"Anatomy of Yoga"3: Teacher Training Workshop Series

Balance yoga by integrating the three planes of movement and diverse joint actions, including hip rotation and shoulder rotation, while tailoring to students’ joints and props for a balanced practice.

Explore the three planes of movement: sagittal, coronal, and transverse, through the spine, shoulders, and hips with practical yoga poses like cat-cow, dragonfly, and mermaid.

Apply the 3 planes of movement grid to spine, shoulders, and hips, creating new poses and movements beyond examples to deepen movement thinking.

Lesson explores neck range of motion using transverse plane movements and lateral flexion, with scapular stabilization via yoga mudra, integrated into mountain, standing, and warrior two poses.

Explore ankle range of motion through plantar flexion, dorsiflexion, inversion, and eversion to build stability in yoga. Use drills to warm the ankles and support the sciatic nerve.

Explore wrist range of motion through extension, flexion, radial and ulnar deviation, and forearm rotation including pronation and supination, practiced on the mat with child’s pose and weight-bearing variations.

Reflect on personal patterns as yoga teachers to avoid overusing sagittal plane poses like downward dog and forward bends, and expand with varied rotations, sitting options, balance, and pranayama.

Explore the anatomical language of movement, from cervical spine sagittal and coronal actions to shoulder and scapular mechanics. Apply elbow hinge, wrist extension, pronation, and opposition to inform teaching.

Explore the anatomy of movement in the spine from cervical to lumbar, then integrate pelvis and hip rotation with flexion, extension, and rotation to understand yoga motion.

Plan yoga classes around the skeletal system using a template, centering, warm up, middle, cooldown, closing, off-the-mat exploration, and props to build mobility and balanced sequencing.

Explore how to teach an anatomically informed yoga practice using active, passive, and active-assisted range of motion, four types of stretching, and concentric, eccentric, and isometric contractions.

Identify the hamstrings’ origin at the ischial tuberosity, insertion behind the knee, and how pelvic tilt changes pose access. Use hip extension and knee flexion to contract them.

Explore the three types of muscle contractions: concentric, eccentric, and isometric in yoga practice. Use leg, core, and arm examples like hamstrings in a lunge, and triceps in a reverse-table.

Explore progressive loading in yoga, building strength by gradually increasing challenge with chair pose progressions, props, and long- versus short-lever movements to target the core, legs, and balance.

Explore four forms of stretching in yoga: active static, active dynamic, passive static, and passive dynamic, applying them with hip flexion wind-relieving pose, prone boat, and strap-assisted hamstring prep.

Explore active, passive, and active-assisted range of motion using wall work, gravity, and place-and-hold techniques to improve shoulder, neck, and hip mobility.

Learn anti range of motion to build stability in yoga, using anti rotation and anti extension strategies against gravity in plank and bridge variations.

Apply muscular system insights to lesson planning and introduce soft tissue work with a massage ball; explore active vs passive ranges in dancer and dead bug poses.

Teach key nervous system concepts in yoga using sensory input, self-awareness, and self-regulation to promote relaxation and nervous system flexibility. Incorporate bell-curve sequencing, breathing ratios, and trauma-informed approaches.

Explore self inquiry as a framework for reflecting on the nervous system, body sensations, breathing, thoughts, and energy to inform a personalized yoga practice.

Explore sensory input in yoga by balancing music, silence, smell, lighting, and eye masks to support each student's nervous system and cognitive state.

Learn breath counting and ratios to shift the nervous system between parasympathetic calm and sympathetic activation, then use longer exhalations and top and bottom holds for grounding in yoga.

Explore a nervous system warm up flow that moves from sympathetic activation toward parasympathetic rest, using breath of fire, alternating twists, boat poses, and balancing table.

Lead a standing balance flow from warrior two to triangle to half moon, integrating breath and neck awareness, with wall support for balance challenges, then transition to twists for cooldown.

Explore how to use humming breath to calm the nervous system and stimulate the vagus nerve, practicing memory breath and sense withdrawal to enhance internal awareness for meditation.

Engage in a slow nervous-system cool down sequence featuring rocking, end-focused folds, optional inversions, and extended exhales to release tension from the back body and cultivate breath awareness.

Plan an anatomically informed yoga sequence focused on the nervous system, employing deep pressure, breath work, and sensory inputs to empower student self-regulation.

Explore the respiratory system in an anatomically informed yoga practice, cultivating awareness of resting breath, natural diaphragmatic breathing, and mindful pranayama integration to influence energy and the nervous system.

Observe your natural breath at first, then use targeted hand placements to feel rib cage expansion, back body movement, and wave-like breathing for a smooth, deeper inhale.

Learn box breathing, a four-part breath (inhale, hold, exhale, hold) with adjustable counts to calm or energize the nervous system and improve focus during yoga.

Use a strap around the ribs to feel the 360-degree breath, expansion and contraction with gentle tension, and observe rib cage changes in warmups and standing poses.

Explore breath work, chanting, and Ohm practice to calm the mind, engage vibration and the vagus nerve, and connect breath with the chant's meaning in practice.

Guide students through breath awareness with self-checks, then perform a thoracic warm-up sequence—seated cat and cow, side bends, twists—to free the trunk and rib cage for pranayama.

Explore how breath and movement integrate in asana, guiding students to feel inhale lifting and space, exhale grounding and rooting, through standing, seated, and low lunge poses.

Explore breath awareness through spine shapes, using child pose and twists to map breath expansion, self-inquiry, and how spinal movement affects the breath and nervous system.

Explore alternating breath work and fluid movements to engage the respiratory system, expand the rib cage, and connect pranayama with standing yoga poses.

Explore the respiratory system closing sequence with seated pranayama and alternate nostril breathing, followed by a cooldown including crocodile, cobra, and starfish backbend to regulate the nervous system.

Integrate breath work and pranayama into an asana sequence to engage the nervous system, enhance awareness, and support movement with breath and rhythm.

Examine how the nervous system governs digestion, cultivate rest and digest, apply self abdominal massage and digestive-friendly poses, and discuss mindful eating and Ahimsa in dietary choices.

Explore yoga-based abdominal massage and centering on the digestive system, using breath and gentle pressure to support the rest-and-digest state and influence intra-abdominal pressure.

Seated warm-up sequences massage the abdomen with trunk movements, inhaling on the front half and exhaling on the back half, incorporating cat-and-cow motion, back bends, and twists for digestive system.

Guides a middle flow yoga sequence of forward bends, backbends, and twists to massage the digestive tube and engage the abdomen through breath, rotation, and the lymphatic system.

Explore abdominal lock and abdominal churning techniques to cultivate mind-body connection, diaphragmatic vacuum, and controlled breathing through wave-like and sideways abdominal movements.

Guide a digestive system cool down and closing sequence with bridge rolls, knee-to-chest twists, and banana pose side stretches to release tension through the exhale and promote rest and digest.

Plan a digestive-focused yoga sequence that uses gentle abdominal massage, supine poses, breath work, and abdominal churning kriya to influence intra abdominal pressure and support rest and digestion.

Explore the vascular system in yoga practice, focusing on heart rate, pulse, and blood pressure, and apply safe progression, muscle pump activation, and inversions for venous return.

Learn to sense the heart-centered flow of blood through the circulatory system, linking heartbeat and breath, and use the corona hum mantra to cultivate compassion during practice.

Engage in a vascular seated warm-up that links breath and movement to boost venous return, heart activation, and circulation through sun breath, breath of fire, and gravity-aware poses.

Activate the cardiovascular system through standing yoga flows that raise breathing and heart rate, using breath of fire, breath of joy, and kundalini-inspired movements.

Explore a vascular cool down that uses heart rate to guide breath and relaxation. The sequence pairs supported inversions, twists, and bridge with heart-centered meditation and feedback loop for self-regulation.

Guide students through heart-centered yoga for the vascular system, using heartbeat awareness, breath counting, venous return, and varied movements to build self-regulation.

Explore how the lymphatic, immune, and integumentary systems shape yoga teaching, using diaphragmatic breathing, relaxation, self lymphatic drainage, dry brushing, thymus thump, and neti pot.

Explore how the lymphatic, immune, and integumentary systems coordinate for centering in yoga, and learn belly breathing, humming breath, and lymph drainage techniques from neck to groin.

Learn a neck-to-feet lymphatic muscle pump sequence that uses breath and range of motion to stimulate lymph vessels and nodes, moving from trunk to limbs and back.

Learn a lymphatic friendly yoga sequence that uses a muscle pump, a supported bridge on a block, leg pumps, and deep relaxation to support the immune system and overall circulation.

Explore how yoga sequences and breath work support the lymphatic system and immune function. Learn diaphragmatic breathing, muscle-pump movements, neck and collarbone drainage, and safe inversions to boost lymph movement.

Explore how yoga supports the urinary and reproductive systems through a menstrual-cramp relief sequence, pelvic floor awareness, mula bandha and udiyana bandha, and stress management.

Explore the pelvic girdle and hip joint through floor work and dynamic warmups that cultivate internal and external hip rotation, pelvic floor awareness, and trunk stability.

Engage the urinary and reproductive system by activating the pelvic floor and pelvic girdle through block-assisted movements, hip openings, and breath-coordinated poses from low lunge to warrior.

Use a bolster to support the pelvis for lower back release and pelvic floor engagement through mula bandha, then practice controlled lifts and frog pose to activate the pelvic girdle.

Practice blanket slides to build pelvic bowl strength through forward-back and side moves, using blankets or sliders, with drawing in and active hip engagement in frog and pigeon poses.

Explore the pelvis, pelvic girdle, and hip stability through active assisted sequences using a strap, moving from passive to active engagement of the pelvic floor with happy baby variations.

Master a neck-safe shoulder stand prep, pelvic tilts into bridge, and mindful side-lying and half-frog inner thigh releases. Build pelvic floor awareness and breath control.

Sequence a yoga lesson around the urinary and reproductive systems, emphasizing pelvis stability, active hip work, and pelvic floor engagement with props, standing poses, and gentle back strengthening.

Explore how the endocrine system shapes body rhythms and signals, and how yoga practice supports hormonal balance through sleep hygiene, stress management, active relaxation, and chakra-informed growth.

Use restorative yoga with wall props and legs-up poses to calm the nervous system, support the endocrine system, and guide gentle moon salutations for restorative sleep.

Explore a kneeling moon salutation warm-up that blends side bending, rotations, and gentle backbends to cultivate yin energy, deep relaxation, and fluid transitions into child's pose and cobra.

Explore variations of the standing moon salutation through breath-led transitions from mountain pose into goddess, triangle, pyramid, and lunge sequences. Emphasize hip opening, side bends, rotations, and the half-mandala flow.

Master restorative cooling-down with bolsters, blankets, and eye pillows, using breath to release worries and move through supported twists and backbends, ending with breath counting for sleep.

Develop yoga sequences informed by the endocrine system to improve sleep patterns. Practice restorative poses, moon and sun salutations, breath work, and worry-release techniques for hormone regulation.