Every asana, every movement in yoga is the response of our body to everything that happens inside and outside. That is why it is so necessary to know the effect that postures have on our body. That is why it is essential to know about anatomy.

Anatomy is the science dedicated to the study of the macroscopic structures of the human corps. To perform each yoga posture is necessary to understand and know the anatomy of our body.

For yoga teachers, knowing about anatomy is a must. Yoga teachers who can understand and apply these concepts of movement, body mechanics, and its effects in their classes will be reaching a high level of the teaching realm.

In addition to moving, muscles have many other functions:

– They stabilize the joints and, therefore, the posture of the body.

– They carry out the conversion of chemical energy into mechanical energy.

– They give us valuable information about the physiological state of the organism.

– Their mobility increases blood circulation and lymphatic drainage.

– They are in charge of giving us information about the space we occupy through specific sensors called proprioceptive.

Why is anatomy applied to yoga so important?

Profound knowledge of biomechanics and human anatomy allows us to:

–              Enrich our practice, recognizing the signals that the body sends us to set limits and advance without injury.

–              To have a global vision of the human body instead of partitioned. We will think for example of muscle chains, agonists and antagonists, instead of thinking of hamstrings only as hamstrings.

–              Design sequences efficiently, paying particular attention to combining sequence postures through safe transitions.

–              Learn the risks involved in some postures and the most common injuries in the practice of yoga to assist students safely.

–              Be able to prescribe asanas to improve strength, flexibility, provide muscular and joint relief, improve postural, and structural imbalances.

–              Adapt postures and teach different variations individually to beginning students, advanced students, and injured students.

In conclusion, the training of yoga teachers never end. It is necessary to remain students and continue learning to refine and update our teaching.

Going deeper into anatomy helps us understand that not all bodies are the same, that not everyone responds in the same way. For example, different yoga styles have different approaches to adjustment of student’s poses.

Remember that our body deserves care and respect to perfect the movements. Yoga is not about physical poses, so, know your biomechanics, take your time, be consistent, and your practice will be worthy.