Anatomy Review
These are a list of questions and answers based on a variety of different anatomy books we have used for Yoga Teacher Training over the years. You may use this as a review of important anatomy information pertaining to yoga posture and breathwork practice.
Q: What is the purpose of the muscular system?
A: The purpose of this system is to move the body and all of its parts.
Q: What is the purpose of the skeletal system?
A: It is the framework that supports and protects soft tissues and internal organs.
Q: Name postures that will open (stretch) each area specified: hips, chest, abdominals, lower back, upper back, shoulders, thighs and hamstrings.
A: Hips – Baddha Konasana (bound angle), Upavishta Konasana (seated angle) & Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (one leg king pigeon pose)
Chest – Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (upward dog), Ushtrasana (camel) & Dhanurasana (bow)
Abdominals – Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow) & Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (supported bridge)
Lower Back – Paschimottanasana (western intense stretch posture) & Uttanasana (intense stretch posture)
Upper Back – Shashankasana (hare), Bidalasana (rounded cat), Balasana (child)
Shoulders – Salamba Sarvangasana (shoulder stand), Halasana (plow) & Prasarita Padottanasana C (wide leg, fingers interlaced)
Thighs – Virasana (hero), Supta Virasana (reclined hero) & Trianga Mukhaikapada Paschimottansana (three limbs face one foot western intense stretch posture)
Hamstrings –Padangustasana (foot to big toe) & Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog)
Q: Name postures that will strengthen each area specified: hips, chest, abdominals, lower back, upper back, shoulders, thighs and hamstrings.
A: Hips – Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana D (extended hand to big toe posture – hands on hips), Goddess or Open Horse Posture & Navasana (boat)
Chest – Plank Posture, Shalabasana (locust) & Dandasana (staff posture)
Abdominals – Navasana (boat), Tolasana (scale pose), Bakasana (crow or crane) & Shalabasana (locust)
Lower Back – Bhjangasana (cobra) & Shalabasana (locust)
Upper Back – Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow) & Purvottanasana (eastern intense stretch posture)
Shoulders – Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose), Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow) & Vasishthasana (pose of the sage Vasishtha)
Thighs – Virabhadrasana (warrior), Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog), Utkatasana (fierce posture) & Goddess or Open Horse Posture
Hamstrings – Virabahdrasana C (balancing warrior), Ardha Shalabasana (half locust) & Purvottanasana (eastern intense stretch posture)
Q: Which muscles are stretched in forward bends (in general)? Which muscles are strengthened? Look these up in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga or the Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga.
A: When practicing a forward bending posture, in general, you are strengthening the front of the body as you stretch the back of the body. For example, in a seated forward bend, the feet are flexed, shins and thighs engaged and navel drawing in – the front of the body is being strengthened. In this same posture, the hamstrings, hip and back muscles are being stretched.
Muscles Strengthened: quadriceps, pelvis, erector-spinae (deep back muscles p. 226) and abdominal muscles
Muscles Stretched: hamstrings and lumbo-sacral spine (lower back)
Q: Which muscles are stretched in backward bends (in general)? Which muscles are strengthened? Look these up in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga or the Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga.
A: When practicing a back bending postures, in general you are strengthening the back of the body as you stretch the front of the body. Backward bends primarily expand and stretch the chest/shoulder girdle and the muscles of the solar plexus, abs, hips, and thighs. The gluteus muscles and back muscles are strengthened.
Muscles Strengthened: gluteus muscles and back muscles
Muscles Stretched: quadriceps, hips, abdominal and chest muscles
Q: Which muscles are stretched in lateral/side bends (in general)? Which muscles are strengthened? Look these up in Anatomy of Hatha Yoga or the Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga.
A: In lateral bends, the torso is stretched from shoulder to hip and the spine is flexed laterally. Lateral bends stretch and strengthen the muscles of the shoulder girdle, hip joints, front of the pelvis, and the inner thighs.
Muscles Strengthened: back muscles
Muscles Stretched: area of torso from shoulder to hip
Muscles both Stretched & Strengthened: muscles of the shoulder girdle, hip joints, front of the pelvis and the inner thighs.
Q: What are 3 benefits of twisting postures?
A: Neutralizing for the spine after forward and backward bending, improves circulation through the body, releases compression in the spine, tones internal organs and abdominal muscles
Q: Explain what the anatomical perineum is. Then, in your own way, explain what the perineum is in yoga cues and common speech (refer to Yoga Anatomy page 14, 1st edition or Anatomy of Hatha Yoga.
A: A diamond-shaped region whose borders are the bottom of the pubic symphysis, the inner borders of the inferior pubic rami and ischial tuberosities, and the sacrotuberous ligaments, which extend between the ischial tuberosities and the inferior tip of the sacrum and coccyx; contains the pelvic diagram and all the urogenitial structures located within these boundaries. In yogic terms, the perineum is shaped roughly like a diamond and is located in a small region between the anus and the genitals.
Q: What does the pelvic diaphragm consist of (refer to Yoga Anatomy page 7, 1st edition or Anatomy of Hatha Yoga)?
A: A combination of fasciae and muscle that closes off the base of the pelvic bowl and supports the abdominopelvic viscera; the deepest layer of the perineum, on which the genitals are superimposed externally
Q: There are seven primary types of body movement. Please give a brief explanation of each:
A: Flexion – decreasing the angle at the joint; the folding in of a limb, such as going into a forward bend or taking chin to chest
Extension – increasing the angle at the joint or a return from flexion; the unfolding of a limb or straightening of the trunk from a flexed position, such as coming out of a forward fold or the head returning to erect alignment
Hyperextension – a continuation of extension beyond the starting position or beyond the vertical plane line at the ear, such as dunking your head backward
Abduction – sideward movement away from the midline, such as arms or legs moving out to the sides
Adduction – return from adduction; bringing the arms back to the sides (add together)
Rotation – turning to the left, right, inward or outward
Circumduction – when a movement described a cone, such as the arm circling
Q: You already know what the anatomical term extension means (if you’ve answered the question above). In asana cues and common speech, what does it mean to extend? So what kinds of yoga postures are extension postures?
A: To extend means to straighten or lengthen. Generally, in nearly every yoga posture there is a part of the body that is extending or lengthening. More specifically, rising up onto the toes from a standing position or reaching the arms over head are movements of extension.
Q: Based on the book Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, explain the anatomical definitions of flexion and extension. (Check the glossary in the back of the book.) Provide an example of each from the yoga sequences you are learning in the training.
A: Flexion – the folding in of a limb; going into a forward bend or bending the foot to point up from a seated position
Extension – the unfolding of a limb or straightening of the trunk from a flexed position; coming out of a forward fold or pointing the foot out of a flexed or bent position
Q: What is the difference between Thoracic Kyphosis, Lumbar Lordosis and Scoliosis; three ways the spine can be “irregular” or asymmetrical?
A: Thoracic Kyphosis – excessive curvature of the upper back
Lumbar Lordosis – excessive curvature of the lower back
Scoliosis – lateral displacement in the lower and/or upper parts of the back
Q: Translate each of the following anatomical terms into common terms for yoga students? (Note: In Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, on page 211 diagram, assists with understanding medial and lateral, anterior and posterior, superior and inferior. On page 214, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacral/coccygial vertebrae.)
A: Medial – mid-line; toward the center of the body
Lateral – side; to the side of the body
Anterior – front or forward; toward the front of the body
Posterior – back or backward; toward the back of the body
Superior – upper level or top; above the feet or toward the head
Inferior – lower level or bottom; toward the feet or below the head
Cervical Spine – uppermost vertebrae located in the neck; 7 vertebrae of the neck
Thoracic Spine – upper vertebrae or upper back & chest; 12 vertebrae attached to the 12 ribs (each side) forming the ribcage
Lumbar Spine – lower vertebrae or lower back; 5 vertebrae in the lower back
Sacrum – lowermost section of the spine, attached to the tailbone
Coccyx – tail bone
Q: What kinds of tissue bind the sacrum to the pelvis at the sacroiliac (SI) joint? Does everyone have mobility at the SI joint? (refer to Anatomy of Hatha Yoga pp. 142-145)
A: Heavy bands of deep fasciae – sacroiliac and iliolumbar ligaments. No, even though these are movable synovial joints whose matching surfaces are bathed in synovial fluid, and even though their matching L-shaped groove-and-rail architecture permits some movement in children and young adults, heavy bands of deep fasciae and sacroiliac and iliolumbar ligaments bind the joints together and restrain movement in most people over the age of 25. It is a stabilizing joint and not intended to have great amount of mobility.
Q: Why is it difficult to balance with very tight ligaments and muscles? Why is it difficult to balance with very loose ligaments and muscles? (Or, in other words, how does having tight (or loose) muscles affect balance?)
A: With very tight ligaments and muscles, it is difficult to shift the weight to counterbalance the body and maintain balance in the posture. With very loose ligaments and muscles, it is difficult to stabilize the joints through which the body weight is being transferred.
Q: Define prana and apana as it relates to the cell, the human body, and the breath. (Yoga Anatomy, page 2, 1st edition)
A: Prana may be taken in through gaseous form: The breath, like solid and liquid nutrition, enters at the top. But the inhaled air remains above the diaphragm in the lungs, where it exchanges gases with the capillaries at the alveoli. The waste gases in the lungs need to get out—but they need to get back out the same way they came in. This is why it is said that apana (downward moving energy) must be able to operate freely both upward and downward, depending on what type of waste it’s acting on. This is also why any inability to reverse apana’s downward push will result in an incomplete exhalation.
Q: “Yoga can be seen as a way of consciously exploring the relationship between breath and posture.” Explain this relationship. (Yoga Anatomy, pages 3-4, 1st edition)
A: The moment we are born, we are confronted with two forces: breath and gravity. To thrive these forces have to work together in harmony for as long as we draw breath on this planet. The practice of various yoga postures assists with creating greater harmony and balance where there is an integrated relationship between breath and posture. In other words, if our posture is suffering, our breath is suffering and vice versa.
Q: Describe shape changes in the body during an inhale and an exhale. (Yoga Anatomy, pages 4-6, 1st edition)
A: During an inhalation, the shape change permitting air to be pushed into the lungs by the planet’s atmospheric pressure, the thoracic cavity expands its volume. This pushes downward on the abdominal cavity, which changes shape as a result of the pressure from above. During an exhalation (in relaxed state), it is a passive reversal of this process. The thoracic cavity and lung tissue—which have been stretched in the inhalation—spring back to their initial volume, returning the thoracic cavity to its original shape.
Q: Explain the difference between belly breath and chest breath. Why is the diaphragm considered the ‘rib cage lifter’ and the ‘belly bulger’? (Yoga Anatomy, pages 8-9, 1st edition)
A: The muscular action of the diaphragm is most often associated with a bulging movement in the upper abdomen, which is commonly referred to as a “belly breath,” but this is only the case if the diaphragm’s origin (the base of the rib cage) is stable and its insertion (the central tendon) is mobile. If the central tendon is stabilized and the ribs are free to move, a diaphragmatic contraction will cause an expansion of the rib cage. This is a “chest breath,” which many people believe must be caused by the action of muscles other than the diaphragm. This mistaken idea may lead to confusion or a false understanding of diaphragmatic and non-diaphragmatic breathing—the diaphragm is always used for breathing, it’s just a matter of if it’s being used most efficiently.
Q: Define mula and uddiyana bandha as they relate to the breath. (Yoga Anatomy, page 13, 1st edition)
A: Mula bandha is an action that moves apana (downward moving energy) upward and stabilizes the central tendon of the diaphragm. Inhaling while this bandha is active requires a release of the attachments of the upper abdominal wall, which permits the diaphragm to lift the base of the rib cage upward, which is referred to as uddiyana bandha.
Q: What creates the sound of ujjayi breath? How could you describe and teach this to students? (Yoga Anatomy, page 14, 1st edition)
A: The glottis being partially closed, with only a small opening at the back of the vocal cords creates the sound breathing. The cords are pulled together into what is called a phonation position—the air pushing its way through them vibrates and creates the sound. The pitch of the sound is determined by how much tension is used to hold the cords together.
Q: What are the significant roles of the bandhas in the asana practice? When are they not be engaged? (Yoga Anatomy, page 16, 1st edition)
A: The actions of the diaphragms (bandhas) create more stability in the body, protecting it from injury by redistributing mechanical stress in more challenging postures. The bandhas are not engaged in more relaxed, passive, and restorative postures.
Q: Define the primary and secondary curves of the spine. When do humans develop their cervical and lumbar curves? (Yoga Anatomy, page 17, 1st edition)
A: The primary curve of the spine comprises the kyphotic and sacral curves; the secondary, lordotic curves are present in the cervical and lumbar regions. In utero, the entire spine is in a primary curve and it changes shape for the first time when the head works its way out of the birth canal and the neck experiences its second lordotic curve for the first time.
Q: Name five movements of the spine. (Yoga Anatomy, pages 23-24, 1st edition)
A: Flexion, extension, axial rotation (twisting), axial extension (overall length of spine increased), and lateral flexion (side bending)
Q: Which curves of the body contact the floor in corpse pose? Name the curves that are lifted away from the floor in corpse pose. (Yoga Anatomy, page 23, 1st edition)
A: The curve of the back of the head, the upper back, the sacrum, the backs of the thighs, the calves, and the heels contact the floor in corpse pose. The secondary curves are present in all the body parts that are off the floor: the cervical and lumbar spine, the backs of the knees, and the space posterior to the Achilles tendon.
Q: Explain the difference between spinal flexion and forward bending. Explain the difference between spinal extension and back bending. (Yoga Anatomy, page 25, 1st edition)
A: Flexion and extension refer to the relationship of the spinal curves to each other, while forward bending and backward bending are terms that refer to movements of the body in space. The terms are not interchangeable. Read page 25 for specific examples.
Q: What alignment asana assist will allow the spine to stay extended rather than laterally bent in triangle pose? (Yoga Anatomy, page 26, 1st edition)
A: In trikonasana, more of a lateral stretch would result from a wide spacing of the feet, and an intention to initiate the movement primarily from the pelvis while maintaining the spine in neutral extension. This also makes the pose more of a hip-opener.
Q: Does the lumbar spine twist? Where does the spinal column prefer to twist? (Yoga Anatomy, page 26, 1st edition)
A: The lumbar spine does not really twist—it is almost entirely incapable of axial rotation (only 5 degrees). Most of a twist originates from the first joints above the sacrum that are able to freely rotate, the lower thoracics, T11-T12 and above.
Q: What happens to the spinal curves in axial extension? What creates this extension? How is the breath affected? (Yoga Anatomy, pages 27-28, 1st edition)
A: The cervical, thoracic, and lumbar curves are all reduced, and the result is that the overall length of the spine is increased. Axial extension does not happen on its own—it requires conscious effort and training to accomplish. The action that produces axial extension involves a shift in the tone and orientation of the breathing structures—the three diaphragms (pelvic, respiratory, and vocal) and their surrounding musculature become more stable. As a result, the ability of the thoracic and abdominal cavities to change shape is more limited in axial extension. The overall effect is a reduction of breath volume but an increase in length.