Online Mentorship and Courses in Yoga Anatomy
Pseudoscience is everywhere in the yoga world. It happens when a natural curiosity about a phenomenon — for example, whether emotions may get “stored” in our hips, or “20 minutes of headstand reverses aging” — becomes passed on as fact. Thus begins viral circulation of a falsehood throughout yogaland. Does that sound harsh? “Falsehood” is, […]
The knowledge of foundational yoga therapy for Covid-19 recovery is vital for studios, teachers, and yoga students. No, returning to your yoga studio won’t bring back your sense of smell after Covid-19…but it could improve lung function, reduce inflammation and safely help physical recovery from Covid-19. Yoga Anatomy Academy is pleased to announce a guest […]
There is no such thing as one-size-fits-all yoga. Nor is there one definitive list of qualities that make anatomy-informed yoga. But today we will share what we believe demonstrates respect for the principles of movement and neuroscience (what we like to call “Anatomy-Informed Yoga”) in yoga class. Warning: The list is not short. Modern Postural […]
Yoga is complicated for hypermobile people, who often feel tight, but may be unstable. Understand the problem, the paradox, and the solution.
Reimagining bendy poses for strengthening purposes. What is it about stretchiness that is so intoxicating? I recently responded to a question on Instagram: “Are side splits a worthy goal? Or is that kind of range [of motion] unnecessary?” I’m a physical therapist. One of the foundations of physical therapy is functional movement, movement practices that […]
One of the questions we receive occasionally about the Yoga Anatomy Academy Online Yoga Anatomy mentorship is: “Is this mentorship just about anatomy, or do you also talk about things like biomechanics [or kinesiology, physiology, etc] ?” The answer is we talk about all the things. We do not talk and teach ‘only’ about anatomy. […]
From my earliest days of practicing yoga, I heard teachers instructing “Square your hips” in Warrior I (virabhadrasana I) and Warrior II poses (virabhadrasana II). [Scroll to the video at the bottom of this page to see the essence of this blog post in video format]. I repeated this phrase in my own yoga teaching […]
Bodies are intersectional. Yoga is intersectional. The experiences and bodies that each of us bring to the practice of yoga contain multitudes: Multitudes of social identities like race, class, gender / gender identity, age and able-bodiedness. We at Yoga Anatomy Academy have always known this but have not always acted publicly to actively uplift all […]
High hamstring tendinopathy (tendinopathy = an updated version of “tendinitis”) shows up as an ache, burning sensation or other pain near your sitting bones. The sitting bones, or ischial tuberosities, are the upper attachment point to the three hamstring muscles on each side. In the yoga world, this uncomfortable sensation has a name: “Yoga Butt”. […]
A pose that comes up frequently in yoga classes, yet seems to be quite challenging – even defeating – for many is side plank, vasisthasana. Many people simply don’t have the strength for side plank, and don’t know where to begin. This post will break down three myths about side plank, and offer you a […]