Functional Anatomy (50hrs)

Anatomical Variation, Flexibility vs. Skeletability, Functional Anatomy

Anatomy is still quite often an underexposed part of many yoga teacher training programs. Even while yoga teachers are continually involved with the movement of the human body. In all my classes, workshops, and training modules I work according to the functional approach of yoga practice. This means that performing the various poses is not the goal in itself, but only a means to an end. The goal of the practice or the goal of a certain pose can be different. So it is not about what a pose may look like, but about how the pose feels in your body. In a functional approach to yoga, there is no such thing as a ‘perfect pose’. Every hand and foot position either helps or inhibits your ability to stress the target areas. The most effective way to do this varies from person to person.

The basic principle lies in the notion that every body is unique. Everyone has their own unique bone structure. That means that the most effective way to stress the target area may vary from person to person. That is why I work with very general cues because the use of very specific alignment cues will cause a certain amount of the students to force their bodies into a shape that at the very least may prevent them from hitting the target area but could also create a substantial risk of being injurious.

“What is medicine to one person, can be poison for another.” -Jo Phee

Everyone will naturally be ‘good’ in certain types of postures and less ‘good’ in others. On the one hand, this has to do with the level of flexibility in the soft tissues in the body. Flexibility can be influenced by practice. Practice and all is coming. On the other hand, it has to do with skeletability: the shape and proportion of your bones that will determine when you will hit compression. And once you hit compression, you can practice as much as you like, but unless you can change the shape of your bones, you won’t be able to change anything about that. So the challenge lies in learning to know the difference between flexibility and compression.

“It’s not your truth until you’ve experienced it.” -Kabir

Deze training niet puur theoretisch, we gaan de opgedane kennis direct in de praktijk brengen en aan den lijve ondervinden hoe verschillende lichamen reageren in diverse houdingen.

Functional Anatomy

Functional Yoga

Skeletal Segments

Myofascial Groups

Skeletal Variation

Skeletability

About Joints

Anatomical Study

Shoulders

Spine

Hips

Knees

Ankles

Arms

Anatomy 101

Muscles

Tendons

Ligaments

Connective Tissue

Bones

Joints

Practical Anatomy

Compression

Posture Lab

Human Specimens

Peer Review

Yoga Pose Analysis

Common Dysfunctions