ANATOMY FOR YOGA

Body Systems

Nervous - The nervous system is the master controlling and

communicating system of the body. Every thought, action, and
emotion reflects its activity.

Cardiovascular or circulatory system The heart acts as the

central organ of this pumping system which delivers vital
nutrients, oxygen and other chemicals to cells and takes out the
garbage carbon dioxide and other waste products.

Immune - The defense system against foreign substances.

Without the immune system, we would die immediately from
foreign bacteria, viruses, fungi.

Respiratory - Supplies the body with oxygen.

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Body Systems

Reproductive - Allows for the continuation of the human

species.

Endocrine Controls the body along with the nervous system.

Uses hormones to stimulate the metabolic activities of the cells.

Circulatory system Delivers vital nutrients, oxygen and other

chemicals to cells.

Dermal Skin; purpose is protection.

Digestive Breakdown of food (solids and liquids) for nutrients.

Urinary Cleans blood and regulates the amount of water in

the body.

Musculoskeletal Provides movement against gravity.

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Body Systems

Locations of Structures
Terms used to describe the location of a structure and
its position relative to another structure

Medial: closer to midline

Lateral: away from midline

Proximal: closer to trunk or

midline

Distal: away from midline

Superior: above or toward

head

Inferior: below or away from

head

Anterior: toward front of

body

Posterior: Toward back of

body

Superficial: towards the skin

Deep: Inside the body

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Anatomical Terms

Lateral
Border

Medial
Border

The sternum is anterior to

the vertebral column

The hip is inferior to the

chest

The femur is proximal to the

tibia

The radius is on the lateral

side of the arm

Positions of the Body

General Posture Classifications

Standing
Seated
Kneeling
Prone (on belly)
Supine (on back)

Special Posture Classifications

Inversion
Extension
Balancing

The Skeleton

Contains 206 Bones

Protects the organs

Provides a way for soft

tissues such as ligaments,
joint capsules, tendons and
posture muscles to hold the
form upright against the force
of gravity acting upon it

Serves as a place for muscles

to attach, and provides the
leverage that moves the body
through space

Produces blood cells

Stores minerals
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The Axial Skeleton

The bones
constituting the
head and trunk of
the body.

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The Appendicular Skeleton

The extremities, i.e.

the arms and the
legs.

The appendicular
skeleton includes
the hip/pelvic bone
and the shoulder
girdle (clavicle and
scapula).
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The Vertebral (Spinal)

Column

Surrounds and protects

the spinal cord (central
energy channel, aka
sushumna)

Axis around which

yoga poses revolve

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Spinal Curves

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Movements of the Spine

Forward

Backward

Lateral (side to side)

Rotation (twist)

Axial Extension

Axial Compression

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Joints

Joints occur
where two bones
meet.

Joints make the

skeleton flexible
without them,
movement would
be impossible

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Ligaments

Ligaments attach bone to bone.

Be mindful of stretching ligaments.

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Muscles

More than 600

muscles comprising
about 40% of our
body weight
Move bones and
stabilize body
positions
Store and move
substances in our
body
Muscle states:
contracted, relaxed or
stretched
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Muscle Related Terms

Origin proximal attachment of the muscle to the

bone

Insertion distal attachment of the muscle to the

bone

Agonist (prime mover) muscle that contracts to

produce a certain action about the joint.

Antagonist muscle that relaxes while the agonist

contracts.

Synergist muscle that assists and fine-tunes the

action of the agonist.
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Muscle Related Terms

Flexion bending or folding; flexor muscles generally fold

the body forward

Extension stretching out; extensor muscles stretch the

body as in bending backwards

Abduction taking or drawing away; movement to the side

by one muscle moving away from another

Adduction drawing inward; sideways movement opposite

of abduction

Rotation turning round, like a wheel; movement around

the axis of a bone
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Muscle Contraction

Concentric contraction - muscles shorten while

generating force.

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Muscle Contraction

Eccentric contraction - the force opposing

the contraction of the muscle is greater than
the force produced by the muscle

Example: protect joints from damage while

lowering heavy weight

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Muscle Contraction

Isometric contraction - muscle generates force

without changing length

Example: Muscles of the hand and forearm grip an object;

the joints of the hand do not move, but the muscles
generate sufficient force to prevent the object from being
dropped.

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Tendons

Attach muscles to
bones

Transmit forces
produced by the
muscles to move
joints

Limited capability
to stretch and do
not contract
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Stretching Muscles

Static Stretching

Active contracting antagonist muscles to stretch a

target muscle.

Example: Contracting quads, psoas and biceps in

paschimottanasana (seated forward fold) to stretch
hamstrings

Passive relaxing into a stretch using the force of the

body weight to stretch a muscle.

Example: Restorative setu bandahasana (bridge) with block

to stretch psoas
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Stretching Muscles

Facilitated Stretching
PNF proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation

Example: Contract-Relax hamstring stretch

Dynamic Stretching
Repetitive movement of the body into increasingly
deeper stretches.
Example: Vinyasa practice

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Be Well

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ANATOMY FOR YOGA

Part II

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Key Hip Muscles

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Iliopsoas (Hip Flexor)

Origin: Lumbar 1-5

Insertion: Inside top of

femur

Action: Thigh flexor

Strengthen: Utthita
Trikonasana (triangle)

Stretch: Ustrasana (camel),

Setu Bandhasana (bridge)

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Iliopsoas

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Gluteus:

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Gluteus

Origin: Pelvic bone crest

Insertion: Max rear of

femur and IT band; Med
and Min side of femur

Action: Max extends and

externally rotates hip; Med
and Min abducts and
internally rotates hips

Strengthen: Max
Purvottanasana (reverse
plank); Med and Min Urdhva Dhanurasana
(backbend)

Stretch: Max Utthanasana

(forward fold); Med and Min
Padmasana (lotus)

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Gluteus

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Piriformis

Origin: Front of sacrum

Insertion: Top of femur

Action: Externally rotates

and abducts hips

Strengthen:
Padagusthasana (big toe
pose)

Stretch: Marichyasana
(pose dedicated to Marichi)

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Piriformis

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Adductors

Origin: Front part of pubic

bone

Insertion: Inside of femur

from hip to knee

Action: Adduction, hip

flexion, lateral rotation of
thigh

Strengthen: Supta baddha

konasana (side crane)

Stretch: Upavistha
konasana (wide angle
seated forward fold)

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Adductors

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Quadriceps

Origin: Rectus front point

of illium; Vatus group
upper portion of femur

Insertion: Upper portion of

patella

Action: Extends leg and

flexes thigh

Strengthen: Utthanasana
(forward fold)

Stretch: Natarajasana (lord

of the dance pose)

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Quadriceps

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Hamstrings

Origin: Ischial tuberosity

Insertion: Sides of tibia on

the back

Action: Flex the knee,

extend the thigh

Strengthen: Virabhadrasana
I & II (warrior I & II)

Stretch: Parsvokonasana
(side angle)

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Hamstrings

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Trunk Muscles

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Abdominals

Origin: Ribs

Insertion: Upper edges of

illium and pubic bones

Action: Rectus holds rib

cage and pubis together,
gives anterior support to
lumbar spine; Obliques
flex, rotate and side-bend
trunk; Transverse
supports lumbar, assists in
forcing air from lungs

Strengthen: Navasana
(boat), Chaturanga (plank)

Stretch: Urdhva Mukha

Svanasana (upward dog)
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Abdominals

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Abdominals

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Erector Spinae
(Extensor Spinae)

Origin: Posterior iliac crest

and sacrum

Insertion: Angles of ribs,

transverse and spinous
processes of the vertebrae

Action: Extends the

vertebral column

Strengthen: Prone
extensions, i.e.
bhujangansana (cobra),
salambhasana (locust)

Stretch: Uttanasana
(forward fold)

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Erector Spinae

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Quadratus Lumborum

Origin: Illiac crest

Insertion: Last rib

Action: Lateral flexion of

vertebral column, extension
of lumbar vertebral column,
fixes ribs with forced
expriation

Strengthen: Urdhva
Dhanurasana (backbends
and extensions)

Stretch: Janu sirsasana

(forward bend with twist or
side bend)
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Quadratus Lumborum

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Latissimus Dorsi

Origin: Spinous processes of

six lower thoracic and 5
lumbar vertebrae and
posterior iliac crest

Insertion: Twist to insert into

the humerus just below the
shoulder

Action: Extension, adduction,

transvers extension, and
internal rotation of the
shoulder joint. Synergistic
role in extension and lateral
flexion of the lumbar spine.

Strengthen: Urdhva mukha

svanasana (upward dog)

Stretch: Adho mukha

svanasana (downward dog)

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Latissimus Dorsi

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Trapezius

Origin: Upper base of skull along the

spine to C7; Middle spinous processes
of T1-T5; Lower spinous processes TT12

Insertion: Upper latter third of clavicle

and acromion process; Middle upper
border of spine and scapula; Lower
medial third of spine and scapula

Action: Upper adducts and rotates

scapula, laterally flexes neck and head;
Middle adducts and slightly elevates
scapula; Lower rotates scapula, helps
maintain spinal extension

Strengthen: Upper shoulder shrugs,

Urdhva dhanurasana (backbend); Middle
and lower Tolasana (scale pose)

Stretch: Upper - Tolasana

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Trapezius

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Pectoralis Major

Origin: Clavicular front

surface of sternal half of
clavicle; Sternal sternum
and adjacent parts of upper 7
ribs

Insertion: Sternal and

clavicular top of humerus
under front edge of deltoid

Action: Adducts and medially

rotates the humerus and
draws the scapula anteriorly
and inferiorly

Strengthen: Chaturanga
dandasana (low plank)

Stretch: Purvottanasana
(reverse plank)
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Pectoralis Major

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Key Shoulder Muscles

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Rhomboids

Origin: Spinous proceses of

C7 and T1-T5

Insertion: Medial border of

scapula

Action: Adducts the scapula

Strengthen: Virabhadrasana
II (warrior II), Marichyasana
I (pose dedicated to the
sage)

Stretch: Balasana with

threaded arm (childs pose)

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Rhomboids

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Serratus

Origin: Outer surface of

upper 9 ribs

Insertion: Inner surface of

scapula along the medial
edge nearest the spine

Action: Stabilizes and

abducts the scapula
preventing the medial
border from winging during
a push up.

Strengthen: Utthita
trikonasana (triangle)

Stretch: Utthita trikonasana

(opposite side)
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Serrates

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Deltoids

Origin: Clavicle and spine of

scapula

Insertion: Side of humerus

Action: Abducts the

shoulders, flexes and
extends the arm

Strengthen:
Virabhadrasana II

Stretch: Purvottanasana
(reverse plank), Urdhva
dhanurasana (backbend)

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Deltoids

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Rotator Cuff

Combination of 4 muscles

Strengthen and Stretch:

Gomukhasana arms (cow
face)

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Rotator Cuff

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Biceps

Origin: Short head

scapula, top of coracoid
process; Long head top of
scapula at joint

Insertion: Radius and deep

fascia

Action: Flexes and

supinates forearm. Active
when shoulder is flexed.

Strengthen: Shoulder stand

Stretch: Adho mukha

vrksasana (handstand)
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Biceps

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Triceps

Origin: Top rear of humerus,

outer edge of scapula, rear
of humerus above elbow

Insertion: Ulna below elbow

Action: Extends forearm

Strengthen: Pincha
mayurasana (forearm
stand)

Stretch: Gomukhasana
(cow face)

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Triceps

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Sternocleidomastoid

Origin: Top of sternum and

first 3rd of clavicle

Insertion: Mastoid process of

skull, at the back of head,
behind ears

Action: Muscles working

together flex head. One side
only rotates head and draws
it to the shoulder.

Strengthen: Jalandhara
bandha, Utthita trikonasana
lower side contracts, upper
side lengthens

Stretch: Ustrasana (camel),

Purvottanasana (upward
plank), Urdhva dhanurasana
(backbend)

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Sternocleidomastoid

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Be well

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