Movement & Neuroscience Nugget: Moving in different ways

In life, as in yoga, we often look at things externally instead of internally and we also tend to move and think in very linear ways. In terms of neuroscience and how our brains work in relation to our joints, that’s not always the best thing to do. So, in my classes this week, I’ve invited people to explore both internal and external rotation in their hips with an emphasis on internal rotation since we do this much less.

For example, the next time you stand in a lunge position, try turning your front thigh inwards with the foot following the internal rotation of the thigh and then try moving in and out of the lunge. Putting our joints into different positions and moving whilst in them helps our brain map those areas better. This in turn helps the brain feel safer and can lead to increase range of movement, flexibility and performance overall.

For ideas to switch up your ‘standard’ yoga: