Hatha yogins in India developed an amazing system to develop the physical body. Some of them posited the unfashionable notion that getting to know the body you are in could be a valuable step in the path of self-realization.





Today, many see their path is through a better understanding of anatomy and physiology to practice with a clearer understanding of what is happening inside the body. For yoga teachers, this also represents a vital part of their training. For example, the Yoga Alliance RYT 500 standard requires a minimum of 35 hours of training in anatomy and physiology.

Carina Raisman, a Montreal yoga teacher, dancer, and McGill University pre-med grad, explains key concepts for yoga practitioners and teachers in her Anatomy for Yoga workshops, currently running at Yoga Classique.

"Through a yoga practice we can intervene as individuals to advance our own process of evolution on many levels. In physical terms, to complete the move from four legs to two legs, to stand upright with better balance and less stress to the body," said Raisman.

Her emphasis through lecture and demonstration is to explain and activate the three classical bandhas of hatha yoga - mula, uddihyana, and jalandhara. "





Key texts for her course include Anatomy of Hatha Yoga, by David Coulter, and Anatomy of Movement, by Blandine Calais-Germain.

Pictures by M. McLean: students draw key muscles and bones for yoga postures in Anatomy for Yoga, with Carina Raisman