Spinal integrity - finding your curves

Wonderful new world to wake up to this morning. Really could not move while you gave your talk about anatomy. It was like seeing a full moon for the first time. This type of yielding yoga is so much fun and really more inclusive of inner body experience for me. My two little dogs are in there with me. They find it more interesting and safer to join in with mom moving slower. Love and Gratitude to Lisa and Ekhart Yoga for presenting and sharing such solid gold, high quality, valuable information.

such an inspiring class again, thank you Lisa :) I am really curious about, how i can put this easy intelligent way into daily life and yoga (another question, to be asked and explored) ;)

Hi Lisa. Wow, what does it happen in mind mind today? We don't practice much, we only feel something from the body. Although, I can't listen all what you said. But after finishing class, I really feel My mind quiet. Long time, I haven't feel like that. After that, I make me want to practice more arm balance poses. I do them but not really action action the body. I understand more the mind still , more strong body. Thank you, Lisa.

Thank you Lisa for this wonderful sharing. Wow, how to put this into words... Thoughtful slow movement and really great to focus on these aspects with our inner body, back and front spine, curves, neutrality... A spectator may look and wonder... For the participant, for me, the feel of the movement, the intention and engaging in this way, feels great... there is much more going on and it is deeper work... Thank you, thank you, thank you for this experience :-)

wow, this was so enlightening! it was nearly the first time that I did not have this inner automatism to "get my spine in this or that stretch more in order to get it straight and stretched". This NATURAL SPINE-FEELING is soooo goood :))))) just *big smile* thank you, Lisa!"

Wonderful lesson Lisa! and thank you Jen and Sandra :) I really hope we'll get more Embodied Anatomy classes like this one! Namaste :)

Thank you Lisa! Especially the different focus on the front/back of the spine and the position of the arms/upper body in VirabhII makes a difference for me now.

Dear Lisa, An amazing class as always! Since I was not able to go to your classes to Dublin this year, this is a good option for now. I really missing all these guides you provide and the invitation to enquire but also to go for our options and explore our bodies, love also introduction with anatomy information. I looking forward over the christmas period to enjoy the other classes you recorded here, this is nourishment ! thank you

How fantastic to learn this, if I don't have to lift my sit bones my dog is much more stable and I can hold it for longer and vira II is actually easier! The theory at the beginning was very informative. I would love to sit through a longer anatomy theory class with you if you ever record one here on Ekhart Yoga. It is actually so beneficial to know anatomy when you practice yoga, and I have all the books, but never find the time. To listen and watch would be great! Thanks Lisa, can't wait for your next class. xxx P.S. Do you have any names of books on somatics that I could read, or any place where I can learn more about it?

I absolutely love this class, I keep coming back to it, thank you

Another big chunk of learnings! Thank you! I definitely feel humbled and grateful for all the light bulb moments in your classes Lisa. Today it was a small revolution to find the curves in my dog which before had been a striving for length. This makes so much more sense! However I am gonna have to keep practicing to find the different movement between sit bones and tail. That blew my tiny mind!

So useful! Wonderful perspective though these movements! Thank you!

I have a shorter left leg due to multiple fractures in my youth- lateral pelvic tilt, scoliosis, hyper lordosis etc. For most of my 30+ years I've never really felt comfortable in my body. I gave yoga a shot a few years ago, and developing a practice has ameliorated a lot of problems, while admittedly causing others. My approach hasn't always been intelligent and kind (as we do). Lisa, as you said, this can be a humbling experience. But, your teaching makes it easy to be humble and open. I've had so many "a ha!" moments I've lost count. Like, the bit about raising the tail while drawing down the sit bones. Counter intuitive at first. But it's so subtle and profound. I had my 'tail between the legs' without even realizing it. Sure enough, it's 'wagging' a bit more now. Thank you so much, take care.

Dear Lisa, Thank you for your great classes! They bring a whole new level of awareness in my body. I have several questions to ask. During the forward bending, I feel my thoracic and lumbar spine very stiff as two big pieces that come forward one after the other. The continuous vertebrae by vertebrae coming forward seems unattainable. I assume this is due to lack of flexibility in my spine? What would you recommend? Shall I just be patient and go on with this class or there is more I can do. The other question is, I have my shoulders leaning forward quite a bit and despite several months of yoga classes to reverse this posture, I see very little if any improvement. Do you have a special class for such a condition or any other suggestion? Thank you again and have a nice peaceful Saturday! Namaste, Anna

Thank you, Lisa, for this wonderful (wonder-filled) experience. The felt-sense of being in my body in downward facing dog was so very different, and quite amazing.

Hi Lisa , Two words came to mind as I sat absorbing this class- precision and spaciousness. I also felt a more fluid and wave like quality to the spine reflecting all of those curves you talked about. I started yoga many years ago with a fantastic teacher in the iyengar tradition, who really worked with precision in a very gentle way that i loved, but for last few years have been exploring more at home the meeting points between my yoga practice and my meditation practice, and your teachings are really helpful for providing more information and experiences to flesh out this journey, so am grateful to you for sharing your work online.

Lisa, thank you for the journey to the spine. We think we know the anatomy and anyway you managed to give totally new interesting information about the spine. Having been at the back - so good to come to the front!

Dear Lisa, Your classes here are such a wonderful resource. I live and teach in Cairo, and often rely on the internet for inspiration. I've taken a few classes with Amy when visiting NYC having come across her through Leslie's online principles of yoga anatomy, and just feel so lucky to have found another expression of this approach now in your work. I had all the theory behind this spinal curves class, but working it with you was another story! Including the occiput and tail as two extra curves, playing with initiating cat cow from all those different places. My spine is tingling with aliveness; the support I feel for my work with your approach is now embodied through the core of me in my spine! Thank you so much.

oh yum yum yum yum i really think you have the most beautiful transition to downdog I've ever seen, and I could just watch you move all day. thank you for sharing your movement as well as your voice with us. You know it just dawned on me, it appears to me that you move like you speak, a tinkly refreshing gentle stream of water! as for the vira2, it just clicked...I actually felt powerful like a warrior. Normally I feel like I'm trying to be a powerful warrior, but these arms helped me inhabit the space around me much more. thank you thank you xxxxxxx

brilliant...

I am yet again finding my toes brushed by the sand on a beach with an endless sea of knowledge. You have flipped my anatomy understanding on it's head and I couldn't be more excited. Thank you for helping me find some tingly warmth in my spine! Lucy.x

Dear Lisa, Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge. I have got the anatomy "bug" applied to yoga and have followed an online anatomy course from Thomas Myers. First time I heard that Asian spine curves are different to Caucasian and African people. I have Chinese background and live in Australia. I have been told that I have a posterior tilt due to too much sitting, and have to work on finding my "natural" curve, which I find difficult. But could it be just that my curves are just not as pronounced? Thank you.