Sasha Movement & Training

10/22/2026

This!

We’ve got you 🥰

09/16/2026

One spot open for Reformer Pilates with me tomorrow, 9/16, at 10:15am! Message to claim it!
The Pilates Barn
Boulder, CO

09/03/2026

I’m so grateful to work at such a beautiful studio! ®️

08/24/2026

Updated!
I used to think that having to do a yearly update was extreme. This weekend showed me how truly essential it is.
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08/14/2026

07/25/2026

An interesting read! I personally teach Teaser in flexion/sophisticated bow curl (different language and methodologies) but I see many people do it with extended spine.

🧘‍♀️The Boat Pose Debate: Neutral Spine or C-Curve?🌀

Have you ever wondered whether you “should” keep a straight spine or round your back in boat pose (navasana)?

If you also practice Pilates, you might have noticed that a similar shape – the teaser – is often taught *with* a c-curve spine. So why the difference?

From a biomechanical perspective, the c-curve (flexed spine + posterior pelvic tilt) places the anterior core muscles in a more advantageous position to work. That’s often the goal in Pilates: to intentionally target those core muscles.

In yoga, boat pose is more commonly taught with a “neutral spine” and a lifted chest. Why? In my experience, it’s usually one of two reasons:

🔹Aesthetic bias – We’ve inherited a cultural preference in yoga for straight lines and upright postures. A neutral spine just looks more yoga-y to our eyes.

🔹Outdated alignment beliefs – Some instructors still teach that a neutral spine is always "safer" or more "correct" than spinal flexion, which we now know isn’t supported by current evidence.

So which one is “right”?

Honestly… it depends. 🤓

If your goal is to embody yoga’s classic V-shape the way it appears in yoga books, a neutral spine might serve you best.

If your goal is to challenge your anterior core and emphasize spinal flexion, a c-curve could be more effective.

Different alignments support different intentions, and neither one is inherently better or worse.

✨ Bonus fun fact: Even if you *try* to keep a neutral spine in boat pose, research shows that your lumbar spine will *still flex* in this position due to the mechanics of hip flexion (Howe & Lehman, 2021). So is it worthwhile to idealize a neutral spine in this pose anyway? 🤔

If you're curious about all this and want to see a side-by-side comparison of navasana and the Pilates teaser (with photos), plus a deeper dive into the reasoning behind each spinal position, check out my full blog post on this topic here:

👉 https://jennirawlingsblog.com/blog/boat-pose-in-yoga-vs-pilates-spine-alignment

07/22/2026

This happens all the time on the Jumping Stretching Board 🤣. I’m not positive why, but I have my theories…doesn’t matter…I love it!

07/01/2026

Sometimes ya just gotta

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05/17/2026

So many people always ask me why I start this way in my Barre classes.

05/14/2026

Even if I had a gazillion dollars, I would still be doing exactly what I’m doing. Every day I am grateful to be able to teach , ®️ , and . Ok, if I had a gazillion dollars, I would probably take more vacations.