
Alignment and Functional Movement with Dr. Ariele Foster
From Yoga Teacher Resource Podcast by Mado Hesselink
February 12, 2026 · 48 min · Episode 292
About this episode
Dr. Ariele Foster discusses the importance of understanding alignment and functional movement in yoga practice.
Basic misunderstandings about the human body can lead to yoga cues that have the opposite effect from what the teacher intended. In this episode, physical therapist and longtime yoga educator Dr. Ariele Foster breaks down why rigid alignment cues often fail our biology. Listen in to hear a nuanced discussion of the role of alignment in asana and how to bring more functional movement into your yoga classes. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:01:11 Meet Dr. Ariele Foster: From yoga enthusiast to physical therapist11:08 Reconsidering the role of alignment15:18 How alignment can either increase or decrease your options for movement.22:58 How alignment can feed into kinesophobia30:05 Functional movement vs. specialized movement42:58 How to weave more functional movement into your classes46:36 Conclusion and further resources EPISODE LINKS & RESOURCES: Yoga Anatomy Academy Yoga for 3D Hip Stability Course Follow Yoga Anatomy Academy on Instagram @yogaanatomyacademy Follow Yoga Anatomy Academy on Facebook Wellilo Physical Therapy and Yoga Follow Dr. Ariele Foster on Instagram @dr.ariele.foster Follow Dr. Ariele Foster: Wellilo Physical Therapy + Yoga on Facebook Here is a webinar on how to avoid…
People in this episode
Host: Mado Hesselink
Guest: Dr. Ariele Foster
Topics covered
- alignment
- functional movement
- yoga education
- physical therapy
- kinesophobia
Keywords
- alignment
- functional movement
- yoga cues
- kinesophobia
- physical therapy
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Yoga Anatomy Academy, Wellilo Physical Therapy and Yoga
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