Yoga Anatomy

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbsLower limbs

Lifted arm Standing legLifted leg

Neutral spine, level
pelvis

Shoulder flexion and

slight adduction,

elbow extension,

finger flexion

Neutral hip exten-

sion, neutral knee

extension

Hip flexion and slight

adduction to mid-

line, neutral knee

extension, neutral

ankle dorsiflexion

Muscular joint actions

Spine

To calibrate concentric and eccentric
contractions to maintain neutral
alignment of spine:
Spinal extensors and flexors

Concentric contraction

To counter rotation in torso from pull of arm:

Rotatores, transversospinalis, external

and internal oblique

Upper limbs

Lifted arm

Concentric contraction

To stabilize, flex, and slightly adduct
shoulder joint:
Rotator cuff, coracobrachialis, pectoralis
minor, anterior deltoid, biceps brachii
(short head)

To grasp big toe:

Flexors of hand and fingers

Lower limbs

Standing leg Lifted leg

Concentric
contraction

Eccentric

contraction

Concentric

contraction

Passively

lengthening

To keep knee in
neutral extension
and balance on
single leg:
Articularis genu,
quadriceps, ham-
strings, intrinsic
and extrinsic mus-
cles of foot and
lower leg

To allow lateral shift

of pelvis over

standing foot for

balance and to

keep pelvis level:

Gluteus medius and

minimus, pirifor-

mis, superior and

inferior gemellus,

tensor fasciae latae

To flex hip and

slightly adduct leg

toward midline:

Psoas major, iliacus,

rectus femoris,

pectineus, adduc-

tor brevis and

longus

Gluteus maximus,

hamstrings, gas-

trocnemius, soleus

(continued)