May 2, 2010: On the Board at Good Life Yoga
Hug to the Midline
If you’ve taken an Anusara yoga class there’s an excellent chance that you’ve heard, “hug to the midline!” more than once. I know for a fact that some students hear this phrase in their heads while navigating difficult landscapes. We hug to the midline while walking up or down the stairs with heavy objects, stepping onto a slippery surface or even navigating the space near the rim of a volcano. Okay, if you didn’t read a recent newsletter then you might not understand the volcano reference – just use your imagination.
Point is, when we actively bring muscle energy directly to the center line of ourselves, stability ensues. Picture a line from the top of your head down your spine and running between your legs. This is the magical midline of Anusara lore. Our midline is like a super highway that connects us to earth and sky. Along that highway are three focal points that help us refine the actions of muscle and organic energies. When we work from the center of ourselves, no matter which focal point we implore, we move from a position of our greatest strength and our greatest freedom. Think of Triangle pose and remember how good it feels to move that top arm up and out from the pelvic focal point and not just from the shoulder. We draw into the midline, plug into our core and from there expand back out again.
This week at Good Life Yoga expect to hear, “hug to the midline”, more than once as we explore its usefulness in a number of poses from hand balances to standing poses.