Anatomy for Yoga with Paul Grilley Clip 1

Join internationally acclaimed yoga teacher and scholar Paul Grilley for Anatomy for Yoga, the DVD that has become a paradigm-shifting modern classic in the years since it became Pranamaya's first-ever release. Added to the curriculum of yoga teacher training programs across the country, this DVD is a must-see for yoga practitioners of all levels and a compelling viewing experience for anyone interested in understanding their own body. Available at http://www.pranamaya.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Paul
• Grilley
• Anatomy
• for
• Yoga
• Yin
• Taoist
• Yang
• Pranamaya

[pranamayainc]

Hi Michael,

The point is that within any range of motion, there is a point at which a bony compression restricts further movement -- the elbow being a great example.

Of course there can be significant tissue restriction first that can be worked through (Paul goes to great lengths to explain this); but recognizing the role that variations in bone structure play from person to person is very valuable in understanding what may or may not be possible in asana.

[sistah43]

Oops, I meant strong outward rotation can cause compression (just like changing to internal rotation can cause your tail bone to lengthen as like you described when trying to stand that way). Long, slow, yin holds which slowly lengthen ligaments over time to allow your spine to curve naturally. It doesn't matter. It's very difficult to argue with the point he's making as he demonstrates it quite logically.

[michaeldorman]

@pranamayainc variations in bone structure are overshadowed in the vast majority of asana practitioners by soft-tissue restrictions, primarily muscular, to the extent that few are going to run into them---so to focus on them is, in my opinion, to give people the wrong impression on whether or not they can transform their practice.

[michaeldorman]

@sistah43 Also, while muscles may eventually shorten, that's a feature not a bug. If you lengthen the wrong ligament, you can introduce permanent instability in a joint. The ligaments are the last line of defense against such things, and are not to be trifled with lightly.

[michaeldorman]

@sistah43 How does rotating your femur inward---by which I take you to mean internal rotation---cause compression of the low back? If I stand here and rotate my leg inward, I feel a greater sense of space in the low back, not compression. So how does that happen, exactly? What is the mechanism?

[sistah43]

Look at the source of the low back compression. Simply lengthening the hamstrings will alleviate some of the back pain but if you stop for 2 months, you're right back to where you started. But if you realize your femur is strongly inwardly rotated and this is what's causing your back to compress, you can change the ligments that hold your femur in that position (slowly and over time with Yin poses). The tailbone can lengthen down and relieve the compression in a more permanent fashion.

[donkruse]

I just bought and watched the first three chapters of this DVD, and came on here to find a trailer to put on my face book to recommend it to my friends.

I'm glad I read Michaeldorman's comment, because I was feeling skeptical at first while watching the video, but now I see that what Grilley explains in the video is not an excuse or a life sentence for\to restricted movement but a better explanation to the reality of our situation and a BETTER AVENUE for training and exploring your body. 

[michaeldorman]

I don't buy this at all.

Short of of a structural defect, the joint compression Mr Grilley references is more likely caused by muscular restrictions---latissimus dorsi being a good candidate---and that is totally modifiable.

By Mr. Grilley's reasoning, no one can ever relieve low back compression that restricts forward folds---and yet, by lengthening the hamstrings, people are able to achieve just that.

It does require commitment, and care, but it is totally achievable.