Muscles in Mind

YOGA AND ANATOMY

Introduction

Yoga shines a spotlight on the individual muscles, bones, and joints in our body. Each pose is an opportunity for you to get to know yourself a little better by strengthening your proprioception. Proprioception is your body’s awareness of space. Your vestibular organs in the inner ear calculate acceleration and position related to gravity, your eyes send visual information of your surroundings to the brain, and your stretch receptors in your skin, muscles, and joints determine the position of your body in space.

Yoga is a practical, structured, scientific framework and mindfulness practice. The word yoga translates to yoke; combine or connect two things like mind and body.

Let’s explore the specific muscles of the body and how we can target them with yoga.

HEAD

Face

Forehead - Frontalis
Back of Head - Occipitalis
Eye Sockets - Orbicularis Oculi
Mouth - Orbicularis Oris
Cheek - Buccinator
Neck - Platysma
Smile - Zygomaticus Major and Minor
Frown - Risorius

Yoga for the face - Lion Breath

Jaw

Move Jaw - Masseter, Pterygoid
Raise Lower Jaw - Temporalis

Yoga for the jaw - Turtle

Head and Neck

Side of head to collarbone - Sternocleidomastoid
Back of head - Splenius Capitis
Back of Neck - Splenius Cervicis, Trapezius

Yoga for the head and neck - Turtle, Y/N, Neck Side Stretch

TRUNK

Thorax

Chest - Pectoralis Major
Outside and Back of Ribs - External Intercostal
Inside and Front of Ribs - Internal Intercostal
Breath - Diaphragm, Pectoralis minor, (Quadratus Lumborum deep/ forceful exhale)

Yoga for the thorax - Sun Breath, 3 Part Breath

Abdominal Wall

Abs - Rectus Abdominis
Side Rib Abs - External Oblique
Lower Side Abs - Internal Oblique
Inner Abs - Transversus Abdominis

Yoga for the abs - Boat, Side Salutes

Back

Erector Spinae

Side - Iliocostalis
Middle - Longissimus
Inside - Spinalis

Yoga for the back - Cat Cow

Scapula

Under Arm - Serratus Anterior
Upper Back - Neck - Trapezius
C7 to T5 - Rhomboid Major and Minor

Yoga for the scapula - Eagle, Cow Face

Arm

Starting from Lumbar Spine, ending at Bicipital Groove - Latissimus Dorsi
Scapula to Humerus - Teres Major
Shoulder Pad - Deltoid
Rotator Cuff (All on the scapula)

Lateral rotation - Infraspinatus
External rotation/ stabilization - Teres minor
Abduct arm 15 degrees - Supraspinatus
Internal rotation and adduction - Subscapularis

Yoga for the arms - Plank, Chaturanga, Dolphin

FOREARM AND HAND

Muscles of the Arm

Inside of Arm - Biceps Brachii
Deep Inside of Arm - Brachialis
In the Crook of the Lower Arm - Brachioradialis
Back of the Arm - Triceps Brachii

Flexors and Extensors of the Forearm

Flexor

Carpi Radialis
Carpi Ulnaris
Digitorum Superficialis
Digitorum Profundus

B. Extensor

Carpi Radialis Longus
Digitorum
Carpi Ulnaris

Yoga for the hands - Wrist circles and stretches, Kirtan Kriya

HIPS AND LEGS

Hips

Gluteus

Maximus
Medius
Minimus

Adductor

Brevis
Longus
Magnus

Iliopsoas
Pectineus

Yoga for the hips - Bridge, Reclining Bound Angle

Thigh and Leg

Quadriceps Femoris Group

Rectus Femoris
Vastus

Medialis
Intermedius
Lateralis

Sartorius
Gracilis
Hamstring Group

Biceps Femoris
Semitendinosus
Semimembranosus

Yoga for the legs - Lunge, Warriors

FEET

Gastrocnemius
Soleus
Tibialis Posterior
Fibularis Longus
Fibularis Brevis
Extensor Digitorum
Tibialis Anterior

Yoga for the feet - Tree, Hero

Exploring the Diaphragm

Anchored by the central tendon of the diaphragm, the pleura, the pericardium, and the peritoneum all work together to stabilize our breath. The pleura surrounds the lungs, filling them with blood. The pericardium surrounds the heart, protecting it against shock. The peritoneum surrounds the abdominal organs, supplying them with blood. These membranes protect the lungs as we inhale and exhale.

More Than One Diaphragm

The respiratory diaphragm controls the amount of space in the lungs. The vocal diaphragm changes the amount and force of air with the help of the glottis. The pelvic diaphragm lifts us up as we inhale from the pelvic floor. These three diaphragms coordinate with each other to achieve a healthy breath. Notice the space at the base of your seat, between the lungs, and through your throat as you breathe.

Types of Spinal Movement

The four types of spinal movement are flexion, extension, axial rotation, and lateral flexion.

Flexion - Forward Fold
Extension - Up Salute
Axial Rotation - Gentle Twist
Lateral Flexion - Side Salute

There might be times when, while you are bending over, you could also be extending your spine and neck. These terms refer to the activity of the nucleus between each vertebra in general, not in every case.

Types of Muscle Movements

Resting Tone - The muscle fibers do not generate any force, but contract automatically to adjust shifts in balance. Imagine being able to stay on the bed while you’re sleeping. Times when the head stays level without you really thinking about it. We experience subtle contractions during resting tone.
Concentric - The muscle fibers shorten. They generate more force than the resistance of the object they encounter. Imagine the triceps brachii pushing you up in a push-up. The muscle fibers generate more opposing force to the matter or gravity they are met with in a concentric contraction.
Eccentric - The muscle fibers slide apart, lengthening across the bone. In an eccentric contraction, the muscle fibers generate less force than what they are met with. Imagine lowering down to the floor from a plank position. Now, the triceps brachii do not shorten to generate force, but instead lengthen across the bone.
Isometric - The muscle fibers neither move apart nor move together in an isometric contraction. Visualize hovering in a plank position. The triceps brachii do not change in length during contraction.

Compression and Tension

How a person orients themselves in any pose will rely on the compression and tension they feel.

Compression: Bones against bone
Tension: Muscle flexibility and tone

How your bones fit into each other and how well your muscles move around those bones on the inside will determine how your yoga looks on the outside. Totally diverse outcomes will be found in any given classroom because of bone structure. Balancing and maintaining integrity throughout the body and joints can be accomplished by considering how your situation might relate to the teacher’s version of the pose, and how it might differ. Instead of just copying what you see, explore what it is you are feeling when you do these poses.

Beginner Yoga

Namaste - this greeting you will hear at the beginning and end of class means “The Light in me sees and honors The Light in you.” Palms press at your heart center.
Offering - Inhale and reach the arms up overhead. Exhale and circle the hands back to your heart.
Receiving - Inhale and reach the thumbs back and up. Exhale let the hands float down to the lap.
Gentle Circles

Shoulders
Wrists
Knee
Ankles

Finger Stretches
Up Salute
Side Salute
Forward Fold
Neck Stretches

Arm Across Body
Side Neck Stretch
Turtle

Deltoid Stretch - Reverse Namaste, hands behind back

Change the way your hands were clasped

Up Salute
Side Salute

Both Sides

Cat Cow
Staff

Opposite arm and leg extensions

Forward Fold
Bound Angle

Together
One at a Time
Together Again

Sun Breath

Inhale to Up Salute
Exhale the arms 90 degrees
Inhale Up Salute
Exhale arms parallel to the ground, squeeze the palms
Inhale Up Salute
Exhale forward Fold

Mountain
Garland
Chair
Warrior 1
Warrior 2
Peaceful Warrior
Side Angle
Revolve Side Angle
Triangle
Revolve Triangle
½ Moon
Revolve ½ Moon
Tree
Plank
Chaturanga
Cobra
Down Dog
Dolphin
Pigeon
Boat
Child’s Pose
Bow
Bridge
Extended Leg Stretch
Seated Side Angle
Bound Angle
Lord of the Fish
Eagle
Plow
Gentle Twist
Fish
Final Relaxation

Transcendental Meditation

Transcendental meditation is a method of meditation created by the yogi Maharishi Mahesh in the mid 1950’s. It includes sitting comfortably, shutting down the eyes, and repeating a mantra several times quietly to yourself. The word “mantra” means “mind track.” Think of the words transporting you to a new place. You can take a scripture out of the Bible or just say whatever rolls off of your tongue. It doesn’t even have to be words, you can just repeat a sound like “Om.”

Namaste,

Mae