Madrid

Five years ago, the first place that Desi Springer and I introduced the Bowspring alignment to the European yoga community was in Madrid, Spain. We had over 100 students in that initial workshop, and the OMs were grand and the standing ovation at the end was so moving. Yet, most students didn’t return to try the Bowspring after that introductory workshop because we mistakenly attempted to teach everyone an intermediate practice (the Roots kata) before they understood the fundamentals of the method. Since then, we have consistently improved our presentation of the Bowspring method and it is now accessible and understandable, especially for beginners.
This year we returned to Madrid to an experienced group of 40+ Bowspring students who have been diligently practicing since we saw them a year ago. The best compliment that we received was from some of those more experienced students who have seen us since 2013. They commented that this year’s weekend workshop was their favorite to date since the method had become so refined and powerful, yet simplified at the same time.Dedicated Bowspringers in Madrid, many of whom started practicing Bowspring in 2013

Bowspringers in the courtyard of the palace of  Charles V. demonstrating the lightness and dynamic balance of the body\’s tensegrity in the Bowspring formGranada Bowspring teacher,  Chandra Ferdomenech, in her third trimester, dynamically strong yet open in wide stance – Recovery poseThe passionate dedication of these Spanish teachers to the Bowspring method and to the global community is very inspiring. Transitioning from modern postural yoga to the Bowspring is not easy, since it goes against the status quo, yet these soulful teachers are courageous and following what they know both in their heart and mind to be a new level of healthy alignment for long-term, sustainable balance in their lives.The Alhambra – Granada\’s ancient city castle illumined at nightPalma de Mallorca Boats in the harbor – Palma de Mallorca Over 70 Bowspring teachers gathered in Mallorca for 10-days of teachers intensives – Levels 1 & 2 – representing Bowspring communities in Argentina, Canada, New Zealand, Croatia, Germany, Austria, The Netherlands, Denmark, Russia, and from the north and south of Spain!

The experience level was high in the Mallorca intensives. Over 20 of the teachers started practicing the Bowspring method over 3 years ago, and 6 of the teachers began with the new alignment 5 years ago when we first taught in Madrid. It is a blessing to have such a great group of good-hearted, high integrity and pioneering spirits – a radiant light in our global Bowspring community.

It was widely agreed by the teachers that it takes time – months and years – to gain a basic competency and then proficiency with the Bowspring alignment. Many of the teachers shared their personal stories of how they successfully transitioned their classes and yoga studios from classical yoga alignment to the Bowspring method. Over time they slowly introduced the new wavy alignment into their regular yoga / Pilates classes by \”Bowsprinkling\” – integrating a few post-classical poses or curvy, springy movements into a general sequence of standard model poses and alignments.

Instead of completely changing immediately to a whole new alignment – that functions in stark contradiction to the standard model – they brought in Bowpring for only a few minutes at a time within a public class. In this way, the students got introduced to the radical alignment methodology without being overwhelmed. Then after a few months or a couple of years in several cases, the majority of students requested Bowspring alignment instead of the linear, static, standard model alignment because it worked better and felt better for them eventually. So, by emphasizing going slow to appropriately \”dose\” the movement medicine of the Bowspring into the public yoga classes, they reduced attrition and increased retention of the student base.

Teachers would inform students about the new alignment and would say that the forms were \”inspired by Bowspring.\” There was also consensus that, although mixing alignments into a public yoga class was seen as an effective way to introduce the Bowspring, regularly mixing contrary or opposite alignments into a class became increasingly confusing to the students. Furthermore, students complained of pain and strain in their bodies when they were mixing alignments in the same pose instead of doing standard model and then Bowspring alignment separately in different poses. Eventually, to effectively learn Bowspring method a student is encouraged to focus on the alignment for at least a full hour at a time without mixing.

In the big global transition to the new paradigm of biomechanical alignment, it is best when the student chooses to change from their own experience of the Bowspring. There is no need to intellectually convince them, or persuade them that one method is right and the other is wrong, or that one is better than the other – one cannot \”understand\” the Bowspring with their \”mind\”… This is especially true in the Postmodern Postural Yoga world where all alignment systems are \”equally valid,\” and where the classical yoga alignment has an almost \”religious\” importance to be respected and upheld by the teachers. When any student gets a consistent experience of lightness and fluid power in their usual movements through the Bowspring alignment, they can clearly make their own comparison and determination of what alignment works best for them. Experienced Bowspring teachers realize that it is best to invite students to explore the different alignment effects for themselves.
The seasoned Bowspringers in the teacher intensives all commented how the method has refined a lot in the last couple of years so that the little details now make a big difference in the efficacy of the Bowspring. Specific alignment refinements in the actions of the hands and feet help to give greatly enhanced power to any pose with little force.Infinity pose with Ecstasy Hands Zig-Zag pose with Double Seeds John Friend assisting a student to gain more power in their lifted Open Leg and fully extend the central channel through the top of the head Desi Springer practicing Side Spiraling in Hero Kneeling pose

Desi and Renata 

Pramu Bowspring – dedicated Bowspring studio in Palma de Mallorca

Bowspring teachers Ewa Stoch, Ester Morales, Saskia Griffiths, Gabriella Skerlj at Pramu instructed by Desi into Infinity pose with Crown HandsDesi enjoying the lightness and opening of Infinity Leg in One-arm Balance with Seed Hand reaching from the heart