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Anatomy of Asana I

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Anatomy of Asana I + Anatomy of Asana I Yoga Space Teacher Training 2016 + Pelvis and Sacroiliac Joint + The Bones ■ Pelvis ■ Ilium ■ Ischium ■ Pubis ■ Sacroiliac Joint + The Movements ■ Fused Joint ■ Strongest joint in the body. ■ Contention regarding movement – possibly < 5 degrees. ■ Primary Function ■ Weight Transference + Parivrtta Trikonasana Revolved Triangle Pose + In Asana ■ Function: ■ ‘Central hub’ of the body. ■ Deep abdominal organs within. ■ Kundalini-Energy origin. ■ Possible pain source. ■ Particularly during Pregnancy. ■ Increased movability with relaxin. + In Asana ■ Minimal movement of the pelvis ■ Pain related to increased sensitivity of the structures around the pelvis. ■ Functional Relevance in link with influence and connection into LumboPelvic Motion + The Spine + Intro I ■ Most commonly discussed region ■ Personal Practice ■ Teaching ■ Frequent source of discomfort amongst yoga practitioners ■ Lots of misconceptions & ‘fear’ around the spine– change in recent evidence regarding posture & ‘core’ ■ Different students – different focus points ■ Generally ‘stiff’ new to yoga ■ Advanced practitioner – ‘hypermobility’ + The Bones ■ Spine ■ Pelvis ■ 3 natural curves ■ Sacroilliac Joint ■ Kyphosis & ■ Acetabulum Lordosis ■ 5 components ■ Hip ■ Cervical ■ Femoral Head ■ Thoracic ■ Lumbar ■ Sacral ■ Coccyx + The Movements ■ “The spine loves movement!” ■ Spine ■ Flexion, Extension ■ Lateral Flexion ■ Rotation ■ Traction & Compression ■ Pelvis ■ Anterior Pelvic Tilt ■ Posterior Pelvic Tilt + Movements II ■ Hips ■ Acts as the fulcrum of movement for the pelvic anterior/pelvic tilt ■ Flexion with Anterior Tilt ■ Extension with Posterior Tilt ■ Combination of movements at these separate areas will allow for the ‘flexibility’ we see in asana ■ Usually various components – ■ The lack of consistent spread will lead to increased injury risk + Muscles ■ Front ■ Rectus Abdominis ■ Transverse Abdominis ■ Internal Oblique ■ External Oblique ■ Hip ■ Flexors ■ Iliopsoas ■ Hip Flexors ■ Extensors ■ Hamstrings ■ Gluteals + The Global Muscles ■ Psoas ■ Quadratus Lumborum ■ Erector Spinae ■ Rectus Abdominis ■ Obliques + The “Core” ■ Old School: ■ Excessive focus Rectus Abdominis. ■ Significant Negative Consequences! ■ Incontinence: ■ 1/3 Women ■ 1/10 Men. ■ Relevance of Rectus Abdominis to function? ■ Yoga Presence? + The “Core” II ■ The Real Core? ■ Moola Bandha - Root Lock - Pelvic Floor ■ Uddiyana Bandha - Lower Abdominals - ■ Need for individual Transverse Abdominis. activation? ■ Multifidus. ■ Automatic Activation ■ Diaphragm. during “Neutral Zone” and when stabilising. + Muscles II ■ Bandhas ■ Mula Bandha (Pelvic Floor) ■ Uddiyana Bandha (Lower Abdominals – Transverse Abdominals and Obliques). ■ Co-Contraction & Compressive Load ■ As required – Body Awareness ■ Negatives of constant high level contraction ■ Different practitioners – ■ Stiff & compressive ■ Hypermobile + The Core ■ Co-Contraction needs Co-Relaxation ■ The Fist ■ Individual Muscle Training is Out ■ Training of writing, music etc. ■ Synergistic Training – Global Training ■ The Spine no Different + Posture ■ Is there an “Ideal Posture” or an “Ideal Zone” ■ Differing Beliefs vs. Latest Evidence. ■ Don’t want to be locked into one position ■ Ability to distribute load ■ Reduce “Global Muscle Activation” in place for “ Local Muscle Activation” ■ Commonly Excessive Spine Strength and Inadequate Leg Strength. ■ Dissociation. ■ Dissociation Activity. ■ Yoga Integrated. + Posture ■ “Why is this relevant?” ■ Sway Back ■ Posterior Tilt with Hip Extension ■ Shoulders Posterior to Pelvis ■ Hyperlordotic ■ Anterior Tilt with Hip Flexion ■ Tightness _ _ _ _ _ ■ Weakness _ _ _ _ _ ■ Flat Back + Drop Back to Backbend – Urdhva Danurasana + Anatomy of Asana ■ Driving of lumbar extension – ■ Looking at Salabasana (Locust Pose) – ■ Where are they driving their ‘hip extension from?’ ■ Excessive emphasis on lower back? ■ TEST – ■ Towel underneath hip – block anterior tilt of pelvis – look at change in movement – how much was generated from lumbar extension? + Upward and Downward Cat Dissociation 4pt + Integration to Asana ■ Postural Standing – Hyperlordotic ■ Driving movement from the lumbar spine and not through pelvic posterior tilt and ■ Asana – Looking at Hip Extension & Posterior Pelvic Tilt as movement generator vs. Generating it through excessive Lumbar Extension ■ Cat – Single Leg Lift – ■ Movement from ? ■ Down Dog – Single Leg Lift – ■ Movement from? ■ Moving to Drop-Backs – ■ Movement from ? ■ PRACTICE – Groups of 3 + In Asana ■ Yogic ■ Sushumna channel carrying life-force/pranic energy. ■ Back pain ■ Common motivator for students to start yoga. ■ Commonly a provocative movement pattern – Flexion vs. Extension ■ Type of pain? + In Asana - Lengthening ■ Psoas Lengthening: ■ Anjaneyasana/Crescent Moon Pose. ■ Supta Virasana/Reclining Hero Pose. ■ Quadratus Lumborum Lengthening: ■ Janu C/D – keeping pelvis back – Lats and Q.L. ■ Side Lengthening from Sukhasana or Balasana. + Pathology ■ ‘Sensitivity’ ■ Anterior Structures ■ Disc ■ Provoking Movement – Flexion ■ ‘% of People with an Asymptomatic Disc Bulge – Study Scan of 1000’ ■ Disc Bulges are like Wrinkles ■ Posterior Structures ■ Facet ■ Nerve Compression + In Asana ■ Postures which may place some risk on the spine? ■ Actual Risk? ■ Relative link between radiography findings –i.e. disc degeneration and arthritic changes. ■ (Abdelilah el Barzouhi, 2013) ■ 283 participants – randomized trial ■ Nil correlation between presence of disc herniation and favorable or non-favorable outcome ■ Around 50% of individuals have a disc herniation and are ASYMPTOMATIC. ■ Relevance of findings and of structural changes?? ■ (RT BENSON, 2010) Even in Massive Prolapsed Discs – similar findings at 4 & 10 years + Summary ■ Avoid a ‘one size fits all’ cueing to your class ■ Effects of compressive loading of co-contraction on peripheral joints and in particular the spine ■ If adjusting – think ■ Why? What is your goal? ■ Obtaining the Asana? ■ Relief of Symptoms? ■ Observe First? + The Shoulder + Intro ■ Frequently discussed joint complex ■ Differences between different types of yoga students & general population ■ Hypermobility/generally lax vs. stiff. ■ Flexor vs. Extensor Bias – Pushing vs. Pulling + The Bones ■ Shoulder Complex vs. Glenohumeral Joint ■ Humerus ■ Humeral Head ■ Scapula (Shoulder Blade) ■ Glenoid ■ Clavicle + Bones II ■ Clavicle ■ Only bone connection upper limb to the axial skeleton ■ Sternum ■ With clavicle forming the rotational sternoclavicular joint + The Movements ■ Glenohumeral Joint – Ball & Socket ■ Abduction ■ Adduction ■ Flexion ■ Extension ■ External Rotation ■ Internal Rotation ■ Practice observing in Asana + The Movements II ■ ScapuloThoracic ■ Upward/Downward Rotation ■ Anterior/Posterior Tilt ■ Elevation/Depression ■ Protraction/Retraction ■ It’s position forming the foundation for GHJ movements. ■ ‘The ‘pelvis’ of the upper body’ ■ Force transmission between torso and earth + Movements III ■ Scapulohumeral Rhythm ■ The combination of movements at the scapulothoracic and glenohumeral joints ■ Allows Flexion/Abduction ■ Through Upward Rotation of scapulae and thus glenoid ■ 1/3 STJ & 2/3 GHJ ■ Maladaptive changes – loss of smooth control ■ Pathology – Reduced Space - Impingement + The Muscles ■ Shoulder Flexors ■ Pectoralis ■ Shoulder Abductors ■ Deltoid ■ Shoulder Extensors ■ Posterior Deltoid ■ Triceps + Rotator Cuff ■ 4 Muscles ■ Dynamic stability – reinforce lack on inherent stability in GHJ ■ Weakness & pain/impingement ■ Most common – Supraspinatus ■ Location ■ Internal rotation & External Rotation ■ Rotator Cuff Injury – ■ Asymptomatic Prevalence – ■ >30 19% Partial Tear – 15% Full Tear ■ Assumption that ‘pathology’ = pain. + The Muscles II ■ Internal Rotators ■ External Rotators ■ Teres Major ■ Infraspinatous ■ Pec Major ■ Teres Minor ■ Dynamic Stabilisers ■ Rotator Cuff + The Muscles III ■ Scapulothoracic Joint (STJ) ■ Scapula – bony connection via GHJ & ACJ ■ STJ - Different Joint – no bony connection with rib cage/thoracic spine ■ Upward Rotators ■ Upper Trapezius ■ Serratus Anterior ■ Downward Rotators ■ Rhomboids ■ Lower Trapezius + Integration to Asana ■ Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose) ■ Observe IR vs. ER ■ Needing to ER most common ■ Practice Cat Pose ■ Plank to Down Dog ■ Some Loss ■ Scapula shift ■ Stiff vs. lax students ■ ER Progression – ■ Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog) ■ Plank ■ Forearm Pronation to compensate ■ Breaking some previous sitting habits – IR & Pronation + In Asana II ■ Rotator Cuff: ■ Main Function: Stabilising Humeral Head. ■ Internal vs. External Rotation. ■ Subscapularis only internal rotator – functional use in Parsvottanasna. ■ Greater Tuberosity and Impingement: ■ Practical Implications: ■ Adho Mukha Svanasana ■ Rolling the shoulders out. ■ Surya Namaskara ■ Observe Thumb Position – IR vs. ER. + Integration into Asana II ■ Posture ■ Neutral zone between complete slump – and military erect posture ■ Happy medium ■ End range extreme holding ■ Lack of body awareness ■ Passive extreme or Active extreme? ■ ‘Passive’ Common ■ Correction through ‘opening & lengthening’ and reverse strengthening. ■ Thoracic extension progressions ■ Caution Yogis not to become ‘Active Extreme’ + Integration to Asana III ■ Ustrasana (Camel Pose) - ■ Shoulder Extension & Thoracic Extension ■ Passive positioning – constant thoracic flexion & shoulder internal rotation ■ Anterior vs. Posterior loading in yoga ■ Strengthening extensors ■ Lengthening of flexors ■ Salabhasana (Locust Pose)
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