Beyond Yoga Alignment
Biomechanics, Posture, and Performance
You will explore the common perceptions of “alignment” in yoga, and how they measure up against the latest in biomechanics research. This 3-part streaming course includes unlimited access to lectures and slides with 4 CEU’s upon completion.
$87 USD
Course Objectives
This course is for yoga teachers and committed students who wish to understand when alignment matters. You will learn why there is no such thing as a bad yoga pose and how focusing on the aesthetics of the poses limit our understanding of biomechanics.
This 4 hour course will teach you how to:
- Consider options over correctness in asana
- How popular cues interfere with biomechanics
- View the body as robust and adaptable
- Refine your biomechanical vocabulary
- Learn when to say less
- Speak and teach with confidence
- Know when to say “I don’t know” and own it!
Jules Mitchell, MS, LMT, ERYT 500 is a regular contributor to yoga teacher training programs worldwide, providing yoga schools with the most current research in biomechanics.
Course Description
In this 3-part online seminar led by Jules Mitchell (MS, CMT, ERYT 500) you’ll explore the common perceptions of “alignment” in yoga, and how they measure up against the latest in biomechanics research. Common “rules of alignment” are typically offered to improve safety and accuracy. Alignment is the go-to concept used when speaking of postural “correctness” and injury prevention. Sports science deconstructs all that. What it shows is that yoga teachers use alignment rules to advise student on which positions and loads to avoid, while biomechanics research reveals how to increase loads and positional resilience. To top it all off, flexibility is promoted in yoga as a path to improved posture and reduced pain, but the research refutes and contradicts these assumptions. Bottom line? Today we have a lot of yoga cues and ideas that have developed into guidelines for preventing injury – but these statements do not hold up to scientific scrutiny. Through the examination of common musculoskeletal concerns through a biomechanical lens, you will determine if and when alignment matters, why there is no such thing as a bad yoga pose, and how the aesthetics of the poses limit our understanding of biomechanics. Be prepared to transform the way you think, speak, and move within the practice of yoga.
Course Topics
Jules isn’t shy about challenging the anecdotal instruction we were taught in yoga classes of our past but still upholds the tradition with the reverence it deserves. She is more interested in asking the right questions than knowing all the answers. Jules’ compassionate teaching style will help you make sense of it all as she discusses:
- Pelvic tilt and tail bone cues
- Knee positioning relative to ankle
- The glutes and Bridge Pose
- Misunderstood muscles like the upper trap and the psoas
- A closer look at “tight” muscles
- Mobility, stability, and flexibility
- Difference between active, passive, and resisted ROM
- The role of anthropometrics and morphology
Musculoskeletal Considerations
- Osteoarthritis
- Shoulder impingement syndrome
- Bicep tendonitis
- Femoral acetabular impingement syndrome
- Labral and meniscus tears
- Proximal hamstring tendinopathy
- Gluteus maximus activation patterns
- Patellofemoral syndrome
- Plantar fasciitis
Course Includes
- 4 hours of lecture. Practical applications are highlighted with videos of live teaching moments.
- A rich slidedeck supporting the lectures for easy reference in downloadable PDF format.
- 4 CEU’s available upon completion of the course.
- Unlimited 24/7 streaming access to the course materials. Also available from the Kajabi mobile app.
Available for immediate streaming access, only $87. Jules’ entire 6 course online library with 15 hours of content (27.5 CEUs) is also available at a discount. Buy the bundle and get $150 off the total price of all the courses. Learn more here.
Course History
Jules’ second foundational course, Beyond Yoga Alignment, was created to clarify postural “correctness” and injury prevention. During her graduate work in biomechanics, she started developing educational content that satisfied a growing need for a greater understanding of how the body works in the ongoing debate of yoga safety versus yoga injury.
Jules Mitchell, MS, LMT, ERYT 500 is a regular contributor to yoga teacher training programs worldwide, providing yoga schools with the most current research in biomechanics.
Recommended Education Path
While each online course stands on its own and has no pre-requisite, you may consider the following information to get the most out of your experience. This course, Beyond Yoga Alignment is the second course in my foundational education series. Yoga Biomechanics and Asana is the first foundation course and I highly recommend that course to lay a foundation and help you get the most out of all my other work.
Building on your foundational training, my Resistance Stretching and Mobility-Based Conditioning courses will explore and teach specific methods of working with and improving range of motion.
In my years of working with teachers, recurring themes emerge which result in specialty courses. My courses Hypermobility and Yoga and The Incredible SI Joint dive deeply into these areas giving teachers a rich toolset and understanding to support their students.
