SANTA MONICA, Calif. – There are thousands of podcasts out there, but for Aaron Alexander to stand out he likes to start each episode of the Align podcast with a breathing exercise and jumping into the cold plunge.  

"It's interesting to share kind of like a reset or a peak experience with people before the conversation, so putting people into a place that's not so common to them," said Alexander.

Getting people out of patterns is something he is all about. Alexander is an accomplished manual therapist and movement coach, as well as the founder of the Align Method.

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"I help people feel more comfortable in their bodies," said Alexander.

 

He does this by teaching others the fundamentals of operating their bodies in their daily life. When the mind-body connection is not just something you focus on when you have carved out times for fitness, but it is present in everything you do.

"Just even starting to be aware of that relationship changes the way you do dishes, it changes the way you drive in your car, it changes the way you use your vision, your eyes, it changes the way that you breathe," said Alexander.

Alexander created his Align Method from personal experience. He started body building 18 years ago, which led to injuries and imbalances.

However, he says you don’t have to be a body builder to feel pain. Many of us are in positions throughout the day that can have a big impact on our wellness.

"When we are buried in our cell phones or our computers or hunched over onto our desk, or stuck in our cars, it's that same position throughout your history as a modern human," said Alexander.

For Alexander, yoga is part of his overall philosophy in the Align Method. Physical movement is just one part of yoga, but meditation, breathing, and awareness are all huge components of the practice.

"The big thing for me with yoga is I'm paying attention to tadasana for example, mountain pose, that's standing. So while you're in your kitchen doing dishes- what we were referring to, that is an opportunity for you to start to do yoga," said Alexander.

One way he keeps himself aligned so he can show up for his clients is through daily acro-yoga practice at Santa Monica Beach.

"I just like community and I like movement and I like being outside and I like taking my shoes off and being in the grass and all that. To me it's almost like a form of health insurance in a way," said Alexander.

As he evolved within himself, he continues to education others on how they can integrate more effective movement into their daily life.

"So that every moment throughout the day you can make a choice of how you want to navigate it, but at least you have the tools," said Alexander.

Keeping your body and mind aligned each day of your life.