Muscles Archives - Love Yoga Anatomy

Anatomy Body Painting

April 27, 2017

As most of us working in the field of yoga anatomy are aware, memorising muscle attachments is not a particularly useful exercise in and of itself. For one thing, muscles as single entities kind of don’t exist anymore. Owing enormous thanks to the ground-breaking work of manual therapists in the last few decades, we are now starting to fully embrace the holistic model of fascial continuities as the great attenuators of force in the body and to feel the impact…

The Role of the Adductors in Backbends

September 15, 2015

monica gauci

Many yoga practitioners instinctually know to engage their inner thigh muscles (adductors) in backbends to prevent their knees from falling out to the sides. Let’s examine how we can utilise this action to ignite our core, expand our backward arch and experience simultaneously more stability and spaciousness in backbends. The adductor muscles of the inner thigh are part of our axial core.

Putting the Curve Back in Your Neck (Saving Your Neck 3)

March 29, 2015

monica gauci

Although we usually think and talk about muscles as being weak or strong, closer to the truth is that muscles are usually inhibited or facilitated, respectively. Inhibition is when neural input (from our nervous system) to the muscle has been down-regulated. Facilitation is the opposite, when neural input to a muscle is excessive or up-regulated. Facilitated muscles are often those muscles compensating for the loss of input into a movement pattern that should come from the muscle that is inhibited.

Deep Relief for Low Back Pain

May 29, 2014

Doug Keller

By applying these simple principles to your asana practice you can strengthen the hidden muscles that maintain the health of your back.While there are no quick fixes when it comes to low back pain, if you address the root of the problem, treatment can be surprisingly simple.

Beneath the surface

May 28, 2014

Doug Keller

Yes a toned core is great for the bikini season, but when you learn to access the deepest muscles, you will get benefits that are more than just skin deep. It’s almost summer- and chances are good that people all over America want to tone up their tummies, and they’re adding crunches to their routines to do it. But sit-ups alone won’t make a potbelly disappear. In fact, they just might have the reverse effect!

Attached to your mat? Why the yoga mat is undermining your practice

May 5, 2014

Brian Cooper

Much could be written about the psychological significance of rolling out your mat, with its implications of marking out your territory, creating your own space and perhaps saying something about your personality by the size and thickness of your mat. We will leave this for another article and focus on the anatomical error of mat-dependence.

David Keil Interview

April 17, 2014

David Keil

If you are interested in Yoga Anatomy or Ashtanaga you will know about David Keil. With his great and informative Yoga Anatomy website and worldwide workshops. I was like a kid in a toy shop when I got the chance to interview David. Loads of topics were covered with plenty of geeky anatomy talk.

Using hip muscles effectively in yoga practice – bridging and back bending

March 7, 2014

Niki Vetten

Weak Gluteal muscles are very common amongst yoga students and teachers alike and cause Sacroiliac pain and dysfunction, lower back pain and hamstring injury. Causes and symptoms are covered in the article on yoga butt and this post looks at the effects of various hip movement cues taught in yoga.

Muscles – the limited means to asana success

September 21, 2013

Tim Feldmann

When we decide to move our body, in asana practice or in daily life, we most often instantly begin with activating our muscles. We identify movement with activating various muscles. The muscles are the physical system that we mostly rely on to carry out any physical task at hand. So is it in asana practice too. Unfortunately our muscular system is of relative efficiency in complex movement tasks such as asana practice.

Glute Max for Maximum Extension

August 24, 2013

monica gauci

For some the jury is still not out on whether one should or should not engage the gluteus maximus muscle when performing back bending yoga postures.Firstly, let’s have a close look at the functional anatomy of this muscle. Gluteus maximus, commonly known as glute max, is the superficial ‘rump’ muscle of our buttocks. Its prominent, characteristic shape and large size correlate to its powerful role of maintaining our trunk in an upright position. Additionally, gluteus maximus plays an essential role in gait, i.e. walking.

Fascia Karen Kirkness Muscles Yoga anatomy Backbend Biomechanics Monica Gauci QL muscle Quadratus Lumborum Neck Pain Pain Back pain Core Doug Keller Psoas Asana Brian Cooper Christopher Norris Alignment Ashtanga yoga Chaturanga Dandasana David Keil Injuries Marichyasana Sacroiliac joint Glutes Niki Vetten Sacrum Yoga injury Breath Tim Feldmann

Muscles

Anatomy Body Painting

The Role of the Adductors in Backbends

Putting the Curve Back in Your Neck (Saving Your Neck 3)

Deep Relief for Low Back Pain

Beneath the surface

Attached to your mat? Why the yoga mat is undermining your practice

David Keil Interview

Using hip muscles effectively in yoga practice – bridging and back bending

Muscles – the limited means to asana success

Glute Max for Maximum Extension

Ashtanga Primary Series Intensive Non-Linear

Ashtanga Yoga Intermediate Series Intensive Traditional Progression

Teacher Training Pre-Course Study

Stretching for Yoga Series