Articles About Yoga Anatomy


  • Take Care of Your Tools
    Take Care of Your Tools

    Author Sherry Zak Morris

    What is the most valuable tool that you use every day?  Nope, it is not a screwdriver or a wrench - it is your hands!  You couldn't type, knit, garden or fix your hair without them!  And just like every carpenter and handyman knows - you need to take good care of your tools so when you go to use them they are ready and reliable! 
  • The Principles of Tensegrity
    The Principles of Tensegrity

    Author Sarah Manwaring-Jones

    Tensegrity is a term that was first described by Buckminster Fuller as an architectural term.  It is defined as a balance of discontinuous compression elements, which are connected by continuous tension forces, which allow any system to exist in balance. Expressed in a living form, Dr. Stephen Levine defined it, biotensegrity.  In our case, as human beings, the fascial matrix and muscles form the system of tension and the bones float within the matrix creating relationships of discontinuous compression that connect through the whole system. 
  • Happy Knees In Warrior I
    Happy Knees In Warrior I

    Author Becca Kocher

    The knees are one of the most commonly injured joints. Even in yoga, which doesn’t cause a lot of impact, the knees can be very vulnerable to injury. Since the knees are a weight bearing joint (and a very important part of walking!), it’s important to keep them healthy and injury free.
  • What Really Happens in Hip Openers
    What Really Happens in Hip Openers

    Author Dr. Robin Armstrong

    One of the most common requests heard in a yoga class is “hip openers today please.” This request is usually followed by the other half of the class groaning. We love to hate hip openers yet our bodies crave them and often feel lighter and more open after—for good reason. The majority of us sit for most of our days, shortening the hip flexors at the front of the hip (psoas, rectus femoris, sartorius) and tightening the hip rotators (piriformis, obturator internus, gamellus, to name a few). 
  • The Enigma that is the Shoulder
    The Enigma that is the Shoulder

    Author Dr. Robin Armstrong

    The shoulder is one of the most misunderstood joints of the body. It can be susceptible to injury in yoga because we often demand a great deal of work from it that it is not designed to do. It has been a long time since we walked on all fours, but in yoga we act like our arms are intended to bear weight just as our legs are. This is not the case. In fact the shoulder is not really one joint, but a complex that includes three joints
  • The Anatomy of Pranayama: Understanding Our Breath
    The Anatomy of Pranayama: Understanding Our Breath

    Author Robin Armstrong

    Breathing is a simple act we have performed since the moment we were born, but for many of us only becomes illuminated within our yoga practice. We might go all day without noticing our breath until the moment we come to the mat – and observe.  Of all the functions of our body, the act of breathing is one of the most fascinating. It is completely subconscious yet we can exert conscious control. It is a muscular act, yet one also controlled by the laws of science that govern molecules of gas. It sustains our life, nourishes our organs, helps expel waste from our body, and can affect our emotional state by acting on our nervous system. Understanding exactly how our body performs this extraordinary act can bring us deeper into our pranayama (breathing) practice.
  • Self-Love Yoga for Your Feet
    Self-Love Yoga for Your Feet

    Author Sarah Manwaring-Jones

    Start by giving your feet some fresh air. Even walk around in bare feet (nice to wear your joy-a-toes if you have them) outside and feel the earth touching your bare skin. Breathe. Give your feet whole hearted permission to feel good.