Ashtangasana Anatomy Manual

Anatomy (Student’s Manual)

200 hr. Yoga Teacher Training Curriculum

ASHTANGASANA Adriana Elmes MA, 500 E-RYT, RYS

Table of Contents Introduction 5 Chapter 1: Nervous System Basics 7 Three Parts of the Brain – The Triune Brain 8 General Structures of the Brain 9 Branches of the Nervous System 10 Processing Information of the Nervous System 12 Brain, Nerves, and Neurons 12 A Few Types of Neurotransmitters 14 Let’s Talk About Stress 14 Nervous System and Pranayama 16 Nervous System and Meditation 18 Conclusions 18 Bibliography 19 Chapter 2: Anatomy 21 Muscle and Motion Website 22 Asana Theory, Muscular Anatomy & Kinesiology 23 1. Asana – Core Asana – Theory-Ideal Postural Alignment – Median Axis 24 2. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Head Triangle 24 3. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Chest Triangle 25 4. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Navel Triangle 26

ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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5. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Important Emphasis 6. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ventilation, Kinesiology of Ventilation 7. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Timing of Respiration when Performing Rotation 8. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Effects of Vertebral Rotation on Respiration Functions 9. Kinesiology & Skeletal– Torso 10. Kinesiology & Skeletal- Head and Neck 11. Muscular Anatomy – Torso 12. Muscular Anatomy - Head and Neck 13. Kinesiology & Skeletal – Legs 14. Muscular Anatomy– Upper Legs 15. Muscular Anatomy – Lower Legs and Feet 16. Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Function of Core Muscles 17. Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Function of Internal Unit 18. Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Activation of Core Muscles Chapter 3: Asana/Pose Worksheet Tadasana – Mountain Ardha Uttanasana – ½ Forward Fold or Half Standing Forward Bend Kumbhukasana – Plank Urdhva Mukha Svanasana – Downward Facing Dog Uttanasana – Standing Forward Fold Utkatasana – Awkward Chair Utthita Trikonasana – Extended Triangle Parivrtta Trikonasana – Revolved Triangle 2

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ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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Chapter 1: Nervous System Basics

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When we practice or teach yoga, we experience the effects on our muscular and skeletal systems in obvious ways. We experience tension, contraction, stretching, softening of our muscular system. The skeletal system supports our body in all of these poses. Our respiratory system we can experience in deeper ways when we are practicing various pranayama exercises.

Our nervous system is impacted by all these activities either exciting it or calming it. We will start with a general overview of the brain, the regions of the nervous system called central and peripheral nervous systems, and the functional differences between the somatic and autonomic systems.

We will explore how stress impacts this system and how yoga, pranayama, and meditation can support this system.

Three Parts of the Brain – The Triune Brain Paul MacLean, a physician and neuroscientist, explored the evolutionary development of the human brain. He created a model that shows how the human brain evolved from a reptilian brain to our highest-level mammalian brain. Within the structure of our brain, he states, we have a primitive component, called the hindbrain, which is responsible for the basic physical and unconscious functions. This is the reptilian part of our brain. The midbrain, the early mammalian brain, is responsible for memory, emotion, bonding reactions, and fight or flight. One can consider it the emotional part of your brain. The highest level of our brain is the forebrain, or the rational brain. This comprises the neocortex, which is the largest part of the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is the outer layer of the cerebrum. This area is for conscious activities such as reading, Human Brain - Rational Mammalian - Emotional Reptilian - Survival 8

ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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Chapter 2: Anatomy

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Muscle and Motion Website

Understanding anatomy is a fundamental component when learning yoga postures. For us to safely practice and to safely teach asana, we need an understanding of how the muscles and bones connect, engage, stretch, and contract. We need to create space in the body to create movement.

We can do that by understanding how, for example, when the arm externally rotates, we can free the scapulae, to allow for a more effective extension when raising the arms. Or when we cue “slide your shoulder blades down the back”, that we need to tell them how to do that. Asking your students to lower your shoulders from their ears, gently squeeze the space between their shoulder blades, lift through their breastbone. If we have a vocabulary that includes the basic bones and muscles, we can more effectively give cues and adjustments.

If you see someone in Up Dog, sagging in their lower back, we know what that is doing to their spine and also can have a sense of what might be

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ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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4. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Navel Triangle 1. What comprises the navel triangle?

2. What can a weak Navel Triangle cause?

5. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Important Emphasis 1. What does the little guy pull from above?

2. Name 3 yoga poses do they demonstrate to help practice proper triangle alignment?

6. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ventilation, Kinesiology of Ventilation 1. What are the joints that are active when we breathe?

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2. Name 3 active muscles involved in breathing

7. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Timing of Respiration when Performing Rotation 1. What compresses when rotating?

2. Does exhaling or inhaling enhance rotation?

3. When you rotate on an exhale does it feel like? (circle one) a. you are being wrung out like a wet towel b. like a balloon deflating c. someone giving you a raspberry burn

8. Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Effects of Vertebral Rotation on Respiration Functions 1. Do lungs have the independent ability to increase or decrease their volume?

ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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Chapter 3: Asana/Pose Worksheet

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Login to Muscle and Motion website. You have to select Yoga in the upper left banner. The left index, find the “Asanas” section. You can either search via the pose name. There will be a list of Core Asana, Backbends, Forward Bends, Rotation, Standing & Balance, Sitting and Reclining Postures. You can find the poses in the lists or you can search for a specific pose. If you do that, try both the Sanskrit and the English translation.

Please explore each pose and then fill out the questions below.

1. Tadasana – Mountain 1. Mountain pose position usually serves as a starting position for all standing positions, but it should be practiced __________ .

2. Mountain pose is a __________ position.

3. How many triangles are factors in this pose?

2. Ardha Uttanasana – ½ Forward Fold or Half Standing Forward Bend 1. How is their arm position different from what we typically teach?

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ASHTANGASANA: 200 HR. YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CURRICULUM: ANATOMY MANUAL

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Index Symbols ½ Forward Fold 36

A Adho Mukha Vrkrasana 54 Adrenaline 14 Anahatasana 51 Ananda Balasana 51 ANS 11 Ardha Chandrasana 2 43 Ardha Matsyendrasana 52 Ardha Uttanasana 36 Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Activation of Core Muscles 32 Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Function of Core Muscles 31 Asana – Core Asanas – Theory - Core Muscles – Function of Internal Unit 32 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Effects of Vertebral Rotation on Respiration Functions 27 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Chest Triangle 25 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Head Triangle 24 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal

Postural Alignment – Important Emphasis 26 Asana – Core Asana – Theory-Ideal Postural Alignment – Median Axis 24 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Ideal Postural Alignment – Navel Triangle 26 Asana – Core Asana – Theory - Timing of Respiration when Performing Rotation 27 Asana – Core Asana – Theory Ventilation, Kinesiology of Ventilation 26 Asana Theory & Kinesiology 23 autonomic 8, 12, 15 Awkward Chair 39 axon 13

B Baddhakonasana 48 Balasana 53 Bhagerasana 56 Bharadvajasana 52 Bhujangasana 45, 56 Bound Angle Pose 48 Bow 47 Bridge 45

C Camel 46

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