Yoga Anatomy

Notes

It can be a challenge to lift the arms in this relationship to gravity, with the spine in exten-
sion. If the latissimus dorsi are used to extend the spine (rather than the deeper, intrinsic
spinal muscles), they will inhibit the movement in the arms.
This position of the legs uses a complex interaction among adductors, medial rotators,
and hip extensors. This is because many of the muscle actions that lift and support the
body in this position create other actions that must be neutralized by opposing or syner-
gistic muscles. For example, because the gluteus maximus, a powerful hip extensor, also
externally rotates the legs, it’s preferable to use the hamstrings for hip extension. People will
have different priorities, or challenges, depending on where they start and their preexisting
patterns of strength and weakness as well as flexibility and tightness.

Breathing

To rock, or not to rock? All the weight of the body is brought to bear on the abdomen in
this variation. While holding the pose for several breaths, the body rocks back and forth
with the action of the diaphragm if the primary breathing pattern is belly breathing. An
interesting challenge is to keep from rocking, which necessitates a release in the thoracic
structures and diaphragm, allowing the floor to push into the abdomen, rather than the
abdomen to push into the floor.

Muscular joint actions

Spine

Concentric contraction

To extend spine:

Spinal extensors

Upper limbs

Concentric contraction

To upwardly rotate and elevate scapula:

Serratus anterior

To stabilize shoulder joint:

Rotator cuff

To flex shoulder:

Anterior deltoid, biceps brachii (long head)

To extend elbow:

Triceps brachii

To pronate forearm:

Pronator quadratus and teres

Lower limbs

Concentric contraction

To extend, adduct, and internally rotate hip:

Hamstrings, adductor magnus, gluteus

maximus

To extend knee:

Vastii

To plantar flex ankle:

Soleus