Artful Alignment

Artful Alignment is a subtle and powerful expression of who you truly are when you are in alignment with who you truly are.

Through the course of our lives, we may develop patterns that become habituated and misaligned. Misalignment anywhere in the body can cause energy to become stagnant or obstructed. Unfortunately, we can bring those patterns of misalignments to our yoga practice. 

When our body is out of alignment, when we think out of alignment, when we feel out of alignment, our energy and mind can feel scattered. Our energy levels can dissipate, our thinking mind can get out of focus, our performance can decrease, and how we feel about ourselves can nosedive.  

This is where our yoga practice needs to deepen our understanding that without detailed attention to proper alignment we are just doing repetitive movement.

Artful Alignment addresses misalignments and imbalances at that deeper level, so our yoga practice has the capacity to open energy channels and dissolve energetic blocks, allowing our natural healing energy to flow. 

In Artful Alignment, I apply three healing techniques — align, energize, and heal — to wake up and ignite your body’s natural intelligence to align, energize, and heal. 

As a highly trained yoga teacher in the the art of “seeing” misalignment and imbalances, I can help you correct for those and assist you in relearning patterns of alignment and balance. 

In Artful Alignment yoga classes,  I offer step-by-step instruction and guidance in your practice of asana, pranayama, mudras, chanting, meditation, and prayer to inspire you to experientially learn about the healing power, knowledge, and wisdom of yoga. 

How does Artful Alignment help you achieve results in your practice?

• Asana Practice

In asana (poses/postures), you practice proper physical alignment of the skeleton, bones, muscles, fascia, joints, and tissues to energize and strengthen the body and quiet the mind.  

Asana practice exercises, massages, soothes, and activates your muscles, tendons, and ligaments by lengthening and strengthening them, so they return to their natural, relaxed state.

When you practice the physical asanas, pay attention to anatomical details, body mechanics, and alignment in the postures. Every body is different and proper alignment for you is individual. Practicing alignment will provide you with a more effortless experience. 

For example, the actual physical alignment and balance of the placement of the head, neck, and shoulders aids in the balanced functioning of the brain and mind. 

• Pranayama and Bandhas

In pranayama (breath work), you practice observing and aligning the length, depth, and breadth of the breath to calm the nerves and create a kind temperament. 

Pranayama practice creates a deeper and fuller breath which releases stress and tension, and simultaneously increases your vital energy flow.

When you practice pranayama, connect your physical alignment with your breath – prana, life’s vital energy flow — and practice bandhas (locks) to direct and regulate the flow of prana to specific areas of the body. 

For example, sit in a comfortable seated posture, breath effortlessly through the nose, and achieve an even ratio of inhalation and exhalation. For instance, rhythmically inhale for 4 seconds and exhale for 4 seconds, for 7 full sets.

• Heart Practice

With mudras (energy hand gestures), chanting (heart vibration), and mantras (positive heart reminders), you practice balancing your heart with subtle and powerful vibrations that create positive feelings of trust, love, joy, and warmth. 

Heart practice trains your mind to serve your heart.

For example, practice the Atamanjali hand mudra, which is where you place your hands together in a gesture of prayer (namaste position).  This hand mudra taps into the healing power of love that positively influences your heart.   

• Meditation and Prayer

With meditation and prayer, you connect with the oneness (unity) of spirit

Meditation practice reminds you that you are interconnected to the web of life as true divine light. 

For example, when we meditate upon the yoga text, Satchitananda, it reveals that our true essence is pure, innocent, and timeless. We realize  consciousness in the present moment. Inherent within, we are divine light.  We are capable of experiencing our divine light as bliss, happiness, love, and joy — even amidst suffering. 

On the mat. Off the mat. Align yourself so much so that your practice becomes your way of life and your way of life becomes your practice.

Artful Alignment is a subtle and powerful expression of who you truly are when you are in alignment with who you truly are. 

Three Steps of Artful Alignment

In my yoga classes, I apply three steps of Artful Alignment — align, energize, and heal — to move you out of imbalanced or misaligned patterns of conditioning and bring you back to free-flowing energetic patterns of alignment, balance, and harmony. 

Because imbalances and misalignments can negatively imprint on your body, mind, heart, and spirit, we apply the healing properties  — align, energize, and heal — to your yoga practice of asanas, pranayama, bandhas, mudras, chanting, mantras, meditations, and prayers, pointing you back to your true, divine nature.

In that light, Artful Alignment’s true essence is about letting go, loving yourself, and being true to your authentic self. Out of this, the natural expression to serve others, the world, and yourself for the greater good is possible. 

step one = align      

Alignment in your body allows energy to flow freely, so you experience lightness. Alignment in you breath helps you release tension and stress, so you feel more relaxed. Alignment in your heart opens you to feel  self-love and being loved by others. Alignment in your mind and spirit inspires you to feel joyful and free. 

Basic, aligned actions help you let go of limitations.

step two = energize 

Energy in your body allows exuberance and buoyancy to uplift the entirety of your being. Energy in your breath soothes your nerves and calms your mind. Energy in your heart radiates pure, positive warmth. Energy in your mind and spirit creates clarity, wisdom, and inner peace. 

Apply aligned, balanced, and detailed actions to achieve effortless effort. Add pranayama to increase vitality. 

step three = heal  

Healing in your body relieves pain and improves your health. Healing in your breath increases your energy levels and vitality. Healing in your heart restores trust, innocence, and aliveness. Healing in your mind and spirit creates feelings of connectedness and oneness where you radiate true divine light. 

Deepen your ability to restore and recharge yourself with your natural healing energy.   

True healing begins…

• When we decide to stop and let go of enough control so that we can see ourselves with honest, loving clarity.
• When we apply align, energize, and heal, and then trust that we will effortlessly flow in the river of life. 

When all the aspects of who you are, are in alignment, you experience the flow of your life with effortlessness, grace, and ease.

• One-on-one personalized assistance 
• • Guides yoga practitioners to perform yoga with awareness, precision, and alignment. 
• Verbal cues and directions
  • Creates expansion and extension in all directions. 
• Prop-assistance
  • In the lineage of B.K.S. Iyengar, yoga props are used to help yoga practitioners receive the therapeutic benefits of more complex yoga postures, in a safe and achievable way.  
  • We utilize props to wake up and support yoga practitioners’ energy systems. We use a variety of props such as the standard yoga belts, blocks, sandbags, hand weights, blankets, and bolsters.
  • We also utilize furniture like couches, tables, chairs, and walls as props to receive feedback.  

See who you are honestly and sincerely. Feel who you are with all your heart. Touch who you are in the reservoirs of your soul. Heal who you are. Shine bright. 

Artful Alignment:

• Counteracts a lifestyle of overuse or underuse. 
• Balances and aligns your muscles, fascia, bones, and joints. 
• Creates strength and flexibility. 
• Improves upright posture. 
• Reduces strain on muscles, tendons, and ligaments. 
• Develops and strengthens your core.  
• Improves your range of motion and freedom of movement. 
• Helps you feel stress-free, anxiety-free, and pain-free. 
• Dissolves obstructions and obstacles.  
• Reminds you that you exist beyond your limitations. 
• Maximizes the efficiency of your body.
• Increases your vitality and energy flow.   
• Increases confidence, creativity, and feelings of joy. 
• Improves balance, coordination, and grace.
• Relaxes your mind, body, and emotions.
• Supports your overall health and well-being.
• Illuminates your spirit. 

Imagine you.  

Imagine yourself to be who you want to be.

Imagine your dreams. Imagine they already exist.

Imagine that within you is the power to have everything that you can imagine. 

Feel you.  

Feel yourself in effortless flow.

Feel your intuitive connection. 

Feel your love. Love is your power.

Be you.  

Be you in abundance.

Be you in awakened joy. 

Be you beautifully.

You are the cocreator of your life. Design your life how you want it to be: physically, mentally, emotionally, intellectually, financially, and spiritually. Then, with sincere feelings of love, gratitude, and joy within your heart, let go, and let your energy flow effortlessly in the divine river of life.  

8 Steps to Artfully Design Your Life, So You Live in Alignment With Who You Are and With What You Want!

Step 1

Artful Alignment is a way of stopping, looking, and seeing with gentleness, loving- kindness, and compassion at what is causing us suffering, pain, and difficulties, rather than running away or turning away from it.

Step 2

We realize the only way out, is through. 

We turn inward and listen to our intuition and inner wisdom. 

We stay with ourselves and find the comfort in the discomfort. We welcome and accept that which we thought we could never welcome and accept. This is where our true strength is. This is where our true power is. This is where the true healing is. 

We realize the pain is temporary. We can cut the ties that bind us. We detach from the fear and doubt that is holding us back.

We relax. We slowly let go of force or control. We open our hands and our hearts. We let go of our attachment to our suffering, pain, and difficulties.  

Step 3

At this point go into your breath. Breathe in deeply and breathe out deeply. As you breathe out, push the suffering, pain, and difficulties away from you. Breathe in, and let yourself be soothed and nurtured. Breathe out slowly the negative thoughts and emotions.  Breathe in, and receive the love that is all around you. Breathe out slowly what no longer serves you. Continue to rhythmically breathe. 

Step 4

Shift to an attitude of gratitude. Write down what you are grateful for. Then, feel your gratitude with all your heart. Now Amplify your Gratitude! Feel Gratitude! Energy is everything. Everything is energy. Feel more Gratitude!

Step 5

Now bless the experience. Want what is best for you, others, and the world.

When you are experiencing pain, suffering and difficulties, this is hard to do. This is not easy. Stay with your feelings of gratitude.

Step 6

When pain, suffering, and difficulties pop back into your mind, connect back to your breath. Shift back to gratitude. Feel your gratitude and amplify it. Do it again and again. Make this your artful practice of redesigning your life, so you be who you want to be. 

Step 7

Now let it all go. Detach from the outcome. 

Step 8

Trust in the universal flow. The universe has your back. Everything works out for you, for a divine reason. 

Release happens. Receiving happens. Restoration happens.