Technical Anatomy & Biomechanics

Understand the scientific principles behind yoga movement. This module examines how bones, joints, muscles, fascia, ligaments, tendons and the nervous system work together—and how gravity, force, load and leverage influence the body in every asana.

✅ Anatomical Planes and Movement Terminology: Learn the sagittal, frontal and transverse planes, together with essential movement terms such as flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation, lateral flexion and spinal rotation.

✅ Principles of Yoga Biomechanics: Understand how mechanical principles—including gravity, force, leverage, stability, centre of mass and base of support—apply to the human body while practising and teaching yoga postures.

✅ Muscular Actions and Joint Stability: Explore the roles of agonists, antagonists and stabilizers, and learn the difference between concentric, eccentric and isometric muscular contractions during movement and posture-holding.

✅ Biomechanics of the Spine and Rib Cage: Study the structure and movement of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine, rib cage and sacrum, including spinal curves, load distribution and safer approaches to forward bends, backbends, twists and lateral bends.

✅ Biomechanics of the Major Joints: Examine the shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, and learn how joint structure, muscle action and individual variation influence alignment, mobility, stability and weight-bearing in yoga.**

Applied Biomechanics in Yoga Postures

In Padahastasana, students examine how gravity assists hip flexion while the hamstrings, gluteal muscles and spinal extensors may lengthen under controlled eccentric action during the forward-folding phase.

In Virabhadrasana II, students explore how the muscles surrounding the front knee coordinate to maintain controlled flexion and joint stability, while the hips, legs, feet and core organize the posture against gravity.

Through posture analysis and practical observation, students learn not only how an asana looks, but which joints create the movement, which muscles produce or control it, where stability is required and how the posture can be adapted for different bodies.