YOGA ANATOMYYoga Teacher Training

© 2015 Robin Bennett 200 RYT

Part Three - Bones

THE HUMAN SKELETON

BONE COMPOSITIONA femur head with a cortex of compact bone and medulla of trabecular (spongy) bone

OSTEOBLASTS ARE MONONUCLEATE BONE-FORMING CELLS OSTEOCLASTS ARE THE CELLS RESPONSIBLE FOR BONE RESORPTION

OSTEOPOROSISis a disease of bones that leads to an increased risk of fracture. The form of osteoporosis most

common in women after menopause is referred to as primary type 1 or postmenopausal osteoporosis. Primary type 2 osteoporosis or senile osteoporosis occurs after age 75 and is seen in

both females and males at a ratio of 2:1.Osteoporosis itself has no symptoms.

OSTEOPENIAOsteopenia occurs more frequently in post-menopausal women as a result of the loss of estrogen. It can also be exacerbated by lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise, excess consumption of alcohol, or smoking. The condition is often noted in young female athletes. A chronic negative energy balance can

suppress estrogen levels and decrease bone mineral density.

FEMALE ATHLETE TRIAD SYNDROME

is a syndrome in which eating disorders (or low energy availability), amenorrhoea and decreased bone mineral density (osteoporosis and osteopenia) are present. This condition is seen in females

participating in sports that emphasize leanness or low body weight.

TYPES OF BONESLong bones are characterized by a shaft that is much longer than it is wide.

They are made up mostly of compact bone, with lesser amounts of marrow, located within the medullary cavity, and spongy bone.

Short bones are roughly cube-shaped, and have only a thin layer of compact bone surrounding a spongy interior.

Flat bones are thin and generally curved, with two parallel layers of compact bones sandwiching a layer of spongy bone.

Irregular bones do not fit into the above categories. They consist of thin layers of compact bone surrounding a spongy interior.

BONES OF THE LOWER LIMBSFemur - the thigh bonePatella - the knee cap

Tibia - the larger of the two leg bones located below the knee capFibula - the smaller of the two leg bones located below the knee cap

BONES OF THE FOOT1) Tarsals – the most proximal set of bones. There are seven of these.

2) Metatarsals – five bones (one for each digit), they connect the phalanges to the tarsals.3) Phalanges – the bones of the digits.

Talus – The most superior of the tarsal bones, it articulates with the leg bones to form the ankle joint. It transmits the weight of the body from the tibia to the foot. This bone has no muscular attachments,

and is covered in articular cartilage. It has a head, neck and body.

Calcaneus – The calcaneus lies underneath the talus as the bone of the heel. It is thick and sturdy, acting to transmit forces from the body to the ground. In addition to the talus, it also articulates with

the cuboid bone anteriorly.

PELVIC BONESThe pelvic skeleton is formed posteriorly (in the area of the back), by the sacrum and the coccyx and laterally and anteriorly (forward and to the sides), by a pair of hip bones. Each hip bone consists of 3

sections, ilium, ischium, and pubis.

HIP JOINT

The hip joint is the joint between the femur and acetabulum of the pelvis and its primary function

is to support the weight of the body in both static (e. g. standing) and dynamic (e. g. walking

or running) postures.

The hip joints are the most important part in retaining balance.

The pelvic inclination angle, which is the single most important element of human body

posture, is adjusted at the hips.

FEMUR INCLINATION

FEMUR NECK LENGTH

FEMUR TORSION

HIP SOCKET

HTTP://WWW.PAULGRILLEY.COM/

THE SPINE OR THE

VERTEBRAL COLUMN

Segmental Spinal Cord Level and FunctionC1-C6 - Neck flexorsC1-T1 - Neck extensorsC3, C4, C5 - Supply diaphragm (mostly C4)C5, C6 - Shoulder movement, raise arm (deltoid); flexion of elbow (biceps); C6 - externally rotates the arm (supinates)C6, C7 - Extends elbow and wrist (triceps and wrist extensors); pronates wristC7, T1 - Flexes wristC7, T1 - Supply small muscles of the handT1 -T6 - Intercostals and trunk above the waistT7-L1 - Abdominal musclesL1, L2, L3, L4 - Thigh flexionL2, L3, L4 - Thigh adductionL4, L5, S1 - Thigh abductionL5, S1, S2 - Extension of leg at the hip (gluteus maximus)L2, L3, L4 - Extension of leg at the knee (quadriceps femoris)L4, L5, S1, S2 - Flexion of leg at the knee (hamstrings)L4, L5, S1 - Dorsiflexion of foot (tibialis anterior)L4, L5, S1 - Extension of toesL5, S1, S2 - Plantar flexion of footL5, S1, S2 - Flexion of toes

POSTERIOR SURFACEOrientation of the rib cage on the vertebral column

HEALING BACK PAINDr. John E. Sarno

http://www.amazon.ca/Healing-Back-Pain-Mind-Body-Connection/

BONES OF THE SHOULDERThe human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder

blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone)

The muscles and joints of the shoulder allow it to move through a remarkable range of motion, making it one of the most mobile

joints in the human body.

The shoulder can abduct, adduct (such as during the shoulder fly), rotate, be raised in front of and behind the torso and move

through a full 360° in the sagittal plane.

This tremendous range of motion also makes the shoulder extremely unstable, far more prone to dislocation and injury

than other joints.

EAGLE POSEGarudasana

COW FACE POSEGomukhasana

BOW POSEDhanurasana

SHOULDER GIRDLE—SCAPULA (SHOULDER BLADE), CLAVICLE (COLLAR BONE)

HUMERUS—LONG BONE OF THE UPPER ARM

RADIUS—LONG BONE OF THE FOREARM; CONNECTS WITH THE HUMERUS TO FORM

THE ELBOW

ULNA—LONG BONE OF THE FOREARM; CONNECTS WITH THE HUMERUS TO FORM

THE ELBOW

CARPALS—8 SMALL BONES OF THE WRIST

METACARPALS—SMALL BONES OF THE HAND

PHALANGES—14 BONES OF THE FINGERS (3 IN EACH FINGER) AND THUMB (2 IN THE THUMB)

Bones of the Upper Appendage (Arm and Hand)

YOGA HAND EXERCISES

SKULL

THE HEAD IS POSITIONED UPON THE SUPERIOR PORTION OF THE VERTEBRAL COLUMN, ATTACHING THE SKULL UPON

C-1 (THE ATLAS).

THE SKELETAL SECTION OF THE HEAD AND NECK FORMS THE SUPERIOR SEGMENT OF THE AXIAL SKELETON AND

COMPRISES SKULL, HYOID BONE, AUDITORY OSSICLES, AND CERVICAL SPINE.

THE SKULL CAN BE FURTHER SUBDIVIDED INTO:(A) CRANIUM (8 BONES: FRONTAL, 2-PARIETAL, OCCIPITAL, 2-

TEMPORAL, SPHENOID, ETHMOID), AND (B) FACIAL BONES (14 BONES: 2-ZYGOMATIC, 2-MAXILLARY,

2-PALATINE, 2-NASAL, 2-LACRIMAL, VOMER, 2-INFERIOR CONCHAE, MANDIBLE).

THE NECKArticulation of the neck includes: flexion, extension, (nodding

yes), and rotation (shaking head no).

NECK HYPER-MOVEMENTNormally, the neck can stretch backward 75 degrees, forward 40 degrees and sideways 45 degrees, and it can rotate on its axis about 50 degrees. Yoga practitioners typically move the vertebrae much farther. An intermediate student can easily turn his or her neck 90

degrees — nearly twice the normal rotation.

The vertebral arteries, which feed the posterior portion of the circle of Willis and much of the posterior structures of the brain, travel through a thin bony canal in the spinous processes of

your cervical vertebrae.

HEADSTANDWhen we think of headstand we should think that what we’re really wanting is to do a forearm

balance with our head lightly touching.

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