Yoga Anatomy

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbsLower limbs

Extended legFlexed leg

Mild flexion, rotation
of chest toward
extended leg

Scapular abduction and

upward rotation,

shoulder flexion and

adduction, elbow

extension

SI joint nutation, hip

flexion, knee exten-

sion, ankle dorsi-

flexion

SI joint nutation;

hip flexion,

external rota-

tion, and

abduction;

knee flexion;

ankle plantar

flexion; foot

supination

Muscular joint actions

Spine

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To rotate chest to face leg:
Internal oblique (extended leg side); external
oblique, rotatores, multifidi (flexed leg side)

To facilitate rotation and distribute flex-

ion through length of spine by length-

ening eccentrically:

External oblique, rotatores, multifidi

(extended leg side); internal oblique

(flexed leg side)

Upper limbs

Concentric contraction Passively lengthening

To upwardly rotate scapula:
Serratus anterior
To flex and adduct arm:
Anterior deltoid, pectoralis major
To extend elbow:
Triceps brachii

Rhomboids, lower trapezius, latissimus

dorsi

Lower limbs

Extended leg Flexed leg

Concentric
contraction

Passively

lengthening

Concentric

contraction

Passively

lengthening

To maintain knee
extension:
Articularis genu,
vastii
To adduct and inter-
nally rotate:
Pectineus, adductor
longus and brevis

Hamstrings, gluteus

medius and minimus

(posterior fibers), glu-

teus maximus, pirifor-

mis, adductor magnus,

soleus, gastrocnemius

To externally rotate

and abduct hip:

Obturator internus and

externus, quadratus

femoris, piriformis,

superior and inferior

gemellus

To externally rotate

and flex hip and

knee:

Sartorius

To flex knee:

Hamstrings

Adductor

magnus,

longus, and

brevis

(continued)