Yoga Anatomy

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbs Lower limbs

Neutral spine Scapular upward rotation;

shoulder flexion and

adduction; elbow flexion;

neutral forearm, hand, and

finger flexion

Hip adduction and neutral

extension, knee extension,

ankle dorsiflexion

Muscular joint actions

Spine

To calibrate concentric and eccentric

contractions to maintain neutral

alignment of spine:

Spinal extensors and flexors

To balance and stabilize atlanto-axial

and atlanto-occipital joint:

Rectus capitis anterior, rectus capitis posterior

major and minor, obliquus capitis superior

and inferior, longus capitis and colli

Upper limbs

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To upwardly rotate scapula:

Serratus anterior

To stabilize and protect shoulder joint:

Rotator cuff, deltoid

To maintain integrity of hand:

Intrinsic muscles of wrist and hand

To resist elbow flexion:

Triceps brachii

Lower limbs

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To maintain neutral hip extension

and adduction:

Hamstrings, adductor magnus, gluteus

maximus

To adduct hip:

Gracilis

To extend knee:

Articularis genu, vastii

To create dorsiflexion:

Tibialis anterior

To prevent leg falling backward:

Psoas major

Salamba Sirsasana (continued)