Introduction to Yoga - Dance 103 - UWM

You can do the shape — and still miss the practice.
This is why alignment matters.
Not because yoga is about looking correct.
But because every small action asks the mind to participate.

In Utkatasana, you are not simply bending the knees and lifting the arms.
You are learning to observe:
Where is the weight in the feet?
Are the knees collapsing or receiving direction?
Is the spine extending, or is the chest sinking?
Are the arms reaching upward with awareness, or just stretching for the sake of stretching?

Without attention, the body moves.
With attention, the body begins to learn.

This is the difference between exercise and yoga.
One repeats movement.
The other refines intelligence through movement.

The foot presses.
The thigh responds.
The spine lengthens.
The breath observes.
The mind enters.

Then the pose is no longer just a shape.
It becomes a study.

💬 Which small action changed the way you understand a pose?
Share below — your reflection may help another student see their practice differently.

“Yoga is not what you can do, it is what yoga does to you.”
~Prashant Iyengar

May 2026 edition

In our “Tuesdays with Prashant” quote series we will be highlighting Prashant Iyengar’s wisdom, insights and teachings on classical yoga. ✨

. Parivrtta Hasta Padasana
The 3rd Preliminary Pose