Margaux is an experienced LYT practitioner and teacher who wanted some feedback for fine-tuning her practice. I first noticed that when she went to walk back into the plank, her shoulders were not aligned over her wrists because her hands were a bit close to her feet. That positioning then set up her plank and Down Dog to be slightly less aligned. In Down Dog, her forearms were releasing a bit toward the floor, indicating that she needed to lift more in her front body to give the shoulders more support. With the slight repositioning of the hand placement, the Down Dog will have more energy. I also noticed that Margaux’s SCM (sternocleidomastoid muscle) was popping out a bit, indicating her head was slightly forward. The SCM is a superficial neck flexor that is shortened when our skull shifts forward from its neutral position on the first cervical vertebra. I recommended focusing on lifting the front of the throat to help her neck more neutral.
In her side lunge, Margaux needs to move back into her hip to acquire a deeper hinge and greater hip mobility. For the modified side plank, I saw a slight disengagement in the scapula of the grounded hand. Pulling the scapula into the body will help the pose feel more integrated.
Overall, Margaux’s form is wonderful; the hot spots are the neck alignment as she has a tendency to release the deep cervical flexors, which are a direct connection to the abdominal core. Finally, setting the hands slightly forward in a folded fold will better align the shoulders in plank and Down Dog.
