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january 2018yogajournal.com.auBy deepening our knowledge of
anatomy and the physiology of
common injuries, we can turn a
simple yoga sequence into a way of
treating the body. Certain joints
within the body are designed to do
certain things depending on the way
they are built. For example, the
shoulder (or glenohumeral joint) is a
ball and socket joint (imagine a golf
ball sitting in a tee), which means it
has a lot of mobility but not much
inherent stability. It therefore relies
on the muscles, ligaments and other
soft tissues to keep it stable. Thus, the
way we work the shoulder to develop
a balance between strength and
mobility is different to what we would
do with the knee. Having a greater
understanding of this allows us to
pick exercises that suit certain people
or modify exercises to suit different
injuries.
When I fi rst happened upon yoga,
I needed it! I’d just opened my own
Physiotherapy practice and was
working a crazy number of hours a
week (and stressing out for many
more). Stress was my middle name.
A friend suggested I try yoga – an
exercise that was equal forms physical
and mental. The only problem was,
as a physio, yoga made me think too
much! I’d focus on the person in front
of me, thinking “oh gosh, if only you
knew the pain you are causing your
patellofemoral (knee cap) joint by
allowing your knee to drift so far
inwards in your Warrior II”. It was
after a few months of this nonsense
that an opportunity to do a 200 hour
Yoga Teacher Training course became
available and I jumped at the idea. I
was excited to learn how to quieten
my mind and change my focus within
my personal yoga practice. However,
the more I studied and the more I
tried my hand at the practical side
of teaching, the more I realised
that my anatomy knowledge and
understanding of pathology became
my secret weapon. I found that it
allowed me to unlock better outcomes
for those who came to my classes.
And for me personally – I suddenly
embraced the chatter in my head and
changed it to focus on my own bod,
allowing me to feel my own
restrictions - both physical and
mental.“I’d focus on the person in
front of me, thinking
‘oh gosh, if only you knew
the pain you are causing
your patellofemoral (knee
cap) joint by allowing your
knee to drift so far inwards
in your Warrior II’. ”