2019-02-01_Australian_Yoga_Journal

57

february/march 2019

yogajournal.com.au

ANATOMY

your practice

Torso and shoulder anatomy

(a broad scapular stabilizer that

fans from the underside of the

shoulder blade out to the ribs)

and among your external and

internal intercostals (muscles

between your ribs).

Several fascial qualities are

enhanced in this sequence:

tensile strength, adaptability,

glide, kinesthesia (your

movement sense), fl uidity, and

prerequisites for elasticity. When

you actively lengthen a muscle,

you also tension the associated

fascia like an elastic band. When

you stretch the elastic band, you

increase its tensile strength and

make the tissue more resistant

and stable. View the active

lengthening in a side bend,

then, as a way to strengthen your

fascia while improving your

muscular fl exibility. Think of it as

myofascial strength in length.

Fascial layers also glide against

one another, or they can adhere

because of lack of movement or

injury. In spiralling or other

multidimensional movements,

fascial glide is promoted to

gradually free the tissue and

potentially improve your overall

ease of movement.

Keep in mind that functional

anatomy is complex, and the

more multidimensional the

exercises, the more intricate and

variable the interplay of muscles

and fascia. Also, some of the

benefi ts are due to the

combination of movements, not

an individual exercise. This

sequence as a whole mobilizes

more than 100 joints in your

upper body, which is not only

important for your fl exibility but

also enables you to take deeper

breaths and adapt more readily

when reaching, twisting, and

bending. Whatever style of yoga

you practice or teach, make sure

that the spine and ribs are moved

multidimensionally. I encourage

you to try the exercises over the

page on their own or incorporate

them into your asana practice

(they make a great addition to

Sun Salutations) to become a

more skilled and adaptable

mover.

DELTOID

SERRATUS

ANTERIOR

INTERCOSTALS

DIAPHRAGM

PSOAS

MAJOR

ILIACUS

EXTERNAL

OBLIQUE

INTERNAL

OBLIQUE

TRANSVERSUS
ABDOMINIS

RECTUS

ABDOMINIS

SUPRASPINATUS

INFRASPINATUS

TERES MINOR

ROTATOR CUFF

(SUBSCAPULARIS NOT VISIBLE)