Human Shoulder Anatomy and Physiology

grays_shoulder_anterior

There are 3 bones in the human shoulder, or glenohumeral joint; the humerus, the clavicle, and the scapula. These bones are stabilized by 15+ muscles, depending on how you count them. These muscles function to stabilize the joint. This is what allows you to type, swing, and grasp with utter precision. Homo sapiens shoulder is precisely mobile, but lacks the stability and strength of our great ape cousins.

Mula Bandha | मूल बंध (Bandhas part 1/4)

The Mula Bandha and the Perineal Muscles Sanskrit for “MULA” – मूल In Sanskrit, Mula means “root”, foundation, origin, source, and beginning. Bandha means energy lock, bond, hold, or harness. Mula bandha is the root of the body, the excretion point and the bottom of the spine. This is the same as the perineal muscle group … Read more

Hand Anatomy, Physiology, and Use

"Human-Hands-Front-Back" by Evan-Amos - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human-Hands-Front-Back.jpg#/media/File:Human-Hands-Front-Back.jpg

The Usefulness of Man’s Hand The hand is one of the most intricate and useful mechanisms of the entire human body; it is a prehensile (appendage for grasping) that humans share with chimpanzees, lemurs, and monkeys; even Koalas have opposable thumbs that are very similar to the thumbprints of the hands of humans. We humans absolutely have the … Read more

Anatomy of the Lower Back

hip_musculature_spinal_support

(Part 1 of 2: Muscular Skeletal System) If you have practiced yoga lately, chances are that you sat on the floor for a little while. This is a very healthy activity that every human should probably practice regularly for the strength of the pelvic floor muscles, and to allow the inner thighs and hips to … Read more

Keeping Knees safe in Hip Openers

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Over the past few months, I have been working diligently toward lotus pose. This has led me to some very stark realizations about how the knees need to be protected while opening the hips, at least for those of us with tight hips. This is an anatomy article geared at learning how to appropriately safely … Read more

Jihva Bandha | जिह्वाबन्ध (Bandhas part 4/4)

"Illu01 head neck" by Arcadian - http://training.seer.cancer.gov/head-neck/anatomy/overview.html. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Illu01_head_neck.jpg#/media/File:Illu01_head_neck.jpg

The Fourth Bandha The Jihva bandha is an interlock of energy used in yoga to perform certain postures and asana. This is one of the most useful tools in yoga, believe it or not. It creates more space in the back of the nasal cavity allowing for greater circulation through the lungs. The Jihva or Jiva … Read more

Uddiyana Bandha | उड्डियान बंध (Bandhas part 2/4)

Ashtanga Yoga Founder Krishnamacharya

Uddiyana Bandha is the second yogic muscular lock that occurs at the bottom of the rib cage. Uddyiana bandha is popularized, but largely misunderstood, I believe. Uddiyana means upward flying and bandha means energy seal, so this interlock moves energy up the spine. This opposed the mula bandha (root) lock descending down to the base … Read more

The Anatomy of the Abdomen (part 4/4: Rectus Abdominis)

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The Rectus Abdominis is a paired vertical muscle that runs from the xiphoid process at the bottom of the sternum, across the top of the 5th and 7th ribs and down to the pubic symphysis, pubic crest, and pubic tubercle below the hip-line. The two muscles are separated by the linea alba running down their … Read more