Yoga Anatomy

Notes

Shortness in the latissimus dorsi will interfere with lifting the arms overhead.
Overly arching the lumbar spine or overly flexing the hips can happen because of a col-
lapse into gravity. Using the hamstrings to draw the ischial tuberosities (sitz bones) forward
or using the psoas minor to lift the pubic bone can prevent tipping the pelvis too far forward
without necessarily affecting the alignment of the spine.
The knees are very mobile in this position because they are partly flexed.
Gravity, rather than muscles working against each other, should be the main source of
resistance in the pose. This is an interesting pose to explore a balance between effort and
release.

Breathing

Maintaining axial extension (which minimizes breathing shape change) while engaging
the largest, most oxygen-hungry muscles of the body presents a challenge that requires
efficiency of effort and breath.

Skeletal joint actions

Spine Upper limbs Lower limbs

Axial extension Scapular upward rotation,

abduction, and elevation;

shoulder flexion; elbow

extension

Hip flexion, knee flexion,

ankle dorsiflexion

Muscular joint actions

Spine

Concentric contraction

To maintain alignment of spine:

Intertransversarii, interspinalis, transverso-

spinalis, erector spinae

To prevent anterior tilt of pelvis and over-

extension of lumbar spine:

Psoas minor, abdominal muscles

Upper limbs

Concentric contraction

To upwardly rotate, abduct, and elevate

scapula:

Upper trapezius, serratus anterior

To stabilize and flex shoulder joint:

Rotator cuff, coracobrachialis, pectoralis major

and minor, anterior deltoid, biceps brachii

(short head)

To extend elbow:

Anconeus, triceps brachii

Lower limbs

Concentric contraction Eccentric contraction

To resist tendency to widen knee (abduct at

hip):

Gracilis, adductor longus and brevis

To allow hip and knee flexion and ankle dor-

siflexion without collapsing into gravity:

Gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus; ham-

strings at hip joint; vastii; soleus; intrinsic

muscles of foot