Yoga Anatomy Paperback – October 28, 2011

For years, I'd been happily flowing through Vinyasa classes, attempting to fold myself into various shapes, and generally feeling good. But there was always this little voice in the back of my head asking, "Okay, but how is this actually working? What muscles are really doing the heavy lifting (or lengthening)? Am I even doing this pose correctly for my body?"Enter "Yoga Anatomy" by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews. This book is the answer to every curious yogi's unspoken questions. It's not just a dry textbook; it's like having a brilliant, patient anatomy professor right there on your mat with you.The real stars of this book are the illustrations. Full-color, detailed, and showing muscles and skeletal structures in action within each pose – they are simply phenomenal. I spent ages just poring over them, finally understanding why my hamstrings scream in certain forward folds or why my shoulders feel a particular way in Chaturanga. It breaks down complex movements into understandable visual information.But it's not just pretty pictures. The accompanying text is clear, concise, and incredibly insightful. It explains the principles of breathing, the relationship between the spine and movement, and how slight adjustments in a pose can completely change its effect. It empowers you to move beyond just mimicking shapes and truly understand what's happening inside your body.This book has profoundly impacted my personal practice. I approach poses with more intelligence and awareness. I can make modifications that genuinely serve my body, rather than just following general cues. It's also given me so much more appreciation for the incredible complexity and adaptability of the human form.Whether you're a seasoned practitioner, a budding yoga teacher, or just someone who wants to understand their body better while on the mat, "Yoga Anatomy" is an invaluable resource. It's detailed without being overwhelming, impactful in its clarity, and has made my yoga journey so much richer and more informed. Consider it your body's new best friend on the path to deeper understanding.

I love anatomy and yoga and this book was so well written that it became an immediate favorite. I found myself in awe several times at the insights I found within its pages and eagerly shared those insights with my partner who is much less inclined to read (and who would be incredibly lost reading this information intensive book).Now that I have finished the book I have a much deeper understanding of my practice and the purpose/roots of yoga. I am able to be mindful of what is happening within my body as I move through each pose, which I am certain helps keep me safer and progressing faster.For example, the conversation about breathing and shape change allowed me to fully connect my breath to movement and I finally understood what ujjayi pranayama meant and how to do it.Although the terminology may be overwhelming if you have never studied any anatomy, for me it was perfect and the precision of the language really helped me grasp what the book was describing.This would also be a wonderful book for anyone who wishes to teach yoga! When yogi instructors talk about the healing power of each pose I often find myself marveling at the lack of basic anatomical understanding (I was once told that Eagle helps massage the pituitary gland O.O). This text would quickly remedy any confusion while helping create accurate descriptions of what is really going on during each pose.By far the best yoga book I have purchased (so far). I look forward to revisiting it as grow in my practice and know I will learn something new each time I do.

Reading this book, I feel like I'm in graduate school for yogis. Meaning, when you're in grammar school, subjects are presented in relatively simple terms. ('your knee bone's connected to your thigh bone') But when you go to high school, you learn things at a deeper level. In college, you learn that there are even more points of view, and in grad school you're really digging for the richest possible level of understanding. That's what Kaminoff and Matthews do in this book, they dig deep and share the gold with you.They teach you (as a yoga teacher) not to rely on misleading pat phrases like 'breath from the belly,' and make sure you understand what where the the truth lies. That said, if you're like me, you may have to read passages a couple of times, or more to grasp exactly what they're saying.This is a very intelligent presentation of breath, the spine and anatomy for yoga teachers and those who want a deeper understanding.

This is the third in this series I've purchased (Pilates and Dance prior to this), and it's as clear, concise and accurate as it's previous counterparts. The writing style is succinct and not too intense for the casual reader to understand (it's not a medical jargon book, for sure!) but it has enough detail and anatomy to be a great value for any student wanted more details on poses, or for any teacher trying to design classes around body groups or injuries. For anyone wanting to know the exact breakdown of a great number of poses, this is a must have! I wish it had been a required read during my teacher training, the amount of info it contains is fabulous, considering its small size! This means I can tuck it in my bag and if a student has a question regarding a pose or injury, I'm a quick consult away from being able to better explain safety and modifications in their practice.The illustrations are with enough color and detail to enhance the written portion, but not so much so that they're distracting or visually overwhelming. The illustrator clearly knew what the intention of the book was, and stayed consistent and precise throughout.