Yoga III Outline Notes --

I. Yoga Anatomy - yoga as total body fitness

1. Introduction: The Yoga III training is really about how a teacher can take their students to the next level.  Here are the important components:

1. The Holistic (spiritual) Approach

• Everything in life is either a step toward balance or a step away from balance.

• Every pose is a perfect pose.

• If every asana is perfect, then there is nothing to “fix.”  There are only other experiences to have – only more steps toward balance.

1. Understanding a student’s limitations

What has a student stuck – or even hovering – at a particular level?  To understand this, you have to understand how the body works.

1. How can “touch” help a yoga practice?

The touch method can aid a student in both activating the right muscles for a certain posture, and relaxing unnecessary tension.  To use touch correctly, you need to know the muscles involved in an asana, and their anatomical function.  You also need to know the three reasons to “assist:”

• To help a student experience the pose more completely (i.e. “to sit”).

• To help a student go to the next level of performance (to experience the asana in a completely new way).

• To insure and improve safety.

1. Where is yoga on the continuum of exercise?

1. Classical BodyMind Disciplines

• Alignment

• Breath

• Relaxation

• Visualization

1. How does yoga fit in with a fitness objective?

1. The Goals of Conventional Exercise

• Build muscle

• lose weight

• tone up

1. The Goals of Holistic Exercise

• Moving a client from distinction to integration

• hatha yoga is an exercise in integration, but integration without distinction is mush.

• Moving a client from imbalance to balance

• Moving a client further along the spiral

1. Basic principles

1. The training effects of exercise

2. Reciprocal inhibition

3. The myotatic response

4. Actions, Agonists, Antagonists, Stabilizers

5. Flexion/Extension; Adduction/Abduction; Rotation; Elevation; Depression

6. Concentric contraction v. eccentric contraction

2. What is The Kinetic Chain?

1. Nervous system

2. Skeletal System

3. Muscular System

3. Core asanas

1. Virabadrasana I

• Action:

• Rear leg: internal rotation; knee extension; hip extension

• Front leg: external rotation; knee flexion; hip flexion

• Back: spinal extension; spinal rotation

• Shoulders: full flexion

• Agonist: gluteus maximus; obliques

• Antagonist: pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and gracilis.

• Stabilizer: Quads; abdominals; lower traps

1. Virabadrasana II

• Action:

• Rear leg: internal rotation; knee extension; hip extension

• Front leg: external rotation; knee flexion; hip flexion

• Back: spinal extension

• Shoulders: abduction

• Agonist: gluteus maximus; obliques

• Antagonist: pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor longus, adductor magnus, and gracilis.

• Stabilizer: Quads; abdominals; lower traps

1. Utthita Trikonasana

• Action: 

• Rear leg: internal rotation; hip extension; knee extension

• Front leg: external rotation; knee extension; hip flexion

• Back: spinal rotation; lateral flexion; spinal extension

• Shoulders: scapular adduction; abduction

• Agonist:  obliques; lats; quads; rhomboids/mid traps

• Antagonist: obliques; lats; hamstrings; pecs/anterior delts

• Stabilizer: lats; back extensors; abdominals

1. Utthita parsvokanasana

• Action: 

• Rear leg: internal rotation; knee extension; hip extension

• Front leg: external rotation; knee flexion; hip flexion (deep)

• Back: spinal extension; spinal rotation

• Shoulders: scapular adduction; abduction

• Agonist: trapezius; levator scapulae; glutes  

• Antagonist: pectineus, adductor brevis, adductor magnus, gracilis tendon of the psoas major; quadratus lumborum; latissimus;

• Stabilizer:

1. Prasarita Podattanasana

• Action:             

• Legs: internal rotation; knee extension; hip flexion (deep)

• Back: spinal extension

• Shoulders: varies

• Agonist: psoas; quads; rhomboids; back extensors

• Antagonist: hamstrings; glutes

• Stabilizer: lats; back extensors; abdominals

1. Adho Muka Svanasana

• Action:

• Legs: internal rotation; knee extension; hip flexsion (deep)

• Back: spinal extension

• Shoulders: scapular adduction; abduction

• Agonist: quads; psoas; rhomboids; back extensors; posterior deltoids; triceps

• Antagonist: hamstrings; glutes; lats; anterior deltoid; biceps

• Stabilizer: lats, abdominals; lower traps

II. Hands-on corrections for core asanas

1. Postural Assessment

1. All poses are perfect

2. Anatomical neutral = a model of balance

3. Poses that deviate from alignment are indications of a retreat from balance

2. What is limiting this asana?  How could this student experience the pose more completely?  How could this student be safer in this pose? How can I take this student to the next level in this asana?

3. Three Phases of Asana Practice

1. Phase I:  the details1221

2. Phase II:  the release (breathing)

3. Phase III: the exit

4. Assists:

1. Warrior I

2. Warrior II

3. Triangle

4. Side Angle

5. Straddle

6. Adho Muka Svanasana

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