Yoga Anatomy

Muscular joint actions

Spine

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To rotate chest to side:

Internal oblique (back leg side); external

oblique (front leg side)

To rotate head toward ceiling:

Rectus capitis posterior, obliquus capitis

inferior, longus capitis and colli, splenius

capitis (back leg side); sternocleidomas-

toid, upper trapezius (front leg side)

To resist side bending into gravity:

Quadratus lumborum, latissimus dorsi, spinal

muscles (back leg side)

Upper limbs

Upper arm

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To upwardly rotate, abduct, and elevate

scapula:

Serratus anterior

To extend elbow:

Triceps brachii, anconeus

To extend arm to overhead without falling

into gravity:

Rotator cuff, teres major, latissimus dorsi

Lower limbs

Front leg Back leg

Concentric

contraction

Eccentric

contraction

Concentric

contraction

Eccentric

contraction

To abduct hip:

Gluteus medius and

minimus, pirifor-

mis, obturator

externus, superior

and inferior gemel-

lus

To allow hip and

knee flexion and

ankle dorsiflexion

without collapsing

into gravity:

Gluteus maximus,

hamstrings at hip

joint, vastii, soleus,

intrinsic and extrin-

sic muscles of foot

To extend and abduct

hip:

Gluteus medius and

minimus, ham-

strings at hip joint,

piriformis, obtura-

tor externus, supe-

rior and inferior

gemellus

To extend knee:

Articularis genu,

vastii

To maintain arches of

foot without inhib-

iting dorsiflexion

of ankle:

Intrinsic muscles of

foot

To support inner

knee:

Gracilis

To allow outer ankle

to lengthen with-

out collapsing

inner knee or inner

foot:

Peroneals

Utthita Parsvakonasana (continued)