The notes below are designed to give prospective readers an idea of what to expect from the book, and to aid in making a decision on whether to buy it.
Your Body, Your Yoga, Bernie Clark
Introduction
This is an exceptional book on anatomy that is written a PHD or higher level. I have spent countless hours reading and rereading it, and I think I absorbed only about 10% of the content. I have listed a few takeaways below but those interested in anatomy would really be well served by buying the book. Thanks to Estee Fletter for recommending it.
General Notes
Each body is different and will have different limits. Different femoral angles make different poses accessible or not, our bones are not all the same.
Tell newer students that they may be tight because of bones too, so that you cannot compare people.
The idea you are too stiff for yoga is like being too dirty for a shower.
Movement stops due to either 1. Tissue does not stretch further. This is tension. 2. Body or bone hits itself, called compression.
You must ask students where they feel it to understand where they are.
Edges are important. You are at risk of danger at your edge but it’s also the best place for growth. A tricky balance. There are many edges: physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual.
47% of resistance in poses is joint capsules, 41% muscle, 10% tendons, 2% skin.
Yoga has a functional goal to some and an aesthetic goal to others. Need to keep this in mind when teaching students poses.
Stress: too little and you get atrophy; too much and you get degeneration
Long discussion of all parts of cells and stem cells. Moving stem cells become blood. Little stress becomes nerve, moderate stress = fat, high stress becomes muscle, even higher stress becomes bone.
No two heartbeats are the same. Different energy as seen on ECG.
GTO is when you push the opposite way as usual into a partner (e.g. push back on forward fold). Works as well as going forward as it often relieves nerve issues.
Male body is 62% water, female still over 50%.
Stretch a joint when not load bearing, stabilize it with muscle when load bearing.
47% of osteoporosis occurs in spine (20% hips, similar in wrists/knees). Stress builds strong bones. Astronauts lose 1.5% of bone mass per month in space due to lack of stress.
Limb forward is flexion, limb backward is extension.
Varus is knees bowed out; Valgus is knees bowed together. Can adjust sometimes via foot pronation or supination (change where it points, in or out).