yoga

53

december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg

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 first spark—

maybe someone realizes she’s tighter in her left hip than in

her right—is often revelatory. Soon after, this student may

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 movement, she

becomes more conscious, inquisitive, and, ultimately, more

knowledgeable about herself.

Understanding how you move your body is key to getting

stronger, staying injury free, and feeling more balanced,

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 discover you’re

missing whole segments of movement in certain planes—

knowledge that can then inspire you to start moving 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 transverse planes, and

why it’s so important that you do.

TALK

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

intention—in your yoga practice and beyond.

Plane

Story by Annie Carpenter

Photography by Rick Cummings

MODEL: CYNTHIA SING; STYLIST: JESSICA JEANNE EATON; HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; TOP: TITIKA; BOTTOMS: KIRA GRACE