CHAPTER 1

antra is a philosophy, a view of humanity and a spiritual path that honors sacredness in all aspects of human life. Tantra developed in India in the ninth century, building on many oth- er existing spiritual traditions. In Tantric philosophy the human body is considered to be an expression of the highest consciousness in condensed form. A Tantric yoga practice includes caring for this body so that it can be a vibrantly healthy vehicle for our spiritual journey. When we are healthy, it’s easier to remember our highest self. A yoga practice helps us to celebrate life with a strong body, a sharp mind and a soft heart. A movement in yoga practice is not just a means to an end; it is the recognition of all parts of the body as manifestations of energy. All the separate elements of the body—the bones, muscles, breath, organs and mind— are completely interwoven and affect each other in every moment of our lives, including in every moment of our asana practice. In order to understand these elements of the body more deeply and fully, we separate the elements, and we identify and study them, knowing that each is part of a greater whole. Awareness and knowledge of these physical structures will help to clarify the alignment principles we follow in yoga, to deepen our experience of asana practice and to enrich our celebration of life. For those entering the study of anatomy for the first time, it is like learning a new lan- guage. Many terms may be unfamiliar to you, and you will be visualizing what is normally unseen inside the body. Be patient with yourself

as you begin this study! There will be frequent examples and exercises for you to apply these concepts to your own body in order to make it more experiential. Each group of muscles will be divided into subgroups to give you a step-by- step sequence to follow in your study. Beginners can learn just the most important muscles, and as you’re ready, you can add to your bank of vocabulary and knowledge. The purpose of this chapter is to define terms that will recur as we move along in the study process and to provide some basic information about the types of tissues in the body that affect our yoga practice. Anatomical Neutral Position In order to describe the location and function of different structures in the body, anatomists have agreed upon a neutral starting position as a reference. The univer- sally accepted anatomical neutral position is standing erect with the legs straight, feet roughly pointing forward and hip joint–width apart, and the arms hanging by the sides with the palms facing forward. Note that this is not the same as Tadasana (Mountain Pose), in which the palms face in toward the sides. All joint movements, muscle locations and actions can be iden- tified and described relative to this starting position. For instance, hip flexion and ex- tension are defined in reference to this par- ticular neutral position; hip flexion brings your leg to the front, and hip extension takes your leg behind you. Even when we analyze a pose that may be far flung from this position (such as an inversion, deep