Yoga Anatomy

Notes This pose can be very intense or of great ease. With the arms and legs bound, little work is needed to maintain the positi ...

Ardha Matsyendrasana Half Lord of the Fishes Pose ARD-hah MOTS-yen-DRAHS-anna ardha = half; matsya = fish; indra = ruler, lord S ...

Muscular joint actions Spine Concentric contraction Passively lengthening To maintain extension against pressure of arm: Spinal ...

Notes All parts of the torso can contribute to this twist—both right and left sides of the front and both right and left sides o ...

Gomukhasana Cow-Faced Pose go-moo-KAHS-anna go = cow; mukha = face E5267/Kaminoff/fig7.20a/417718/alw/pulled-r3 Triceps brachii ...

Muscular joint actions Spine To calibrate concentric and eccentric contractions and to maintain neutral alignment of spine: Spin ...

Notes Upward and downward rotation of the scapula needs to precede adduction to avoid over- mobilizing the shoulder joint. If th ...

Hanumanasana Monkey Pose ha-new-mahn-AHS-anna hanumat = having large jaws; a monkey chief Hanuman was the semidivine chief of an ...

Skeletal joint actions Spine Upper limbsLower limbs Front leg Back leg Extension Scapular upward rotation, abduc- tion, and elev ...

Notes In this extreme pose, the forward-bending action in the front leg and pelvic half is countered by the backward-bending act ...

Navasana Boat Pose nah-VAHS-anna nava = boat E5267/Kaminoff/fig7.22/417722/alw/pulled-r1 Vastus lateralis Hamstrings Rectus abdo ...

Muscular joint actions Spine Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction To maintain neutral curves of spine: Spinal extensors ...

This asana is often said to work the abdominal muscles. This is true; however, the abdominal muscles do not pull the body into t ...

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8 CHAPTER KNEELING POSES W hen kneeling, the body’s weight is on the knees, shins, and tops of the feet. Kneeling brings the cen ...

164 Vajrasana Thunderbolt Posture vahj-RAHS-anna vajra = thunderbolt, diamond Virasana Hero’s Posture veer-AHS-anna vira = man, ...

Common skeletal joint actions (for two previous poses) Spine Lower limbs Neutral or axial extension Hip flexion, internal rotati ...

Balasana Child’s Pose bah-LAHS-anna bala = young, childish, not fully grown or developed E5267/Kaminoff/fig8.4a/417730/alw/pulle ...

Notes Gravity draws the yielding body deeper into this position. One goal of this pose is to bring the sitting bones to the heel ...

Supta Virasana Reclining Hero Pose soup-tah veer-AHS-anna supta = reclining, lain down to sleep; vira = a brave or eminent man, ...