Foundations

Alignment Basics — Stacking the Body Kindly

Alignment is not about a perfect pose. It is about loading the body in a way it can sustain.

Priya Sundaram · 28 May 2026 · Still Ave, Bristol

Alignment is simply the art of stacking joints so the load travels through bone and not through strain. Feet root, knees track over toes, pelvis neutral, ribs over hips, crown reaching up. It is unglamorous and it is everything.

How to practise it

1. Start from the ground. In standing poses the feet set the tone for everything above.
2. Let the knee follow the direction of the middle toe; never let it collapse inward.
3. Lengthen the spine before you deepen a shape. Length first, depth second — always in that order.
4. Soften where you grip. Most beginners over-work the shoulders; drop them away from the ears.
5. Use the breath as a gauge: if it goes ragged, the alignment has probably slipped.

Common mistakes

• Chasing the deep version of a pose before the base is stable.
• Locking the knees and elbows. Micro-bend keeps the joint safe and the muscle honest.
• Forcing the low back to do a backbend the upper back should share.

Good alignment is quiet.

In the studio, and at home

Alignment is where a small studio earns its keep. In a room of six, a teacher can see the knee that drifts and the shoulder that climbs, and offer the one cue that changes the whole shape.

Good alignment is quiet. It does not look impressive from the outside; it just means you can practise for years without the practice slowly wearing you down.