3 Common Cues that Don't Work for All Bodies
I've been doing a lot of learning these days. Whether it's anti-racism work, growing my business in the midst of a pandemic, or attending webinars to advance my teaching (no wonder I've been all tech-ed out lately, eh?). I took a yoga class with a mentor the other day, and she used a cue that makes me wince.
Not because it's bad, but because it's not inclusive. It doesn't work for all bodies.
It got me thinking... if this teacher (who's been teaching for about 20 years) is still using that cue, how many students don't know that there are other alignment options, to accommodate their unique anatomy?
So today, because my mission is to empower you in your practice by providing you with yoga education to help you bend stronger, I wanted to address 3 of the most common cues I still hear teachers say...
AND the cues that students still follow, if they've been practicing for a while, but may not be in their particular best interest.
Full disclosure: I used to give these cues, and I'm not demonizing them. But, through my own continued learning and studying of biomechanics in yoga, have phased them out to make my teaching more inclusive.
They're fading in popularity, but I still hear them come up and I see students autopilot themselves to follow the cue even when it isn't given.
3 Common Cues that Don't Work for All Bodies
(And how to make it work for you depending on your anatomy)
1. "Toes together, heels apart." Typically in: Tadasana or Chair pose
WHY NOT: Some people can easily follow this cue, but some people's legs don't allow feet to touch together due to their anatomy. However, sometimes feet together for people who can do it isn't best if it doesn't feel stable or grounding.
SOLUTION: Feet hip-bone width distance apart. Keep feet under your body by looking down to align, and find the distance between your feet which helps you feel most stable and rooted into the earth. That's the gold!
2. "Brush fingertips against your heels" in: Bridge Pose, before lifting
WHY NOT: Depending on your arm length or torso length--yep, it all varies--touching fingertips to heels before lifting into Bridge pose sets up feet behind the knees, which cuts off space in the spine and limits the leverage needed to lift with strength and openness.
SOLUTION: Set up heels under knees, hips width apart. Again, FEEL IT. Stop trying to touch your heels. Focus on where your feet need to be so you have leverage to lift and keep your low back spacious and safe. Trust me, it'll feel better.
3. "Square your hips forward," specifically in: Warrior I
WHY NOT: Anatomically, for almost all bodies, completely squaring the hips forward--which means frontal hip bones both point straight forward in the same direction--puts stress on the hip joints, SI joint, and lumbar spine. Almost no one can actually do it with feet set up in heel to heel alignment, and it's unnecessary.
SOLUTION: First, set up your feet wider in terms of hips-width, not lengthwise on the mat. That will give your spine and hips more space to "square" forward. Second, aim for chest and shoulders to square forward rather than hips. This is always possible because of the slight twist you're creating in the spine anyway, and you'll feel more grounded and spacious.
So, there you have it. I would LOVE to hear back from you if you had a lightbulb moment reading this list. It's not exhaustive, but these are foundational.
Yoga works just as it is in many ways, but our physical practice continues to advance thanks to new science and a better understanding of the human body. We can’t ignore those advancements!
I think a marriage of tradition and science is key to making this practice more accessible to all. If more people feel included in the movement practice, more people will practice...
And that's a good thing.