Yoga AnatomyOctober 9, 2008 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I guess I'm one of those people that likes to understand the how and why of everything I do. Therefore, whenever I workout, I find myself wondering about the purpose of each particular exercise. Am I actually working, strengthen, or stretching my muscles in a way that is beneficial to my body or am I just wasting my time? Am I doing the exercises correctly or am I setting myself up for an injury? Perhaps that's why I love the Anatomy series from Human Kinetics. They have a number of different books that take a deeper look at Stretch Training, Stretching, and Yoga exercises.
Yoga Anatomy has full coloured pictures of the body for a wide variety of movements: breathing, standing poses, sitting poses, kneeling poses, supine poses, prone poses, and arm support poses. These pictures show which muscles are in use during a particular motion. Extra information is then included about which joints are involved and which muscles are lengthening and working during the process. Each entry also notes proper breathing as well as information on any challenges associated with the pose.
In this way, there is no guess work involved. I know exactly what each posture is meant to do, which muscles I'll be working, and how to prevent injuries. I can then take full responsibility for my health and fitness.
GreatOctober 4, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Very Revealing for those with trouble with one or two poses. You can really see where your muscles move.
Wonderful BookSeptember 7, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is absolutely wonderful in its presentation of what is going on inside your body when doing yoga.
Though it is somewhat technical in some aspects, it is well worth your time to go through it and learn what is happening even if it is not clear the first time you read or look at it, though for the most part for me that was the exception rather than the rule.
If you practice yoga or are interested in anatomy in general, no matter what level of experience or knowledge you have in either subject, this is a very enjoyable and educational experience.
Highly recommended.
Excellent graphs and explanations!August 26, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a book I've been looking for to understand how muscles work on a yoga session. A must for all yoga practitioners who want to know how the asanas work.
Excellent learning tool!August 24, 2008 2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book is an excellent learning/reference tool...the illustrations are clear, the wording is concise (not too scientific) and each pose is listed in English and Sanskrit (including the phonetic spelling) - it's a must have!
