Aligned & Well DVD Series
Katy Bowman, M.S.
Restorative Exercise

Yoga teachers across the country are increasingly emphasizing proper body alignment during class in order to help students get the most out of their physical practice. Biomechanics spokesperson Katy Bowman, M.S., takes the same concept into the privacy of one’s own home in her newly released DVD series Aligned & Well. Bowman’s message is that many common and even serious health conditions associated with ageing can be treated by learning how to properly use – and move – the body. The goal of the Aligned & Well series is to promote better health through more effective and efficient body mechanics by teaching people simple healing exercises and stressing the relationship between physical activity and health.

Each DVD in the series of fourteen is dedicated to a general health condition and provides biomechanical – or body movement-based – tips for addressing the problem. Topics range from enhancing digestion to reducing back pain and improving balance. In each forty-minute tutorial, Bowman draws awareness to basic anatomical concepts and identifies factors that can contribute to the condition or imbalance. She also personally demonstrates a series of movements, called Rx…ercises®, that she prescribes to treat and improve the condition. The Rx…ercises® are simple and low impact movements intended to be repeated frequently throughout each day to improve blood flow, build strength and increase mobility. Although some of the conceptual and background information across the DVDs is slightly repetitive (if a person is watching multiple segments), the movements prescribed for each condition are subject specific.

As a biomechanical specialist, Bowman emphasizes that like a machine, the body is in need of constant movement and care and maintenance in order to operate optimally for the long-haul. An example of what you can find in her series is the DVD titled My Hands Hurt: from Elbows to Fingers. This disc is dedicated to common hand and arm conditions such as carpal tunnel, tennis elbow and tendonitis. Bowman explains that these conditions can often be linked to weak musculature elsewhere in the body. She makes it clear that patterns such as prolonged sitting at an office desk or in a car or maintaining poor posture cause imbalances in muscle development, leading to improper alignment and the under or over compensation of sometimes distant muscle groups. As treatment for these conditions, Bowman demonstrates a number of hand stretches and other exercises that can build muscle strength in the back, shoulders and neck. This holistic approach recognizes the interconnectedness of muscle fibers in the body since building strength in these core areas has a direct impact on loosening up muscles elsewhere and on getting the body in proper balance. Bowman makes the point that by exercising muscles and promoting the flow of blood, oxygen and lymph, long-held patterns of muscle degeneration can be reversed and better health will follow.

It’s not surprising that some of the exercises prescribed in the videos are movements common to a basic Yoga practice. After all, the series also encourages the use of refined movements and repetitive practice as tools for self-care and personal healing. Any title in this series would likely be most helpful to those individuals seeking basic tips for addressing specific health problems, people wanting to fine-tune their practice or those not able to maintain a regular Yoga practice.

You can learn more about the DVDs that are available at: alignedandwell.com and find more information on Katy Bowman by visiting: restorativeexercise.com or her website and blog at: katysays.com.

–– Rachael Cleghorn maintains a bodywork practice in LA and spends a great deal of her time encouraging the use of bodywork and Yoga for health and healing. Email her at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .