Allison McGuigan

21/03/2019

In my weekly yin yoga class we’ve been exploring how different pose variations can target similar areas in the body. This month we’ve been discussing “hip openers” or the gluteal target area through all of the variations of sleeping swan (aka pigeon pose) and shoelace variations.

This particular variation of shoelace is one that students had the option of exploring last night. It is a variation that I know is not accessible or comfortable to everyone - myself included. One of the big reasons it is challenging for me is because of where I feel compression in the pose. This compression stops me from moving further into the pose.

Have you ever considered the sensations of tension and compression in a yoga pose? Or why a pose is accessible to you and why it may not be? Or where in the body you should be feeling each yoga pose?

These are some important pieces to practicing yoga in a functional way. Which I believe are very important especially when holding poses like we do in yin yoga.

If you’re curious, we’ll be exploring this in my next workshop on March 30 - Understanding Yin Yoga: An Introduction to What, Why and How to Practice Yin Yoga. 😊

12/03/2019

There’s always a balance. You cannot continually go go go without becoming run down at some point. And you can never rest forever without needing movement. This is the yin and yang of life.

Feeling grateful to have made it to a wonderful vinyasa class over the weekend (thank you igarrettyoga ❤️) And now feeling the exhaustion of the time change and grateful to take a few moments to slow down and plan my yin class.

If you need a moment of rest or stillness I’ll be there to hold the space - every Wednesday at 8pm for Candlelight Yin at NoDa Yoga.

07/03/2019

I’ve been posting more and more lately about what I teach and why. There is a huge need for stillness, awareness and mindfulness in daily life and also in yoga. We often run ourselves ragged. But stillness is hard! And not every yoga pose is for every body, especially when we hold poses for a while. We have to understand the purpose of each pose, where we want to feel it and then get to know our individual bodies.

This is why I am inspired to share my newest workshop at NoDa Yoga 😊 If you’re curious I hope you’ll join me or reach out with any questions! Early bird pricing until 3/22. See link below. ❤️

06/03/2019

Stillness. Calm. Challenging. Respite. Needed.

These are a few words that come to mind when I practice. Feel free to share your own ❤️

04/03/2019

There are always a variety of ways to reach the target area of a pose. But in order to explore those variations it is important to understand the function of that pose. Forget about how the pose looks and pay attention inwardly to how the pose feels.

This is one of my personal favorites for reaching the gluteal area, also frequently called “hip openers”.

Each month in my weekly Yin class we’re exploring a new family of poses in depth. This is where we’re heading for the month of March! Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm NoDa Yoga 😊❤️

25/02/2019

Stillness. So challenging. So needed.

Photo credit:

21/02/2019

Lately, in my personal practice I’ve been working on a lot of poses for my shoulders and upper back.

From a functional perspective poses can have a variety of target areas depending on our individual bodies and also adjustments you make in them. I usually teach each pose with a variety of options to explore so each individual can hopefully craft the best yoga experience for them on that day.

Yesterday I shared eagle arms, but this is yet another variation that could potentially reach a similar target area. This is a variation that we explored in yin last night at NoDa Yoga 😊😊

20/02/2019

I teach yoga from a functional approach. And lately I've started posting more about that. In short, it's about understanding the intention or function for each pose and then knowing how to explore variations to find the pose that will work best for your body. It's very different than approaching yoga with an aesthetic image of a pose in mind and then forcing your body into that specific image.

Functional yoga requires an understanding of skeletal variation and that each of our bodies and poses are different. And then there is curiosity, compassion and grace that goes along with that, knowing that it's okay that our yoga poses look different because we are each having a different experience.

I believe it's such an important concept to embrace when teaching and practicing!

Here's a great excerpt about functional yoga from Bernie Clark's newest book - Your Spine, Your Yoga.

Alignment is personal, not universal. Rather than maximizing performance and flexibility, why not optimize health and mobility?

19/02/2019

We’ve been focusing on Dragon Pose in my weekly Yin Yoga classes at NoDa Yoga, but this pose has been my jam lately! Eagle arms for the shoulders. You can start with a big bear hug and see how it feels. I love that I can do it almost anywhere. It’s a good excuse for a little break. You deserve it 👍❤️