By Julie Gudmestad
As yoga teachers, we have a wonderful opportunity to help yoga students learn about their bodies and how all the separate bones, joints, and muscles work together in harmony to create yoga poses. Using the correct anatomical names for body parts can simplify and streamline this process immensely. However, some yoga teachers rarely make anatomical references because it doesn't fit their teaching style, or because they have little training in anatomy. Other teachers clearly enjoy talking about anatomy but don't want to risk students being bored or lost in a technical discussion. By including just a bit of anatomy in each class, it is possible to strike a balance between too much information and none at all. The following suggestions will help clarify your instructions and make them more accessible to your students.
Show and Tell
First, I think it's important to remember that the average yoga student isn't interested in studying anatomy. Don't get me wrong—some people are fascinated by the structure of the body and how it functions in yoga poses. However, most students come to class to do yoga, not to struggle to understand Latin names and complicated muscle interactions. So our challenge as teachers is to use our knowledge of anatomy to help our students deepen their work in a pose and to stimulate their interest in their bodies, without overstimulating their thought processes.
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