The AnatomyShow BLOG

When looking up in upward dog might not serve you alignment yoga anatomy yoga postures Sep 22, 2022

Upward facing dog was amongst the first yoga postures we practiced when I began taking yoga classes many years ago. With it came the spinal extension, the compressive feeling in the lower back and the instruction to tilt the head back and look up.

Over the years I learned this pose supposedly has...

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Adjusting in Yoga Postures: Intention and Participation alignment yoga anatomy yoga postures Mar 01, 2022

Any yoga posture is an adjustment of our posture. From a more generalized perspective that is.
The question if adjustments make your practice better or worse, we’ll leave for a different discussion.
Think of yourself standing somewhere, in line to get a beverage maybe. Would you be like a...

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From Buildings to Bodies alignment fascia yoga postures Jan 21, 2022

There is an interesting and very important difference between living and man-made structures.
While it may seem obvious, some of these differences are still neglected today when movement and postures are considered, as for example, in modern yoga teaching.

Right now, I’m building a little...

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Perception & Reality of Yoga Postures alignment real life yoga anatomy yoga postures yoga practice Oct 07, 2021

The movement we think we are doing, how we imagine our posture looks like, and the reality are often quite different.
This disconnect between perception and reality is based on the integration of specific nerve receptor information in our body.

Watch the video to learn how you can train these...

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How Important Is Alignment? alignment yoga anatomy yoga postures yoga practice Jan 07, 2021

As it turns out, not very much.
Alignment can look good.
Sometimes it makes postures and movements easier.
But what get’s us to a certain alignment?
It’s the actions and engagements of muscles.
Maybe let’s focus on that. Engagement is important.

Let’s take a step back to...

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How can yoga teachers benefit from knowing yoga anatomy? alignment fascia health yoga anatomy yoga postures Jan 04, 2021

Oslo Yoga, www.osloyoga.no  hosted a panel discussion on yoga anatomy as part of their international yoga festival www.yogafestivalen.no on January 4, 2021.
On the panel were:

Mark Stephens www.markstephensyoga.com

Anna Kristina Kavli www.iyoga.no,

and me, Chris Kummer ...

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The Simple Secret to Better Balance in Yoga Poses alignment real life yoga anatomy yoga postures yoga practice Dec 10, 2020

This yoga anatomy tip will help you improve your balance in handstand and othert balance postures.

Anytime you want to attempt to practice a balance yoga posture you need to follow this principle to be successful. if you aim to balance for longer than it takes to take a quick photo.
These balance...

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Your Ankle Position Influences Your Knee Function alignment fascia yoga postures yoga practice Nov 17, 2020

Your Ankle Position Influences Your Knee Function

The inside structure of your feet is not clearly visible from the outside. When you learn about the significance of the foot structure at the ankle joint you can understand the influence of your foot arches and the ankle position on the knee joint....

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Front Splits - It's not (just) the Hamstrings alignment yoga postures yoga practice Nov 01, 2020

In the range of postures associated with modern yoga practice, front splits are one of the most frequently aspired to, along with wheel pose, and head- and hand stands.

Difficulties accessing and practicing  front splits / forward splits / hanumanasana, are often considered to be tight...

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Yoga Practice - Sitting at a Desk alignment health real life Oct 24, 2020

It’s quite common to hear people say ‘I’m going to my yoga class now’ or ‘I'm going to practice yoga’.
Many teachers and instructors also promote ‘yoga off the mat’.
All this sometimes really puzzles me.

Even if we were to reduce yoga practice to...

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Locust Pose - Practical Yoga Applications alignment health real life yoga postures yoga practice Oct 07, 2020

Watch this video for a look at locust pose to support your sitting posture.

Don't we often find ourselves sitting slumped using our arm or hand to prop us up when at a desk or table? This is quite an external body support.

In this video, we’ll take the first step and focus on the muscles...

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Knee Stability Results from Action alignment yoga postures yoga practice Aug 20, 2020

The knee is NOT a hinge. It can twist and slide. 

The shin bone / tibia ends rather flat, while the thigh bone / femur meets this flat top with two convex round bony ends. There is no connection or stability inherent in the joint or skeletal structure of the knee. All restrictions to...

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