Anatomy 101 - the core

THE CORE OF THE BODY
The abdominal muscles, often referred to as the ‘core’, are a group of muscles located between the ribs and the pelvis. Their job is to support the spine against gravity, contain the organs of the trunk and facilitate movement. The core is also linked to the health of our spine. They work together with the muscles of the lower back to protect the spine and move it in flexion and extension. When the core is weak the back needs to work harder to hold us up. When the core is tight or overworked it pulls the pelvis into a posterior backwards tilt, puts additional strain on the lumbar spine, curls the shoulders forward and rounds the upper back.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE CORE
In working with the core it is important to visualise it as a full 360 degree network of muscles wrapping around your whole trunk. The core has a back, the quadratus lumborum, a base, the pelvic floor, and a top, the diaphragm. The psoas, which is considered ‘the core of the core’, is one of the biggest muscles of the body, and is responsible for hip flexion and movement. It is the only muscle that connects the upper and lower body, and is vital for all movement. For the purpose of this exploration we will stick with the four front abdominal muscles and the quadratus lumborum which connects the back of the hips to the back of the ribs.

THE MOVEMENTS OF THE CORE
Below there is an illustration of the movements of the core:
Flexion – where the core contracts forward.
Extension – where the core expands back.
Rotation – where the core twists to the right or left side.
Lateral flexion – where the core bends to the right or left side.

THE MUSCLES OF THE CORE
Starting with the deepest muscle:
Transverse abdominis are not considered a movement muscle, their action is compression and work like a containment sheaths that wrap around the core like a corset to support the organs, assist in posture and cinch the waist in.
Internal obliques are found either side of the body and run from the hips to the ribs diagonally and are responsible for lateral flexion, rotation and the side curves of the waistline.
External obliques are also found either side of the body and run from the ribs to the hips, crossing diagonally with the internal obliques and are also responsible for lateral flexion, rotation and the side curves of the waistline.
Rectus abdominis are the outermost layer of muscle at the front of the body and run from the pubis to the bottom of the sternum and are responsible for flexion of the spine into forward folds, stabilise the pelvis and shape the front of the body.
Quadratus lumborum is located at the back of the body and runs from the hips to the lower ribs, it does the opposite to the rectus abdominis to extend the spine into backbends when working as a pair and assist in lateral flexion when working individually.

THE OBLIQUES IN ROTATION & LATERAL FLEXION
Rotation (twist) and lateral flexion (sider bends) are a bit more complicated when it comes to which muscles are stretching and contracting. When we twist to the right the right side internal obliques contract and the right side external obliques stretch, while the left side internal obliques stretch and the left side external obliques contract. When we take a side bends to the right the right side internal obliques contract and the right side external obliques contract, while on the left side the left side internal obliques stretch and the left side external obliques stretch.

EXPLORING THE CORE IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence brings your full attention to the 360 wrap of your core in action. Remember that muscles work in tandem to each other so when you feel a stretch on one side the other side is strengthening. I have highlighted the five muscle actions of the core - four movements of the core and an additional action of compression. The sequence is designed to build a three dimensional awareness of the core.

ALIGNMENT CUES
This sequence will bring you through the five muscle actions of the core – flexion, extension, rotation, lateral flexion and compression. A selection of asana are numbered to highlight sample poses from each muscle action to give you a better understanding and the opportunity to experience the sensations of the core in action ad you practise. Below are the asanas which are highlighted in the sequence and some cues to help you tap into where you will feel the five muscle actions of the core:

1 – Flexion - draw your navel towards your spine and come into flexion on an exhale. Feel the rectus abdominis muscles at the front of the core contract .
Marjaryasana/Cat with the knees slightly lifted off the ground; Naraviralasana/Sphinx with hips lifted; Phalakasana/Plank Pose with knee to elbow; Tadasana/Mountain with single knee lifted. 

2 – Extension - allow the inhale to expand your front core as the back core contracts. Feel the quadrates lumborum  muscles at the back of the spine contract.
Bitilasana/Cow; reverse table top; Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge.

3 – Rotation - lengthen on an inhale and come into your twist on an exhale. Feel the diagonal pairs of the obliques muscles on the side of the body contract and stretch.
Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana/Revolved Eight Crescent Moon; Marichyasana III/Marichi III.

4 – Lateral flexion - lift up out of the spine and lengthen through your whole side bend. Feel the obliques and quadratus lumborum muscles contract on the bending side and stretch on the opposite side.
Parighasana/Gate; Vasisthasana/Side Plank.

5 – Compression - cinch your 360 waist in on an exhale. Feel the muscles of the transverse abdominis contract.
Phalakasana/Plank Pose; Ashva Sanchalanasana/Galloping Horse; reverse Galloping Horse.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.
Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Anatomy 101 - the shoulders

THE SHOULDER COMPLEX
Similar in structure to the hip the shoulder is a ball and synovial socket joint. It is a more complex joint because of the range of motion that is required for day to day movements. Not only do we use our shoulders for practical purposes like lifting and carrying but we also use our shoulders to express ourselves. We communicate with our shoulders in body language and gestures. They curl forward when we are feeling vulnerable, tired or cold and they open back when we are happy, proud and enjoying the sun. Similar to a dog's wagging tail you can tell a lot about a person by their shoulder language. We carry our emotions in our shoulders and often this is where we see and feel the effects of stress in our bodies. It is also one of the most used body parts in idioms - we carry the weight of the world on our shoulders; stand shoulder to shoulder; give someone the cold shoulder; and offer a shoulder to cry on.

To make this complex joint easier to understand I will break it down into – the structure of the shoulder; the shoulder blade movements; and the shoulder joint movements with their assisting muscles. Having a basic knowledge of this joint will help keep the integrity of this important joint during your practice. When you get a clearer picture of how all the components work together you will get a deeper understanding of the joint in action as you practice the accompanying shoulder sequence below.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SHOULDER
The shoulder is the most mobile joint of the body. The structure of the joint, which gives it this mobility, is the main reason it is considerably less stable than the hip joint and more prone to injury and dislocation.

The shoulder is made up of three bones – the shoulder blade (scapula), the arm bone (humerus) and the collarbone (clavicle). There are three joints that work together as a unit to form the shoulder complex:
The glenohumeral (GH) joint – which is a ball and socket joint made up of the head of the humerus and a shallow cup at the side of the scapula called the glenoid fossa.
The acromioclavicular (AC) joint – which connects the clavicle with the scapula and assists the scapula in shoulder abduction and flexion.
The sternoclavicular (SC) joint – which connects the medial end of the clavicle with the sternum and helps us lift our arm above shoulder height.

THE MOVEMENTS OF THE SHOULDER JOINT
Below there is an illustration of the six movements of the shoulder joint:
Flexion – where the arm lift forward and up, the scapula elevates and upwardly rotates.
Extension – where the arm reaches back and up, the scapula depresses and downwardly rotates.
Adduction – where the arm moves towards the midline, the scapula downwardly rotates.
Abduction – where the arm moves away from the midline, the scapula upwardly rotates.
Internal rotation – where the arm rotates inwards, the scapula protracts.
External rotation – where the arm rotates outwards, the scapula retracts.

THE MOVEMENTS OF THE SCAPULA
Below there is an illustration of the six movements of the scapula:
Elevation – where the scapula lift up
Depression – where the scapula lower down.
Retraction – where the scapula move towards each other.
Protraction – where the scapula move away from each other.
Upward rotation – where the outer corners of the scapula rotate upwards.
Downward rotation – where the outer corners of the scapula rotate downwards.

THE MUSCLES OF THE SHOULDERS
For those of you who love to go deeper into the actions of the shoulder joint I have also listed the six movements of the shoulder joint and scapula with their assisting muscles in the chart below. Grouping the muscles to the action rather than looking at each muscle in isolation gives a more experiential understanding.

THE ROTATOR CUFF
The anatomy of the shoulder is not complete without a mention of the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff consists of four muscles which form a ‘cuff’ around the head of the arm bone (humerus) and the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa). Their main job is to work collectively to stabilise the head of the arm bone (humerus) in the shoulder socket (glenoid fossa) and help prevent the joint from dislocating. Each of the four muscles also assist in the following movements:
Supraspinatus – shoulder joint abduction.
Infraspinatus – shoulder joint external rotation.
Teres minor – shoulder joint external rotation.
Subscapularis – shoulder joint internal rotation.

EXPLORING THE SHOULDERS IN YOUR PRACTICE
We use our shoulders a lot during our yoga practice. We lift and extend them, we press into them to hold our weight and we wrap them around our bodies. In this sequence bring your full attention to the sensations of stretching and strengthening in your shoulder joint. Remember that muscles work in tandem to each other so when you feel a stretch on one side the other side is most likely strengthening. Look for each side to build a three dimensional picture of the shoulders in each pose, especially the poses I have highlighted as the six movements of the shoulder. The sequence is designed to build a well rounded shoulder focused practice and each pose has a role to play. For the purpose of simplicity, and understanding the movement of the shoulder and scapula, I have highlighted the six movements twice – once as you warm up and once in the flow of the sequence.

ALIGNMENT CUES
This sequence will bring you through the six movements of the shoulder – flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation. Concentrate this practice on your shoulders and move mindfully with curiosity as you move through the poses. The sequence is numbered to highlight sample poses from each movement of the shoulder to give you a better understanding of the role of the shoulder joint in the pose. The seated poses bring you into shoulder flexion, extension, external rotation and internal rotation. Cat & cow will bring the scapula into protraction and retraction which helps the scapula move freely in preparation for other shoulder work. Below are the asana which are highlighted in the sequence and the correlating arm and scapular movement:

1 – Flexion - Seated arm warm up & Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon
When the arms are in flexion the scapula is elevated and upwardly rotated.
2 – Extension - Seated arm warm up & Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon with clasped arms
When the arms are in extension the scapula is depressed and downwardly rotated.
3 – Abduction - Virabhadrasana II/Warrior II
When the arms are in abduction the scapula is upwardly rotated.
4 – Adduction - Garudasana/Eagle
When the arms are in adduction the scapula is in downward rotation.
5 – Internal rotation - Seated arm warm up & Parsvotanasana/Intense Side Stretch
When the arms are in internal (medial) rotation the scapula is in protraction.
6 – External rotation - Seated arm warm up & Gomukhasana/Cow Face
When the arms are in external (lateral) rotation the scapula is in retraction.
7 – Scapula protraction - Marjaryasana/Cat & Chaturanga Dandasana/Four Limb Staff
Scapula moves away from each other.
8 – Scapula retraction - Bitilasana/Cow & Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog
Scapula moves towards each other.

Subscribe to my newsletter & get a FREE YOGA BENEFITS INFOGRAPHIC as a thank you!

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Anatomy 101 - the spine

THE PILLAR
Bringing our attention to the spine in our practice is one of the many ways we can see how the practice positively affects our life beyond the mat. The spine sits in the centre of our body and forms the midline. This pillar holds us up against gravity, houses the spinal cord and is at the core of all movement. Our limbs and the pelvis move in a harmonious dance with the oscillation of the spine that facilitates seamless and smooth movement.

The thoracic spine (referred to as one of our primary curves) was the first curve to appear in evolution as we moved towards becoming land creatures. It is also the first curve to form prenatally, with the cervical spine (referred to as one of our secondary curves) only starting to form as the baby begins to feed and to hold their head up within a few months of birth. The lumbar spine was the last to appear in evolution to allow us to stand upright and find our centre of gravity. We start to develop our lumbar spine when we begin to walk as a toddler at 12 to 18 months.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE SPINE
The spine is made up of 24 vertebrae and the sacrum (5 fused bones):
7 cervical vertebrae (neck) – smallest vertebrae, good rotation, flexion, extension & lateral bend.
12 thoracic vertebrae (upper back) – each attached to a pair of ribs, good rotation & lateral bend, limited flexion & extension.
5 lumbar vertebrae (lower back) – largest vertebrae, limited rotation & lateral bend, good flexion & extension.

The bone structure of the spine is complicated and fascinating. Similar to the pelvis it is a hard structure to visualise simply from a picture. The size of each vertebrae gets incrementally larger as you travel down the spine to assist in weight bearing. Although unique in shape and size, each vertebrae has a main round body at the front of the spine and three protrusions – two on the sides (transverse process) and one on the back (spinous process) of the spine. The protrusions form a circle called a foramen which contain and protect the spinal cord. As illustrated above each group of vertebrae have a different version of this formation. The body of the vertebrae mainly deals with the forces of gravity and the protruding arms deal with controlling levels of movement – both working together to protect the spinal cord and the central nervous system.  In yoga forward bends bring the round body of the vertebra closer together and backbends bring the arms of the protrusions closer together. Each vertebrae is separated with a cartilage, jelly filled, shock absorption disc. If these discs rupture the protein rich jelly can leak out and cause intense pain to the surrounding tissue. Long ligaments run the length of the spine to support the discs in their position and help prevent them from bulging and rupturing. It is important to maintain these ligaments and assisting muscles to allow them to continue to do their important job for the long term health of the spine. The curves of the spine play a role in shock absorption too. If the spine was a simple column with no curves eventually gravity would compress it down. The curves work as a spring to protect the spine against the forces of gravity as we walk and run. The spine is held together with a suspension system of muscles like a web – each one reliant on the other to perform appropriately to ensure there is perfect balance in the formation and function of the spinal column. Habitual patterns can easily throw this balance and can cause postural issues and spinal conditions.

THE MOVEMENTS OF THE SPINE
Flexion – where the spine bends forward.
Extension – where the spine bends back.
Rotation – where the spine twists to either the right or left side.
Lateral flexion – where the spine bends to either the right or left side.

THE MUSCLES OF THE SPINE
For those of you who love to go deeper into the actions of the spine I have also listed the movements of the spine with their assisting muscles in the chart below. I have also added the three main stabilising muscles of the spine. Grouping the muscles to the action rather than looking at each muscle in isolation gives a better understanding of how the spine works.

EXPLORING THE SPINE IN YOUR PRACTICE
To help you find your primary and secondary curves come into Savasana. The primary curves (thoracic & sacrum) rest on the ground, and the secondary curves (cervical & lumbar) are lifted off the ground. In spinal flexion/forward bends we increase the primary curves and in spinal extension/backbends we increase the secondary curves. Taking two simple poses like cat & cow we can see the spine in action. Notice what each curve is doing – in spinal flexion of cat the curve of the thoracic spine (primary) is deepening and the curve of the lumbar spine (secondary) is flattening; in spinal extension of cow pose the curve of the thoracic spine (primary) is flattening and and curve of the lumbar spine (lumbar) is deepening.

ALIGNMENT CUES
This simple sequence will bring you through the five movements of the spine – lateral (side bends), rotation (twists), extension (backbends), flexion (forward bends) and axial extension (vertical extension). As you move through the sequence bring your full attention to the position of your spine from your tailbone to the tip of your crown. Notice what the primary and secondary curves are doing in each pose. The sequence is numbered to highlight sample poses from each movement of the spine to give you a better understanding of the role of the spine in the pose. The first four seated poses bring you into gentle spinal extension, flexion, rotation and axial extension. Cat & cow are also two invaluable poses to link with the movement of the spine and warm up the supporting muscles, and are excellent poses to add at the start of any sequence. Below are a few alignment cues in each of the five spinal movements:

1 – Flexion
Flexion into forward bends can be the most challenging family of poses for most people. The action of a forward bend must come from the pelvic tilting forward first before we flex the spine forward or it will place an imbalanced load into the most vulnerable part of the spine between the last thoracic vertebrae and the first lumbar vertebrae. To round the spine or not round the spine is a personal preference in forward bends. For the purpose of this sequence I would suggest you gently allow the spine to round forward after you have found your pelvic tilt to feel the action of spinal flexion that we are looking for.

2 – Extension
The breath plays a major role in extension into backbends. We use the expansion and contraction of the breath to help us find our backbend. When we are backbending prone from our front (Salabhasana/Locust, Bhujangasana/Cobra, Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog) we inhale into the pose. When we are backbending supine from our back (Camatkarasana/Wild Thing, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana/Bridge, Urdhva Dhanurasana/Wheel) we exhale into the pose.

3 – Rotation
As we have seen above the spine is not a simple straight column from a side view. The curves make twisting a little more complicated than the idea of a spiral staircase which is an image often used to help you visualise your twisted spine. Each section of the spine has its own unique range of twisting movement – with the cervical spine having the most and surprisingly the lumbar spine having the least. Twists are good prep and counterposes for backbends. When twisting ensure you are equally grounded on both sides so the hips can stay stable and allow the twist to come from the spine alone. Take you twist in the trunk of your body first before you include the neck to avoid over twisting into this more mobile part of the spine.

4 – Lateral flexion
For most, lateral bends are a more accessible stretch than a forward bend and backbend and a great way to prep the spine for these two families of poses too. In lateral bends press strongly through the foundation of the side you are reaching away from to anchor you down and facilitate a lovely stretch through the whole side body. Take a moment to find your natural spinal curves first enable the side stretch.

5 – Axial extension
Axial extension can be of benefit to some pose, for example twists, where a lengthened spine will give you added space to come into the pose. If you take a twist with the spine that is not lengthened you will reach your end range of motion, as bone hits bone, much sooner. When you find an element of axial extension first before you come into a twist you will maximise the space between the vertebrae and help you find a more satisfying twist within your anatomical limitation.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru