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A GR

ACE AS YOGIS, MOST OF US want to understand how we
move—and as we become more aware, we head down a
path toward even more curiosity and self-awareness. I see
this evolution in my students all the time. The fi rst spark—
maybe someone realizes she’s tighter in her left hip than in

notice that because of the tightness, she favors her right

side. Then she may discover it’s causing her back pain.

With each discovery this student makes about her move-

ment, she becomes more conscious, inquisitive, and, ulti-

mately, more knowledgeable about herself.

Understanding how you move your body is key to

getting stronger, staying injury free, and feeling more bal-

anced, grounded, and (I would argue) happy. And a great

tool to help you do all of this is to look at movement through

the lens of the three anatomical planes.

Once you know how to work with these planes, you’ll

begin to recognize the ones in which you feel most (and

least) comfortable moving your body. Then you may dis-

cover you’re missing whole segments of movement in certain

planes—knowledge that can then inspire you to start mov-

ing in the directions where you need to wake up. In doing

this, you’ll ultimately learn how to wake up in your life too,

helping you navigate this world more fully. Here’s what you

need to know to understand the sagittal, coronal, and trans-

verse planes, and why it’s so important that you do.

Understanding the three anatomical

planes of movement (sagittal, coronal,

and transverse) can help you recognize

patterns and imbalances in your body,

allowing you to move with more inten-

tion—in your yoga practice and beyond.

FEBRUARY 2018 / 53 / YOGAJOURNAL.COM

TALK

Plane

Story by Annie Carpenter

Photography by Rick Cummings