In order to move fluidly in our daily lives we can properly align our legs and hips. Healthy alignment in these areas works to prevent and relieve pain in our feet, knees, hips, and low back.

Here's how we do it in our Bowspring practice. With active feet we press our ...

1. Knees forward and hips back

2. Knees inward and hips apart

3. Knees apart and glutes up

Join us this week as we work to properly align our legs and hips and build strength to hold them in alignment. Drop-ins are $12.

Photo by Poodar Chu on Unsplash

It's spring, time to spread your wings and fly. In our Bowspring practice we refer to our shoulders, arms, and hands as our wings. From a full ribcage we engage and unfold our wings. With a soft fist we can straighten and lift our arms wide. We push our arms out into the sky as we flap our wings, maybe fly!

Spread and flap your wings in class this week creating more strength and freedom of movement in your hands, arms, and shoulders.
​
Photo by Andrea Reiman on Unsplash

In celebration of the Spring Equinox this week, we'll practice springing in class. Bowspring's postural alignment system was created by Desi Springer and John Friend. Our poses are light and springy, building strength on the back side of the body and making movement easier and more efficient. 

In honor of spring we'll hop and skip in class this week. We'll practice frog hops, pulse in eagle pose, climb the wall like a spider, and practice bee breath. 
​
Join us and put a spring in your step! And enjoy the blossoming trees around Matthews Community Center.

In our Bowspring classes we work to return the natural curves to the spine. First we fill up the back ribs to return the upper back curve. (We call this "Radiant Heart.") Then we move the hips back creating a curve in the low back. Finally we move the head back and up creating a curve in the neck. We can easily remember this alignment using the 3 H's: 
1. Radiant Heart
2. Hips back
3. Head back and up.

Throughout this 9-week session we'll learn how to effectively return these natural curves to our body. We'll begin this week, the first week of this session. Sign up today!

At home try practicing yoga with music. The health benefits of listening to music are many. Music can elevate your mood, ease pain and anxiety, reduce stress, and relieve depression. Music has been shown to lower heart rate and blood pressure.

And exercising while listening to music can boost your physical performance and workout endurance! Try it!

​Photo by Gregory Hayes on Unsplash