Yoga Injuries have reached epidemic proportions. Some physical therapists have estimated that almost 30% of people who do yoga have suffered yoga injuries. According to US government figures, Hatha Yoga is causing more injuries than any style of movement exercise since high impact aerobics in the 70's. Many people think yoga injuries are caused by people pushing too hard or from inexperienced teachers.
Michaelle's Book YogAlign® Pain-Free Yoga from Your Core Available NOW!
AVAILABLENOW
384 pages of both theory and practice
Over 200 illustrations and photos
One hour YogAlign DVD
This book is a true labor of love, taking me over 5 years to write and self publish. With this book and DVD you will be able to practice YogAlign on your own, establishing self care as your best health insurance. After reading this book you will have the tools to practice any style of yoga more safely following the YogAlign principals of natural alignment. I have included dramatic case histories of people who attained graceful natural posture, relief from chronic pain and a deep sense of inner peace practicing YogAlign. It is my hope that this book will help people learn to do yoga and stretching safely, achieving maximum benefits with no pain or injuries.
Yogalign DVD Trailer
Yogalign Pain-Free Yoga from Your Core Reviews:
"The blending of spinal muscle kinesiology, traditional yogic breathing and joint protection with focused positional and movement awareness advocated in the YogAlign system places it at the forefront of the evolution of yoga practices. Michaelle Edwards diligence brings us leading-edge practices that can be used by health and fitness professionals to teach dynamic movement control while essentially
eliminating the possibility of injury." Doug McGregor - Physical Therapist
"Since Victorians walked around with books on their heads, good 'carriage' or good posture has fallen out of favor. But that does not mean it has fallen out of importance: it is the place from which we move. 'Acture' (a better word for it - posture in action) needs to be reinterpreted anew for an electronic generation. Michaelle Edwards bases her YogAlign system on sound principles, with practical and useful exercises and awarenesses. This book is a useful tool for yoga teachers, as well as a good adjunct book for bodyworkers."
Tom Myers, author of Anatomy Trains and Fascial Release for Structural Balance
"Michaelle Edwards aims for nothing less than a revolution in the way yoga is understood and practiced. YogAlign is packed with well described anatomy and well researched principles of body structure. The author's dedication and spirit will inspire you with her vision of a pain-free yoga path to a naturally aligned body."
Mary Bond, Author of
The New Rules of Posture: How to Sit, Stand and Move in the Modern World.
"Michaelle Edwards raises a red flag on the prevalence of injuries experienced by people practicing yoga today. Not only does she detail common poses and practices that are at odds with the natural human design, she provides safe, rehabilitative alternatives throughout this richly-illustrated, well-researched guide. An important paradigm-shifting contribution to the world of yoga!" Kathleen Porter - Natural Poster Solutions
These reasons are certainly true but the biggest reason for yoga injuries never seems to be mentioned. Most yoga injuries are caused by putting the body in positions that are unnatural. According to exercise physiology, the most compressive position for the human spine is sitting down with the trunk at a right angle to straight legs. Our lumbar spine is compressed and the sacrum is flattened and forced to collapse out of its natural upward flow. The oxymoron is that many yoga poses require you to place your body in this dangerous right angle position with the idea that your body will learn to "open". This movement is not functional and has nothing to do with the way your body is designed to bend. We all need the lumbar curve and sacral platform to support our trunk and act as a shock absorber for the spine, hips, and knees. Avoid yoga injuries by staying out of the right angle and making sure that all yoga poses you do support the natural 4 curves of your spine and allow you to breathe deeply.
This pose prevents yoga injuries
This pose puts you at high risk for yoga injuries
Notice the lack of spinal curves and neck
hyper-extension.
Same picture rotated
YogAlign version of the pose supports natural
spinal alignment and breathing
Same picture rotated
Putting your body in a right angle position with your legs straight, feet flexed and your trunk at a right angle forces your sacrum to flatten leading to low back pain and spine and disc destabilization. In order for a yoga pose to be functional, the spine must be in its natural curves as a flexible rod. Michaelle Edwards, yoga practitioner since 1972, body worker, and yoga teacher since 1992, has invented a pain-free style of yoga incorporating the natural curves of the spine with unique muscle recoding exercises and self massage. It is called YogAlign®, the pain-free yoga from your core.
Learn more about YogAlign® and protect yourself from the epidemic of yoga injuries. Back, shoulder, neck and knee pain can all be caused by a shortening and/or weakening of the psoas muscle group. Sitting in chairs or in straight leg positions tightens and weakens the psoas muscles.
Learn more about YogAlign® and protect yourself from the
epidemic of yoga injuries.
Do you know where your psoas muscles are?
Psoas muscles
Diaphragm muscle showing psoas attachment
Psoas muscles connect your spine to your legs initiating movement. The psoas stabilizes the spine and assists in the breathing process acting as the root or foundation of the diaphragm. A strong flexible psoas adds length to the spine making your waist longer and providing more room and support for the internal organs. The psoas is the only muscle that connects directly to the discs of the lower back. A tight or weak psoas can lead to disc compression and nerve impingement. The inner ribs connect to the perimeter of the diaphragm muscle from the toes looking up with the spine, psoas and lower back muscles shown cut away. YogAlign shows you how to activate the psoas/diaphragm connection with core breathing and functional body positions that imitate how the body moves. Yoga injuries are avoided when we use the body as it is designed and stop compressing the spine or stretching the sacrum.
One of the reasons people are drawn to yoga is to find peace in the mind and body. Unfortunately many of these people are finding that some ways of practicing yoga can cause yoga injuries. Many feel tension and frustration from attempting postures that are taught and performed in an externalized, competitive, goal-oriented manner. Many give up, deciding that they just cannot do yoga. I have found some of the popular sequences being taught in many yoga classes to be harmful to the natural alignment of the hips, spine, neck and shoulder girdle. People are being asked to climb a mountain so to speak before they know how to put in the proper protection.
YOGALIGN does not hurt and will keep your
body feeling like a kid.
Testimonials: "Michaelle's teaching offers inner and outer alignment in harmony with the
beautiful island of Kauai. A practice with mana and prana" Shiva Rea
"Michaelle has been
a passionate yogi for years and her love for teaching guided her to a genuinely
effective and healing yoga technique...YogAlign" Mariel Hemmingway
"Yoga has been a
useful tool in keeping my body and spirit balanced. I appreciate Michaelle
Edwards showing me a safe and effective way to practice yoga. I highly recommend
her YogAlign style of yoga with it's emphasis on neuromuscular balancing,
natural spine alignment and core breathing." Laird Hamilton
"While doing Shavasana after a wonderful YogAlign class, I was aware of this
bright light expanding inside of me. I realized that in doing this form of yoga,
and the core breathing technique associated with it, that my inner core is
becoming so strong and open that my inner light is able to shine freely. The
masks and armor that I have carried most of my life for survival are being
released, as the breathing strengthens my psoas and reprograms the fascial lines
in my body. What a gift it is to access this inner light and to have the core
strength to walk through life in the truth of who I am. I am deeply grateful to
Michelle for this revolutionary form of yoga and for the changes I am
experiencing in all levels of my being; physically, emotionally, mentally and
spiritually." Juliette LaFleur
"In search of
healing for your body and mind? Kaua'i is chock-full of massage therapists, yoga
teachers and alternative healers. Unfortunately most are only mediocre
lightweights geared toward undiscriminating tourists. On the North Shore,
experience true rejuvenation at Michaelle Edwards' Mana Yoga center and
accommodations. At her private, rustic home studio southeast of Princeville,
Edwards combines yoga, massage, and spinal alignment into YogAlign, an
effective, no nonsense therapy for folks of all levels. While trained in
traditional yoga methods, Edwards now strives to perpetuate the body's natural
alignment rather than to contort it doing strict poses. A warm, perceptive and
practical instructor, she analyzes posture and breathing and provides a body
"tune-up". Accommodations available and you can arrange a personal retreat for
yourself or your group. Longtime Kaua'i resident Edwards is also a professional singer and guitarist." Lonely Planet Hawaii Guide Fall 2007
Contact Michaelle
Edwards for information on
drop-in public classes and private yoga
classes for individuals or groups.
