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Tuesday Yoga Giveaway: Daily Bandha Mat Companion Set
Posted on March 8th, 2011
Question: Do you know what your piriformus muscle does? How much of an impact does anatomical knowledge have on your yoga practice?
The answer to the first question, if you don’t know it, is this: Your piriformus muscles externally rotate and abduct the hip. They’re active in baddhakonasana, aka butterfly pose.
Want to learn more great anatomical insights? With the help of the Dr. Ray Long and the crew over at Daily Bandha we’ve got you covered. This week’s giveaway is The Mat Companion series, four books written by Dr. Long—certified orthopedic surgeon and the founder of Bandha Yoga. The set is a comprehensive learning tool, providing a guided visual narrative through the anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology of Hatha yoga.
You’ll get clear, step-by-step instructions to help you master the science behind the asana of Hatha yoga. Each book is made easy-to-understand with the help of over 1200 full-color anatomical images, and the books include the Bandha Yoga Codex, a five-step process you can use to improve your strength, flexibility and precision in asanas. The Mat Companion series is an incredibly insightful resource for yoga teachers and yoga practitioners looking to inspire and empower their practice.
About Ray Long, MD, FRCSC.
Ray Long MD FRCSC is a board certified orthopedic surgeon and the founder of Bandha Yoga. Ray graduated from The University of Michigan Medical School with post-graduate training at Cornell University, McGill University, The University of Montreal and Florida Orthopedic Institute. He has studied Hatha yoga for over twenty years, training extensively with B.K.S. Iyengar and other leading yoga masters.
Win the Daily Mat Companion set!
DailyBandha.com is giving one My Yoga Online community member the entire Daily Mat companion set, issues 1-4.
How to Enter:
Just add your answer to the following question to the comments section below: How much of an impact does anatomical knowledge have on your yoga practice?
With apologies to our international friends, this prize giveaway is only available within North America (USA and Canada).
Enter on Facebook, too! Join your My Yoga Online community on Facebook and enter to win there, too.
Share the love.
Tell your friends about this great giveaway. Just click SHARE at the top of this post.
The fine print: Click here to read the official contest rules. By submitting a comment on this blog or commenting on or ‘liking’ the Facebook post, you agree to the official contest rules.
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I live in a very isolated
area and through your page I have been able to re-discover yoga and I
am happy that I could integrate it again in my life. I love the videos
for beginners and I specially...
astrida
Being in a teacher training for Hatha and Vinyasa Yoga, I can't get enough learning about every aspect of the yoga life and anatomical knowledge is a primordial part of learning how to teach yoga. It permits me to help students deepen poses, be aware of the health benefits and warn them about injury risks. I'm very thankful for Ray Long's and bandhayoga.com's team dedicated work
about a year ago
txkat
Being new to yoga, I think it is imperative to understand the anatomy of each pose to avoid injury and to reach a deeper level in your practice. Understanding the goal position in each pose allows me to work towards the final position of each pose.
about a year ago
meegosh25
anatomical knowledge profoundly impacts my practice. Understanding and being able to visualize the anatomy of the pose allows me to appreciate and benefit from it in a deeper way. it also makes me more confident in my practice.
about a year ago in Toronto, CA
dani79
Anatomical knowledge has a significant impact on my yoga practice. Yoga has been an integral part of healthy and balanced living for me and knowing specifics about anatomy has helped me safely tailor my practice throughout both my pregnancies as well as recovery from injuries.
about a year ago in calgary, CA
douglas47
Anatomical knowledge is essential to going deeper into poses safely. When I share this knowledge with my yoga students, they are amazed at how much it helps them. They are learning the Sanskrit names of the poses, and the Yamas and Niyamas, right along with the theory of reciprical inhibition, and knowledge of muscle spindle stretch receptors!
about a year ago
inhabityoga
Having the knowledge of anatomy is imperative in so many ways. Knowing and listening to your own body's needs can help you achieve a successful practice. I have a very annoying lower back issue that is not getting any better as I age. This is the reason I started to do yoga. When I first started, I was just doing any pose and sequence because it was yoga. The more I have educated myself on my anatomy the more beneficial my practice has become. In the past some of the poses I was doing were ones that I should not have been doing. It also made me realize what other poses I can do to work other parts of my body that will help support my back. It may sound so simple, but it isn't. The human body is truly amazing and it needs to be respected with patients and education. Yoga practice is equally amazing and like the human body, there is much to learn about. Never stop learning.
about a year ago in Chesapeake, US
indira69
The knowledge of anatomy in yoga poses allows me to go deeper in special asanas and get more flexibility. Above all, a good Yoga Teacher have to know anatomy - especially in the asanas. For my lessons it is important to instruct my people while explaining, which muscle and ankle are participated in which asanas! It helps to get the mind-body connection that we will reach during Yoga lessons!
I just ordered the Hip Openers and Forward Bends and now I hope, I will get the other Mat Companion! The book is more than helpful to create a wonderful asana lesson with a lot of hints and background information.
about a year ago
kirtania
Knowledge of anatomy is important, but I think combining an understanding of anatomy and biomechanics is the only way I can really serve my students effectively. They have to be able to access the areas I'm describing, then figure out what to do in order to align themselves and feel the benefits of the practice. So I think it's key as a yoga teacher that I have a solid understanding that I can articulate in an accessible way for my students. So while it's critically important to know anatomy, it's more important to know it and be able to make it do-able so students feel empowered, safe and better when they leave my classes.
about a year ago
yogainmiddletown
I would not be able to teach yoga if I did not have a thorough knowledge of anatomy and kinesiology. It helps me to see my students more clearly.
I fee that it is imperative for teaching yoga. It also informs my own practice. Learning about the human body inspires a sense of awe for nature's deep intelligence which leads to spiritual awakening.
The study of anatomy is never ending. It is a language.
about a year ago
yogafityogini
If I understand the joint and muscle actions that are occurring in an asana, I can find more intensity in each pose. I can share this knowledge with my students, allowing them to find their most blissful expression of a given pose. Also, this information allows me and my students to remain safe in each pose.
about a year ago
nicolabourke
The more I increase my anatomical knowledge, the more I open up each pose and practise it a little more deeply, peeling off the layers to get to the essence of the pose, rather than just making a shape.
I have developed a fascination with anatomy and a thirst to learn more about how my body really works, amazed that I have lived in it for so long without knowing it truly!
So yes, a large impact!
about a year ago
angeadhglas
I am new to yoga and have a history of injuries. Now that I am becoming more aware of anatomy and learning my body's old injurious substitution patterns, I am able to practice with less pain.
about a year ago