Yoga Anatomy

Muscular joint actions

Spine

Alternating concentric
and eccentric contractions Concentric contraction

To maintain neutral alignment of spine:
Spinal extensors and flexors

To rotate chest to side:

External oblique (front leg side); internal

oblique (back leg side)

To rotate head toward front leg:

Rectus capitis posterior, obliquus capitis infe-

rior, longus capitis and colli, splenius capitis

(front leg side); sternocleidomastoid, upper

trapezius (back leg side)

Upper limbs

Concentric contraction Passively lengthening

To abduct scapula:
Serratus anterior
To stabilize and abduct shoulder joint:
Rotator cuff, biceps brachii (long head),
deltoid
To pronate forearm:
Pronator quadratus and teres

Pectoralis major and minor (particularly

in back arm)

Lower limbs

Front leg Back leg

Concentric
contraction

Eccentric

contraction

Concentric

contraction

Eccentric

contraction

To abduct hip:
Gluteus medius
and minimus

To abduct hip and

allow hip flexion

without collapsing

into gravity:

Gluteus maximus,

piriformis, obturator

externus, superior

and inferior gemellus

To allow hip and knee

flexion and ankle

dorsiflexion without

collapsing into grav-

ity:

Hamstrings at hip

joint, vastii, soleus,

intrinsic and extrinsic

muscles of foot

To extend and

abduct hip:

Gluteus medius

and minimus,

hamstrings at hip

joint, piriformis,

obturator exter-

nus, superior and

inferior gemellus

To extend knee:

Articularis genu,

vastii

To maintain arches

of foot without

inhibiting dorsi-

flexion of ankle:

Intrinsic muscles of

foot

To support inner knee:

Gracilis

To allow outer ankle

to lengthen without

collapsing inner

knee or inner foot:

Peroneals

(continued)