compared to those done in yoga to show clearly that yoga done in accordance with the Critical Alignment method can be used to recover healthy alignment of the skeleton and natural ease of movement. 2. 2 Ordinary movements such as walking and lifting evolve through movement chains, while postural and movement muscles work together to pass small movements through the body. Ordinary movements such as walking and lifting seem simple, but if we look closely, they are complex. Many processes and structures are involved at many levels in the body. These include the simple molecules that provide electrical currents to the nerves, which in turn stimulate the muscles; the complete muscular system that controls the skeleton; the complex brain systems that plan movements and integrate and initiate the muscular system; and finally, the total movement with all its inherent behavioral patterns. With the exception of the last point, we know a lot about these processes. However, it is still largely unknown how the different body parts work together to form a fluid, complete movement. Movement chains Total movement occurs automatically as small movements are passed on through a chain of linked body parts. Critical Alignment is based on the understanding that movement chains are the foundation of larger movements. This concept explains, in a simple way, how different body parts work together to create movement, taking into account gravity,
introduction to moveme nt chains 13 correct balance, and body weight. Furthermore, the concept of movement chains clearly shows how problems that manifest in one part of the body can originate in an entirely different part, which is called referred pain. For example, an upper back that is bent and stiff — creating a roadblock in that part of the movement chain — can lead to shoulder and neck problems in people who sit a lot, while those who stand may develop lower back problems. This occurs regularly, but it is not recognized by most therapeutic systems. In this chapter, the concept of movement chains is applied to ordinary movements and then to yoga movements. Critical Alignment makes use of the movement chains to practice yoga in an entirely new way. In concepts formulated by L. Busquet,1 ordinary, daily movements such as walking and lifting are made up of smaller movements that are passed along via the chaines musculaires (literally, “muscle chains”) from one part of the body to another. The term muscle chains clearly places emphasis on the muscles, thereby indicating Busquet’s background in physiotherapy. It is my opinion that structures other than muscles are also important for the generation of movement. Therefore, I prefer a term that emphasizes that broader involvement: movement chains. Getting up from a chair is an example of a movement chain in everyday life. The head initiates the chain by first moving forward and upward. Movement is then passed along to the neck. The neck passes it to the upper back, the upper back to the lower back, and so on, until the complete movement of “get ting up from a chair” occurs. This description is not entirely accurate, as it would mean that we rise like a puppet pulled on a string. We are also pushed up by muscles in the lower back, legs, and trunk, and we constantly adjust our posture so we do not lose our balance. This shows that there are two components in action: one that drives the movement and another that controls posture and balance. Movement physiology is a profession that categorizes two types of muscles with characteristics that correspond with the postural and movement muscles. Postural muscles The postural muscles lie deep within the body, primarily in the midline of the torso and limbs. The muscles around the spine and the joints belong to this category as well (figure 2. 2-1). The muscles that are important for the stability of the lower back and pelvis — the dia phragm, the transverse abdominals, the pelvic floor, and the deeper postural muscles of the lower back that form the “inner tube” (or column) — are postural muscles. The lower back muscles are called the inner tube because they resemble the inner tube of a car tire. Together, they form a hollow, cylindrical structure that wraps around the front of the body behind the stomach muscles and against and around the spine in the back of the body. The diaphragm is the top, and the pelvic floor 1 2 2. 2-1 Back view of the skeleton showing the postural muscles of the spinal column 1. Left of the spinal column: small postural muscles 2. Right of the spinal column: large postural muscles
14 th e foundations of crit ical alignment is the base. When a car tire is full of air, it is strong and flexible. The same principle applies to the inner tube, which is full of viscera (the intestines, liver, pancreas, and so on) instead of air and is also strong and flexible. The body’s main center of gravity is located in the inner tube, in the area above the pelvic floor and just under the navel. The most important function of the inner tube is stabilizing the body’s balance through muscles that prevent the vertebrae in the lower back from stiffening. These muscles allow the vertebrae to move freely and, if used properly, keep them in the correct position. Postural muscles can be activated for long periods of time without negative consequences and without causing stiffness. They are perfectly suited for coordinating our balance during long-term static use — for example, when sitting for hours at the computer or while practicing yoga. Even during long hours of sitting, they can maintain the flexibility of the spine and the joints of the shoulders, pelvis, and limbs. Movement muscles The biceps, triceps, deltoids, trapezius, glutei, quadriceps, and calf muscles are all movement muscles. Such muscles are generally located near the surface of the body in the torso, arms, and legs. They can only be used for relatively short periods of time, then they must relax. This clearly distinguishes them from the postural muscles. Movement muscles are better suited for short-term, repetitive movements of the torso and limbs such as lifting, walking, working out at the gym, or playing sports. The postural muscles form the infrastructure of the body’s posture and movement. However, because movement is not possible without the movement muscles, intensive interaction between postural and movement muscles is necessary for fluid movement. Walking, if done correctly, is a good example of this interaction. Here, the inner tube is responsible for upright posture and the suppleness (swing) of the lower back. The muscles of the lower back do not stiffen as they do when we walk in a stiff, careful way because we have back pain. At the same time, the movement muscles of the trunk, arms, and legs ensure that there is a rhythmic pattern to the forward movement. 2. 3 Distorted interaction between postural and movement muscles leads to restrictions in movement chains and other physical problems. Unfortunately, the interaction between postural and movement muscles is seldom ideal. Sooner or later, this interaction becomes distorted and can lead to problems such as a stiff, stooped upper back that develops from being hunched over a computer; an overly hollow or flattened, tense lower back, which we may develop when we consciously or unconsciously rotate our pelvis in a certain direction without understanding the consequences for the spine itself; or misaligned and rotated spinal column and ribs. This can arise from repetition of unbalanced movements during sports or work. Even stiff shoulders, hips, and knees indicate a distortion in the cooperation between the postural and movement muscles. These distortions are mostly caused by habits linked to preferential postures and habitual movements (which receive extensive attention in chapter 3). Diagram 1 Tension in movement muscles → Atrophied movement muscles → Immobility → Vicious circle exacerbating immobility → Obstruction of movement chains → Movement compensation → Onset of problems in other parts of the movement chain(s)
introduction to moveme nt chains 15 The effects of distortions in movement chains are often disastrous. Following is a sequence of events bound together through a cause-and-effect relationship that leads to malformations in the body. Diagram 1 will help you keep track of the sequence of events. The first phase is stiffness due to the prolonged activation of movement muscles in a tense, cramped manner. As these muscles are not meant to be activated for long periods of time, the body has to adapt to this unnatural situation. The muscles gradually stiffen, and this stiffening ultimately afflicts the overall structure. Even during sleep, these muscles cannot relax. It is interesting to note that stiffening in a bent upper back does not always mean that the muscles shorten. Static use of the upper back muscles causes them to lengthen and stiffen. Such compensations can offer a short-term solution, but in the long run, they lead to the next phase in a downward spiral. In the places where the body compensates, there is a negative effect on the postural muscles with serious consequences. The postural muscles cannot perform their functions adequately, because the stiffened movement muscles hold the skeleton and joints in an iron grip. This leads to the next phase, in which the postural muscles slowly begin to atrophy. But the negative spiral has not yet reached its lowest point. The debilitated functioning of both the movement and, subsequently, postural muscles causes poor alignment and malformations of the skeleton that lead to a loss of mobility in the spinal column and joints. The feeling of inflexibility persists. You would hope that, having reached this low point, the negative developments would stop, but the opposite is true: the situation gets steadily worse, and a vicious circle is created. The stiffening and malformations of the skeleton have further negative effects on the local postural and movement muscles, which become even stiffer and harder. This exacerbates the problem, causing the skeleton to stiffen further and deform accordingly. This is clearly visible during the aging process; the curvatures of the spine become more obvious with the passing years. At that point, the movement chains become clear. The loss of mobility in a certain area of the body means there is an obstruction in one or more movement chains. To grasp the seriousness of the situation, it is necessary to understand the consequences of these obstructions. Remember, movement chains pass along smaller movements from one part of the body to another, making larger movements such as walking and lifting possible. Thus, if one part of a chain is blocked, movement cannot be passed along adequately to parts of the body further along the chain. There is a serious danger that large movements can only be done poorly, if at all. Nevertheless, the body will do everything to avoid total immobility. This causes even more problems in parts further along the movement chain. A common example of this is the stiff, lower back that frequently develops as a reaction to the stiffening and bending of the upper back. The problems that develop in other areas are caused because more work is done by fewer vertebrae, thereby increasing the chance of overload. We can again use the example of rising from a chair. When we stand up, the movement should be passed along from the head through the neck to the upper back. If this doesn’t happen because the upper back is stiff, the movement will get “hung up” in the neck (see figure 2. 3-1), or the lower back will compensate by curving inward (see figure 2. 3-2) to achieve an upright body posture. Both the neck and the lower back become susceptible to overload. This leads to the adoption of cramped 2. 3-1 2. 3-2
16 the foundations of critical alignment and abnormal postures in areas around the blockage. The same pattern of cause and effect repeats in contiguous parts of the body. It begins with a cramping and stiffening of the movement muscles and results in the gradual weakening of the postural muscles and eventual malformations of the skeleton. 2. 4 The yoga practices of Critical Alignment are aimed at the skeleton; they are based on principles that differ from ordinary movements. 2. 4. 1 In Critical Alignment, smaller movements in movement chains are passed through the midline of the body by the free movement of the skeleton. The basic foundation of Critical Alignment is that the large movements in both yoga and ordinary movements are the result of smaller movements that are passed on via movement chains. However, the similarity of yoga and everyday movements ends here. The main difference between them becomes clear when we practice yoga. The first step is relaxing the movement muscles, something that does not apply to ordinary move ments. This step is followed by others that lead to the transfer of movement at the skeletal level. This does not apply to ordinary movements either. To clarify this, I will give a broad description of relevant points for practicing yoga according to the principles of Critical Alignment. This will be followed by a plan for practicing the asanas. As soon as the movement muscles relax, movement comes under the control of the postural muscles. The midline of the trunk and limbs coordinate the execution of yoga poses. Because the movement muscles of the trunk and limbs are relaxed, movement can only occur through the midline, where the postural muscles and skeletal parts (verte brae and joints) are located. In other words, the midline starts to function as a power line that processes movement. The skeleton and postural muscles primarily ensure that the front/back and right/ left sides of the body remain in balance. This guarantees free movement of the breath, which allows for the further development of relaxation (discussed in detail in chapter 5). With the help of the postural muscles and skeleton, small movements can be transferred from one body part to another via the midline (power line). The relaxation of the movement muscles increases the mobility of the vertebrae and joints so they can join in the chain of movement. This cannot occur if the movement of the joints or vertebrae is blocked by tensed movement muscles. With relaxation, the work is spread equally through the deeper layers of muscle, and the use of less muscle increases the total ease of movement. The small movements are surprisingly minute. In the spinal column, which is the most important structure for transferring movement, movements pass from vertebra to vertebra by only one to a few centimeters. If the spine is stiff, more and more vertebrae get tangled together. They are not malformed, but they are held together by rigid muscles. If these muscles are released, the vertebrae can be mobilized. In a stiff spine, large segments of the back move as fused units, because the mobility of individual vertebrae is lost. When this happens, patterns of movement develop whereby only five or
introduction to moveme nt chains 17 six vertebrae (of the twenty-four) can be used actively. As the spine can move in two opposing directions (toward the head and toward the pelvis), small movements can also be passed along in opposite directions toward neighboring vertebrae. The net result is that small movements in the upper back are directed toward the feeling of extending the crown, while on the other end, the tailbone or sit bones feel extended. In this way, the body part at each end of the spine (the pelvis and the head) can make optimal use of gravity, because pressure is applied through the weight of the body. When practicing asanas, this pressure is used to mobilize joints and vertebrae (see the three illustrations in figure 2. 4. 1-1). The person in figure 2. 4. 1-1a habitually works with a bent lower back. This lack of exten sion is compensated for in the neck, which collapses and becomes concave. The same applies when standing: the body hangs forward, the lower back is not straight, and the neck remains concave (figure 2. 4. 1-1b). In a yoga exercise, this lack of extension becomes painfully obvious (figure 2. 4. 1-1c). The extra strain on the back that is caused by this position accentuates the habitual use of the back. The neck becomes even more concave, and the lower back gets rounder. The result is that the extremities of the spine cannot be stretched any longer. The lower back prevents the movement from reaching the hips, because it is too convex; the neck prevents the movement from reaching the crown, because it is too concave. The back does not discharge tension but accumulates it. (This will be explained further in chapter 2. 4. 2 in the examples of asanas. ) Critical Alignment focuses on the spine because it is here that the most important structures and tissues for movement are found: the vertebrae and discs, the postural muscles around the spine, and the nerves that leave the spine and innervate (control and provide information to) the muscles and their blood vessels. When the spinal column functions well, the extremities — the shoulders and arms, and the pelvis and legs — also function well. If the spinal column does not function well, then the extremities will also suffer. (This is covered in more detail in chapters 4 and 6. ) Protocol: relaxation, movement, and strength and coordination Critical Alignment makes use of the aforementioned protocol. It is a practical guideline that is applied during yoga practice. Critical Alignment starts with the relaxation of the movement muscles and ends with balancing the skeleton. There are three essential steps for breaking an existing faulty structure and replacing it with better posture. The first step, relaxation, is aimed at actively relaxing the movement muscles. This is an important stage and is clearly different from the passive relaxation that is achieved through massage. During physiotherapy, the muscles are initially relaxed via massage and then subjected to exercise; that is, they tighten. The approach of Critical Alignment is fundamentally different. In Critical Alignment, the movement muscles are relaxed by using gravity — specifically, the weight of the body or body part. If necessary, this pressure can be achieved by using yoga props (see chapter 2. 5). When practicing yoga, the weight of the body is brought, via the power line, to the area of the movement chain where the stiff postural muscles and joints are located. This is where relaxation must develop. Breathing plays an important part here. For example, in Trikonasana, the weight of the upper body is transferred via the power line of the spine to the pelvis, and this pressure can be used to release stiffness around the hips, hamstrings, and lower back. The movement muscles 2. 4. 1-1a 2. 4. 1-1c 2. 4. 1-1b
18 th e foundations of crit ical alignment on the side of the lower back play an important role here (see the arrow in figure 2. 4. 1-2). Relaxation can only happen if the weight of the body is used to loosen the muscles in the said areas. In Trikonasana, we also have to stretch. The hamstrings must lengthen to achieve a free movement in the upper body (figure 2. 4. 1-3). There are two possibilities for relaxation: 1. Conscious relaxation of muscles around a joint or vertebra, so that it can move more freely, allowing the postural muscles to take over 2. Stretching of stiff movement muscles The power line changes in different yoga poses. This is determined by the areas where relaxation must develop. During Sirsasana on the headstand bench, for example, relaxation means freeing the movement of the upper back. That is why the body weight must be guided via the lower back through the power line (spinal column) to the upper back (figure 2. 4. 1-4). The movement muscles of the stomach have an important role here (see chapter 6). If these muscles are not controlled properly, the natural curve of the lower back will collapse, trapping the movement instead of transporting the body’s weight to the area between the shoulder blades. When doing this exercise for the first time, almost everybody ends up with a bent upper back as they bring their hips over their head (figure 2. 4. 1-5), because the back is very strong in this position. The superficial movement muscles maintain the bent upper back and are hard at work over the entire width of the back. The pressure of body weight (figure 2. 4. 1-6) in this area can also be supported by relaxing the local movement muscles, after which the back can straighten (figure 2. 4. 1-7). The straighter the back, the less effort that is required by the superficial movement muscles. This process will be examined in detail in the discussion of the asanas. Head 6. 9% Trunk and neck 52. 1% Arm 4. 9% Leg 15. 6% 1. 4% 4. 5% 9. 7% 0. 6% 1. 6% 2. 7% 2. 4. 1-6 Weight of body parts as a percentage of total body weight 2. 4. 1-3 2. 4. 1-2
introduction to moveme nt chains 19 Breathing plays an important part when the body confronts tension; both the exha lation and the inhalation have specific roles. The exhalation is aimed at the muscles and structures that must relax. The inhalation is directed toward achieving a free and open feeling in the entire body. During inhalation, we literally connect our body to the space we are in. This teaches us to move with a feeling of openness that is as light and transparent as the space around us. For this to happen, we need open and passive attention — an attention that closely follows the inhalation and exhalation and the associated relaxation — paired with technically correct movement. This is difficult, as the places that must relax to achieve free movement are often painful and sore. The body never chooses pain, instead following the path of least resistance and inevitably moving around pain. When practicing yoga, we search for this resistance. This can only occur when we consciously go along with the process, relaxing the body and calmly and deliberately guiding it to the heart of pain ful places. The second step for replacing a faulty structure is movement that is directed toward the joints and vertebrae, including the intervertebral discs, to increase mobility. When the movement muscles are relaxed, the postural muscles are better able to do their work. They can move and allow parts of the skeleton to extend away from each other. Accordingly, movement can be brought, via the power line, from one part of the body to another. This movement ensures that, in Sirsasana on the headstand bench, the vertebrae are stacked so little effort is needed to keep the body in balance. The last step in achieving better movement, strength and coordination, is aimed at optimizing the function of the postural muscles. This means the strength and coordination of these muscles will be developed through regular practice and increased time spent on the asanas. Postural muscles that function optimally create a feeling of space and freedom in the body. These three steps literally go down to the bone. The initial goal is to create alignment and mobility at the skeletal level. Ultimately, the goal is to create a connection between all parts of the body, so that it comes into a dynamic yet relaxed and open balance. Critical Alignment always applies the three steps together and in this order. This is the basic requirement for breaking habitual movement patterns and creating the possibility of free movement. Other therapies that treat physical problems have fewer steps and different interpretations. Physiotherapists, chiropractors, and massage therapists, for example, only use the steps of relaxation and movement. The problem with omitting the strength and coordination step is that the client is treated passively, so there is almost no change to posture and movement. The body is not invited to learn new patterns. Other physical therapies only use the steps of movement and strength and coordination. These therapies are often directed toward the movement muscles, so they increase the chance of stiffness and immobility. 2. 4. 2 The movement chains of yoga asanas have diverse functions Yoga comprises a richly diverse group of some six hundred asanas. 2 Modern yoga practice makes use of approximately two hundred poses, more than a hundred of which are described in this book. The asanas can be used for realigning the body and alleviating 2. 4. 1-5 2. 4. 1-4 2. 4. 1-7
20 th e foundations of crit ical alignment many of the complaints that originate from a poorly functioning skeleton. The large variety of asanas means that, in principle, there is also a rich variety of movement chains. (This aspect becomes clear in chapter 6, where the building blocks of movement chains are discussed. ) The differences between asanas ultimately depend on the differences in the movement chains involved. In addition, the different use of gravity (in the weight of the body and the limbs) noticeably increases the diversity. Ustrasana (Camel Pose; see chapter 11. 3, number 4) and Dhanurasana (Bow Pose; see chapter 11. 3, number 5) are structurally similar to each other, but the different use of gravity makes them two very different exercises. Besides gravity and the postural muscles, certain movement muscles also play a role. To give you an idea of the complexity involved, the following examples illustrate asanas that are different because of these considerations. Each pose has its own dynamic that is typical for a larger group of asanas. Sirsasana (Headstand; figure 2. 4. 2-1) is a good example of the inversions group of serene asanas in which the body is stacked and in balance. A second group includes Utthita Trikonasana (Extended Triangle Pose; figure 2. 4. 2-2); in this group, the upper body is brought out of the midline, and the lower back is the axis for the completion of the asana. Standing poses, forward bends, and some twists also belong in this group. Finally, there is a group of asanas that are particularly dynamic, such as balancing poses and backbends, especially Viparita Chakrasana (Backward Turning Wheel; figure 2. 4. 2-3a-i). In the interest of clarity, the descriptions are kept simple. The three steps of the protocol and the dynamics of the end poses are indicated, as is the use of gravity or the pressure of body weight. For more detailed descriptions, see chapter 8. 2, various numbers, for Sirsasana; chapter 9. 3, number 8, for Utthita Trikonasana; and chapter 11. 4, number 9, for Viparita Chakrasana. Sirsasana In the starting position (figure 2. 4. 2-4a), the upper back between the shoulder blades is relaxed by directing the breath there (first step: relaxation). Then the legs are raised above the pelvis (figure 2. 4. 2-4b), and their weight is passed along to the midline between the shoulder blades. This area of the spine can bear the pressure because the movement 2. 4. 2-1 2. 4. 2-2 2. 4. 2-3a–i a b c d
introduction to moveme nt chains 21 muscles are relaxed. The midline functions here as a power line. The spine can then use this body pressure to stretch and pass along movement (second step: movement). This movement goes simultaneously in opposite directions, toward both the head and the lower back. By moving the ribs toward the stomach, these movements and the power line in the spine are strengthened. The result is that the spine, pelvis, and legs move closer toward ideal “stacking” and into increasingly subtle balance. Initially, this can feel unstable, which is a sign that the coordination and strength of the postural muscles is being built up (third step: strength and coordination). Sirsasana can now develop into a dynamic and meditative end pose. Slow, deep breathing ensures that an increasingly deeper level of relaxation can be achieved in the movement muscles so that the postural muscles become more important. This is better for the stability of the body and permits an experience of lightness and tranquillity. In my experience, the upper back is straight if it is carrying the weight of the body in a relaxed manner. This counts not only for Sirsasana, but also for seated and standing poses. As I will show later in this book, an upper back that is straight has far-reaching consequences for the alignment of the entire body. Furthermore, I have observed that the upper back often adopts a straight position when it relaxes, which contradicts many medical sources that claim the upper back should be bent. Utthita Trikonasana In this asana, the upper body actively moves away from the vertical midline, and it is necessary to activate certain movement muscles constantly to use gravity to achieve exten sion and pass the movement along. To start, the upper body is placed in position (figure 2. 4. 2-5). By relaxing the lower back, the inner tube is activated (first step: relaxation). The upper body is then turned sideways, toward the floor (figure 2. 4. 2-6). This movement is initiated and controlled by the lower back’s postural and movement muscles. Thus, the lower back is stretched, and movement passes via the power line along the spine toward the pelvis and hips and in the opposite direction toward the upper back, neck, and head. If the leg that receives this movement does so correctly, it will transfer the movement on to the hip (step two: movement). This, together with the con traction of the movement muscles found on the left (or right) side of the lower back, places the upper body parallel with the floor via the power line along the spine. Thus, e f g i h 2. 4. 2-4a 2. 4. 2-4b
22 the foundations of critical alignment both the leg and the lower back push the hip away in a powerful yet relaxed manner (step three: strength and coordination). This intensifies the power line along the spine and leads to a dynamic pose where, despite the fact that the force of gravity has to be neutralized constantly, the relaxation of the lower back, hip, and hamstrings can be increased. The resulting physical experience of light ness and tranquillity can be intensified through conscious inhalation. Viparita Chakrasana This asana is all about movement and has no static end position. The passage of movement must be coordinated from the power line along the spine. If it is carried out in this manner, it is a spectacular example of lightness and tranquillity in movement. Correct balance between the two gravity points is very important for the ideal execution of this asana. The secondary gravity point of the spine, which is the heart area, must be placed precisely above the main gravity point that lies in the pelvis (see also chapter 6). Both points are totally dependent on the mobility of the spine, but especially that of the lower back, as this is the last part of the movement chain. If the lower back keeps its mobility, the sternum (or breastbone) remains aloft, free, and relaxed, and the movement is directed downward, where it leaves the spine and is passed along to the legs, which then make the jump. This free and open position of the spine and sternum depends on good balance with body weight being borne on the front of the heels. The crucial point in the movement is breaking the fall. The action of the hands touching the floor should result in the sternum moving past the arms, as in figure 2. 4. 2-7 (first step: relaxation). This movement of the gravity point ensures that hardly any strength is necessary to continue the movement. By moving the head toward the back of the neck, together with a light jump with the feet, the rest of the body follows automatically, as shown in figure 2. 4. 2-8a (second step: movement). The shifting of the gravity point in the chest must be compensated for in the arms and later on, during movement, through the stomach muscles, as seen in figure 2. 4. 2-8b (third step: strength and coordination), which guide the body into Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand). Many people find practicing yoga asanas difficult. This is understandable when you look at the complexity of the movements. Many requirements must be met, as we have seen. The most important of these are: application of the three steps of the protocol (relaxation, movement, and strength and coordination); the right application of the breath, gravity, and vibrancy in the final pose; and the right balance between move ment and postural muscles. Everyday activities are also complicated when we look at them in detail, but we do not feel they are difficult, because we generally act on automatic pilot (see also chapter 3). That is simply not possible when practicing yoga. Yoga movements must be done slowly and consciously, so the steps are achieved in the right sequence and with the correct inter actions. If our attention is lost, fast and tense movements are completed on automatic pilot, just as in everyday activities. Thus, the movements are affected by mindless preferences that the body has developed over the years. The right kind of attention is crucial for practicing yoga; it is a passive and open attention that does not attempt to keep everything under control. Trying to control everything activates the movement muscles, which is not helpful during yoga. It is not the purpose of movement in yoga. 2. 4. 2-5 2. 4. 2-6
introduction to moveme nt chains 23 2. 5 Critical Alignment, with props and manual mobilization techniques, can break through movement restrictions and restore mobility. Everyday activities such as walking, bending, and playing sports are nearly always car ried out automatically and, therefore, without awareness. This is why they are suscep tible to such factors as stress; habits; desires; and other, often unconscious urges. This leads to the development of preferential movements that become so strong that blockages occur in the movement chains. After that, serious problems can develop in the body. Considering that normal daily movements are closely allied to automatisms, they are a definite factor in causing movement problems. Therefore, it seems wrong to assume that normal daily movements are a good basis for the treatment of these complaints. But this is exactly what is done in physiotherapy. It is my contention that serious recovery must initially be found at a deeper level; namely, the skeletal level. It is here that alignment and mobility are lost. When they are recovered, there is a good chance that mobility will return to the rest of the body. Critical Alignment focuses on the skeleton and is therefore well suited to treat complaints and problems related to movement. To understand how Critical Alignment can resolve these problems, it is useful to look at two types of students. The first group has mild complaints, such as a general stiffness and/or specific problems that have not yet led to blockages in the movement chains with their associated immobility. The second group has succumbed to immobility due to blockages. The protocol of Critical Alignment can be applied to both groups to recover the skeleton’s alignment and extension and the body’s mobility. The first group can perform the different steps of the protocol independently — albeit with regular instruction from a teacher and, if need be, with the use of the props and mobilization techniques. This is not possible for the second group. These students will not be able to relax the move ment muscles on their own, because their body is extremely cramped in certain places. Body weight that is directed to those places will not be accepted and cannot be used to extend and move the skeleton via the power line. (Some places are so tight that the vertebrae do not move anymore, even when we want to move them through the coordination of our own body weight. ) The confrontation with tension in these places is therefore doomed to fail. But it is possible to reach the skeleton passively by using props and mobilization techniques. These props and techniques are especially advantageous for people who cannot break through habitual movement patterns on their own, because they no longer know how a certain body part should move naturally. Because of the tension that has built up, they are no longer aware of these areas and their ability to feel the relevant body part is largely lost. Props give precise support and pressure to the areas that are stiff so they can be “felt” again, allowing contact to be restored. Thus, a passive confrontation with the tension can be made. The props function, in a way, as suppliers of body weight, so the postural muscles and the skeletal parts they serve can be reached. The props used in Critical Alignment have been designed to alleviate the tension in the body without disturbing balance and coordination, so the mobility of specific body parts can be increased. 2. 4. 2-7 2. 4. 2-8a 2. 4. 2-8b
24 the foundations of crit ical alignment Frequently used props The headstand bench (figure 2. 5-1) is one of the most important props and is mainly used for Sirsasana. The following section includes an example of how to use the headstand bench when dealing with a bent upper back. The backbender (figure 2. 5-2) is used for mobilizing the upper back, usually with a rubber strip, described later. The roll, which is 20 inches wide and 4 to 6 inches thick (figure 2. 5-3), is used under the upper or lower back during prone poses. A rolled-up felt mat works well. A rubber strip measuring 40 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inches deep (figure 2. 5-4) is ideal for supporting (parts of) the spine in prone positions. A belt (figure 2. 5-5) is often used in exercises, including Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand). A shoulderstand block (figure 2. 5-6) is used in many other exercises besides Sarvan gasana. A sticky yoga mat (figure 2. 5-7) is placed on the floor beneath you during all the exercises. Application of the props and mobilization techniques Teachers regularly use props in combination with mobilization techniques. This is the preferred way for achieving relaxation. The mobilization techniques infer that the student (through the breath and by actively interacting with the teacher) can learn new ways of moving. It is important that the student use a specific breathing pattern during this interaction; otherwise, the mobilization turns into manipulation, and the process of learning stops. The teacher then takes over all initiative, and the student remains passive, which is customary in certain therapies. This is not the case in Critical Alignment; the student must actively learn the new way of moving, or it will not make an imprint. The application of props and mobilization techniques are shown in the following example, which continues the earlier description of the bent upper back. A bent upper back means there is a blockage in the movement chain that connects the neck with the pelvis. According to physical therapists and doctors who deal with movement therapy, there are hardly any treatment possibilities to recover this connection. Accordingly, I 2. 5-2 2. 5-1 2. 5-3 2. 5-5 2. 5-6 2. 5-7 2. 5-4
introduction to moveme nt chains 25 began experimenting with Sirsasana in the headstand bench and developed a method to mobilize the upper back. 3 If you have a bent upper back and do a normal Headstand, with your head on the floor, you would use your back in the same way as you do when standing erect. That is, your shoulders would be pulled up and forward, leading to an enormous amount of tension in your neck (see the arrow in figure 2. 5-8). If you could lessen the tension in your neck by lifting your neck and shoulders, your lower back would compensate for the curvature in your upper back (see the arrow in figure 2. 5-9). The first advantage of the headstand bench is that it supports the shoulders, relieving the pressure on the neck and head while retaining the benefits of Sirsasana, namely a good connection between the neck and pelvis. The second advantage is that nearly every body is able to absorb the teacher’s corrections immediately. When you have a stiff, bent upper back, stand on the headstand bench (see figure 2. 5-10), and allow your back to relax, you will immediately lose your balance and fall over backward. This is because the lower part of the curvature in the back (illustrated by the arrow) is moving downward. To prevent you from falling, the teacher stands in front of you and asks you to lean your legs on his back (figure 2. 5-11). Here, a large part of your body weight is supported by the teacher, and the lowest part of the curvature in your upper back can be shifted into an upward position (illustrated by the arrow). You can now use gravity to your back’s advantage by sending your exhalations into that area and allowing your spine to sink in. Thanks to gravity and the teacher’s support, you do not fall backward, and when you relax your muscles, your back will actually be come straighter. The first step of the process, relaxation, is actually the most tenuous part of the entire process. Some students understand immediately what is meant when they are asked to send their breath to the place where pressure is applied in order to lessen the muscle tension, while other students must search for a long time. When the muscle tension lessens, the teacher guides the student’s body weight to the place where the pressure is applied in the hope that the relaxed body structure will carry the weight. The second step, movement, is where the body weight is slowly brought back to the shoulders, taking care that muscle tension does not return. Ultimately, the spine will become much straighter and be able to carry the body’s weight in a relaxed manner (see figures 2. 5-12 and 2. 5-13). This is an extremely interesting moment therapeutically, 2. 5-8 2. 5-9 2. 5-12 2. 5-13 2. 5-10 2. 5-11
26 the foundations of critical alignment because the “established reflex” is broken, a process that the teacher can easily feel. The established reflex is connected with preferred postures (both of these terms are discussed in chapter 3). The third and final step, strength and coordination, is where the pose, which initially feels unstable, eventually becomes more and more tranquil. With time, the body is able to achieve these movements alone, without help from outside. When the exercises can finally be done independently, a breakthrough can be made with essential coor dination exercises. Gradually, the new movements will become part of normal daily movements. 2. 6 The healing effects of Critical Alignment are twofold: therapeutic and meditative. The practice of asanas is intriguing because it works in two ways: therapeutic and medi tative. Therapeutic should be understood here in its broadest sense. It involves not only the treatment of serious problems but also simple body exercises. I will say only a few words about this here, but I will return to this topic in later chapters. It is essential that both therapeutic and meditative aspects should be addressed when practicing asanas. This has to do with the fact that yoga has a strong physical foundation with excellent techniques to keep the body in good condition and is well suited to treating movement problems. Simultaneously, yoga has a level of difficulty that requires a meditative approach. The physical and meditative aspects of yoga asanas are intimately intertwined and dependent on each other. When practiced correctly, there is a balance between the two, but it is a fragile balance that can easily tip either way. The important effects of yoga are not confined to the classroom or studio setting; they are taken out of the studio into daily life. In this way, the principles of movement can be applied to normal activities, and consequently, the relationship with the body in daily life becomes of vital importance. This also applies to the confrontation with the self. (I will come back to this in chapters 3 and 6. ) 2. 6. 1 Critical Alignment restores interaction between postural and movement muscles and, through this, the relationship with the body. For the serious practitioner, Critical Alignment will not be an easy road — certainly not in the beginning — because the practice of Critical Alignment actively seeks limitations in movement and thereafter creates a confrontation with tension and immobility at the deepest level. This technique breaks the vicious circle that results in increasing stiffness and deformation of the skeleton by restoring skeletal alignment and, with that, the coordination of the movement and postural muscles. This generally has a positive effect on your relationship with your body, and you can derive interesting insights from it. The first insight directs your attention to how movement happens and how and why problems can develop. With this knowledge, it is possible to use the principles of yoga exercises in normal everyday movements. The lower back is, for example, always bent slightly inward in Critical Alignment. Even though some asanas work with a bent
introduction to moveme nt chains 27 back, there is always a dynamic movement inward. This principle can easily be applied to such daily activities as sitting, lifting, and so on, which can alleviate problems when done with attention. The second insight is that if the body is able to move freely, the feeling of physical op pression disappears. Instead, a positive feeling of lightness develops, as if energy is circulating freely, causing the tension to disappear. The dissolution of tension is an important step on the road to recovering your relationship with your body. When tension builds in certain areas, the sensitivity and therefore your relationship with your body is lost. The practice of asanas is often initially painful, but this becomes manage able, espe cially when you experience a feeling of space (that is, the circulation of energy) when muscle tension is transformed to relaxation (see also chapter 6). 2. 6. 2 A relationship with the body is a prerequisite for an experience of the self. A deeper confrontation is possible as a result of your recovered relationship with your body. Freely circulating energy is synonymous with space in the body. This energy is the bearer of an all-embracing attention that makes it possible to experience yourself and your environment in an objective way. You can see your body, with all its problems as well as your intentions and emotions, with dispassion and without judgment. By relaxing and opening yourself, you can finally experience the deep feeling of harmony and freedom that is a part of yourself — or more specifically, your Self. (I will come back to this subject in chapter 6. )