#10 Anatomy and Physiology
Note : I have spent a lot of time and talked to a lot of people to understand what I am observing ..
there is plenty I could observe but origin and insertion points not clear still ..
(And other students maryon said to tell you are muddled as well on this question).
In my investigation on the net, talking to yoga teachers etc this is as far as I have got to in my
understanding – Also I don’t have the chart that is referred to in this question so here is what I
have come back with . I believe any shortfall is not on my part but on the lack of information
accessible to me. Thankyou.
MUSCLES AND INSERTIONS
1. Basically muscles allow the body to move. You have the muscle and the
attachment is called tendons. The origin is what locks and the insertion is where
the movement occurs.
2. So one is more stable and the other one moves. We both demonstrate with elbow.
The origin would be at the bicep. The insertion is where the movement occurs.
3. Where muscles attach to the bone it can be an origin or an insertion.
4. Look at the biceps and feel the muscle then feel the tendons.
5. Feel the body, When doing yoga technically we are using Bndahs. meaning the
origin and the insertions are locked. If one is moving it is not a Bandha.
Resistance it’s a lock ie to bound.
Basic origin and insertion points to explore
a) Flex arms
b) Flex Shoulders
c) Extension of the knee
d) External rotation – Antagonist (relaxes)
e) Internal rotation – Agonist (holds)
f) When both muscles are locked it’s a Bandha. Do this before going into a twist.
Holding is a Bandha when everything locks it stabilizes. So eventually it becomes so
natural. Eg trichanasana, foot bundha, knee Bandah, isometric, if I want to move
forward I need flexion. The quads must be tight so the origin and insertion of my
quads is my Bandha. So everything involves Bandahs . Foot Bandhas knee Bandahs
they would not say agonist and antagonist. Its origin and insertion locked.. When you
have a Bandha your joints separate and create a space.
1. Joints and Glands - Sensations observation
FACE
Forehead – Feels bit tight under the back of the thumbs, one thumb going on unevenly,
(frontalis L&R) eyes feel tired below the forehead and a bit closed today (Orbicularis
Oculi and above this muscle Corrugator Supercilii). Forehead feels a little tight in
general, letting go in steps (frontalis L&R).
Fingers on the eyebrows, don’t feel comfortable with this sensation, eyelids feel a bit
tense reacting to the gentle squeezes. No pain just uncomfortable. (Orbicularis Oculi).
Massaging the cheeks under the palms. (risorius, on just above the jaw, levator anguli
oris just behind zygomaticus major). It feels really good. My jaw line is soaking up the
touch, (top part of platysma, depressor anguli oris and depressor labii inferioris). I could
do this for quite a while. Jaw feels soft and pliable.
Massaging the scalp, doesn’t feel like there is a lot of give in it. (gallea aponeurotica) The
nape of the neck (just above occipitalis) tingling sensations running down into the spine,
scalp is loosening up as I massage all over and the nape of the neck.
Relaxing with hands on knees observing, I can feel my cheeks still responding as if I am
still touching my cheeks. (zygomaticus minor, risorius, levator anguli oris, zygomaticus
major). Feel a little tension in the forehead still. (frontalis L&R)
Squints on left side of the face, right hand on right side, face feels soft mostly with a little
tension on the forehead. (zygomaticus minor, risorius, levator anguli oris, zygomaticus
major, (top part of platysma, depressor anguli oris and depressor labii inferioris).The rest
feels easy, free, a little clicking tension movement around TMJ I consciously relax and
this movement stops under the thumb that is resting on that area. (top part of platysma.
risoruis)
I put the left hand up now and I find it’s a little bit more difficult to isolate the movement
onto the other side and leave this side relaxed. (Levitor anguli oris) and also in the left
side of the forehead. (frontalis. L.)
Doing full face squints I don’t enjoy usually nor today. Especially in the area of the jaw.
(top part of platysma, depressor anguli oris and depressor labii inferioris). I feel like when
I relax after the squint there is tension there as if it is created but I realize it is just me
probably not wanting to acknowledge the tension that is being illuminated in my face.
Face is softening with relaxed intention. Particular tightness above each eyebrow in the
middle of each side of the forehead for a couple of cm/s each side. (frontalis L&R)
NECK
Bending chin down to chest a bit of a twinge in the right side of the neck, (Platysma,
posterior triangle) allowing a sensation of fuzziness down the back of the heart
(Trapezius) to ease, with the stretch. Feeling a soft easy stretch in front of neck reaching
down into the chest. (Anterior Triangle and Suprahyoid Muscles) A bit of tightness in the
back of my ribs and when I put my chin up and bend neck back it releases a little.
Head tilt to left a little bit of holding on in the left shoulder so just dropping that and
letting go. Very aware of my middle back not so aware of the front. Tilting to the right
nice stretch right down the side of the next to the top of the shoulders. Easy and free.
Turn and look over right shoulder there is a twinge in the right side of the neck. I feel the
stretch extending right down the side of my spine on my back. When I do the same on the
left side it feels freer and easier no twinge.
Extend neck foreword and chin to the throat. Feel free while still aware of a fuzzy tingly
feeling at the back of my heart that is being eased with this movement. The neck is fine.
Now sitting observing right down to my toes the middle back (Rhomboid minor or major)
feels tense right down to the heart. A pull in colar bone area and a bit of a crackling
sound in the nape of the neck.
SHOULDERS
Shoulders up a little crunching in the right shoulder (serratus anterior) and a minor sharp
sensation in the left shoulder enough to make me aware. (serratus anterior) A bit like the
twinge in the right side of my neck before but now its in the left shoulder. Shoulders feel
pretty free and maybe a bit of pull in the tops just below the neck at the top of the spine.
(Trapezius). Extend shoulders down can feel stretch across the top of the shoulders and
the shoulder blades and like a pushing in the arm pits. Reaching arms and fingertips out
and to front bending elbows and fingertips to shoulders. Inhale arm circles, feel
movement in the back of the elbows. Feeling the bulge of the muscles in the biceps,
feeling the muscles stretching over the shoulder blades, really good so there must have
been tension in the shoulders ((serratus anterior) though I was not aware of before. Seems
to be loosening a freeing my shoulders and a little crunching around the top of the left
shoulder blade. (Rhomboid minor or major).
ARMS
Stretching arms in front bending wrists. Feeling tension and release in the back of the
hands. Stretching the palms watching the movement in the shift in lower amrs each time
hands move up and down.
Standing up from sitting position as I push off the floor tension in the upper legs muscesl
at the front and lower leg calf muscles.
WAIST
Bending forward doing circles from the waste from the right. Feel the movement in the
muscles in the buttocks, feel the softness in my face as my atteion goes to lower body.
Theres something happening in the knees, shifting, rolling of the joint, cracking in knees
slightly,
Hands on hips making circles with hips. Upper legs lowere legs moving side to side
weigth shifting on the heels from oen to the other. Try to balance the weigth more when I
notice this and keeps moving back to the right foot more as if that foot is longer. Muscles
contracting at the waist depending on the side I am truing on.
KNEES & FEET
Shaking feet out. Feeling of loosness in feet and tension in little toes. Muscles above the
knees and stretching and contracting with knee circles. Then moving body weigth to front
part of foot I can feel the stretch in the calf muscles then tensing and also front of the
upper thighs and buttocks are tightening. Stretch on the inside right leg that muscle seems
to be stretching more than the left side. Them bringing the amrs into it and in the back
there is sort of a contraction of the muscles in the middle back as the arms go up then
smooths out again.