Introduction to the Critical Alignment Strip
CA is known for the use of specific props, from which the strip is one of the most essential one.
With simple but precise strip exercises, we will be able to discover restrictions in and around the upper back, neck and lower back. From there, we can release these restrictions simply by using our body weight and the natural force of gravity. Releasing tension from the upper back and neck has a direct effect on our emotional state, often referred to as if ‘there has been taken a weight of my shoulders’. It creates feelings of lightness and spaciousness and allows the lungs to take easier and deeper breaths.
The strip can help with problems caused by e.g., head forward posture, shoulder girdle problems, and neck pain. In this session, we will awaken our backbone - our spine - and recognize the anatomical nature of our "imbalance". We will also become acutely aware of the remarkable connection between our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states.
During this practice, we turn our attention towards what is presenting itself through the language of the body and the breath. We might encounter areas that are out of balance, which might trigger inner conflict. Hardening into conflict, doesn’t solve the imbalance. We rather consciously allow the body to soften into it. This is a process which we call Conscious relaxation.
By observing the body where it is now, we are unraveling functional tension: habitual movement or holding patterns from daily life, and chronic stress/strain. We start to ask our questions like 'How is strain/stress effecting me? How is my body responding/reacting? Can I start to inquire, without judgement?'
Props needed Yoga mat, Critical Alignment black strip, 2 blocks (or large books), blanket
About Fiona
Fiona offers yoga practices for self-empowerment - supporting her students to return back to their aware self through movement and stillness. She aims to offer a space where students can take responsibility for their unfolding life journey, and live fully with joy. Yoga has been a part of her life since 1994, and her passion turned into her profession in 2004. Part of her work is supporting women with breast cancer through nourishing yoga practices. These practices organically evolved through her teaching experiences of working with many women in different phases of their lives. The diversity of the experiences has allowed her to meet each woman with breast cancer where she is in her treatment program and life process. She is presently in partnership with the Forum Wolfgarten in Bonn, where she teaches classes to women who are in the acute phase of receiving Breast Cancer treatment.
Fiona Hayhoe-Weiland www.habihochi.com
About Zita
Zita is a mover at heart. At a young age, she started dancing, which provided her a sense of aliveness. Later on, she sought other forms of movement. After various injuries and a chronic illness, she eventually turned to yoga to reconnect her to her wholeness.
Movement was and is what makes her feel connected, not only to herself but to the world around her. This awareness ignited a curiosity in the relationship between the body, mind, and heart. Zita develops her classes around the understanding that it is not control, but rather a release of gripping that leads to movement. Her drive is to support people who face chronic injuries and discomfort due to habitual posture issues & stress patterns.
Since 2008, Zita has been studying Critical Alignment (CA) with founder Gert van Leeuwen in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), both as a student and a yoga and therapy teacher. In 2016, she moved with her family to the SF Bay Area (US). There, she continued researching the interconnectedness of body, mind, and heart, adding fascia release work into her teaching
Zita van Wees www.zitavanwees.com
The Practice