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Overview
According to vedic (Taittiriya Upanishad) tradition, we exist in
five dimensions (maya kosha):
- The Physical Body (anna maya kosha)
- The Vital (energetic) Body (prana maya kosha)
consists of five identifiable aspects:
prana (upper trunk, breath, life force), apana (lower
body, exhalation, fire), vyana (energy diffused throughout the
body), akasa (radiance, ether), and prthvi (earth).
- The Intellectual Mind (mano maya kosha)
- The Personality (vijnana maya kosha)
identified by five aspects:
sraddha (faith), satya (communication with others), rta
(recognition of underlying order), yoga (state of mind), and
mahat (conditioning).
- The Heart (ananda maya kosha) identified
by five aspects:
priya (passion), moda (deep joy), pramoda (desire for
relatedness), ananda (unending joy), and brahman
(eternal source).
For these discussions, we will be discussing the Physical body.
When discussing the human body, a few reference terms are helpful.
In most discussions, locations are referenced per the "Anatomical Reference"
position.
| Term |
Definition |
Anatomical Reference View |
| Anterior |
Front |
| Posterior |
Back |
| Medial |
Midline |
| Lateral |
Outside |
| Superficial |
Toward Surface |
| Deep |
Away from the surface |
| Superior |
Above |
| Inferior |
Below |
| Proximal |
Toward point of origin |
| Distal |
Away from point of origin |
Often, the body is made up of various systems such as:
The study of the human skeleton, Osteology, is the study of the 200
distinct bones of the adult human.
 | 28 bones in the spine, (7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 5 lumbar, sacrum;
coccyx) |
| 8 bones in the cranium |
| 14 bones in the face |
| 26 bones in the thorax (sternum, ribs, ...) |
| 64 bones in the upper extremities (arms, shoulders, clavical) |
| 64 bones in the lower extremities (legs, pelvis) |
All the various bones are connected by various joints or articulations.
Some of these, such as the connection between the cranium and most of the
face bones, are immovable joints. Such joints consist of
sutural ligaments and sometimes a thin layers of fibro-cartilage. Most
movable joints, on the other hand, consist of larger areas of
cartilage, held together my ligaments, and at least partially lined by
synovial membranes.
Our skeleton gives our body structure, assists in movement, and protects
most of our organs.
In our yoga practice, we study this so we understand the direction and
ranges of motion supplied by the bones and joints.
Muscles vary considerably in form. Muscles do not connect directly
to bones. Instead, they connect to tendons or aponeuroses which, in
turn, are connected to moveable structures such as bones, cartilages,
ligaments, and fibrous membranes.
Most of the time, we study muscles in terms of their origin,
insertion, actions and nerves. The origin point
refers to the more fixed or central attachment location. The
insertion point refers to the more moveable point to which the
force is to be applied. Actions include: elevation/depression,
protraction/retraction, flexion/extension, internal/external rotation,
adduction/abduction, supination/pronation, plantar flexion/dorsiflexion, and
inversion/eversion.
Regular yoga asana practice both strengthens and stretches muscles.
It also increases body awareness making us more aware of the action each
muscle exerts. We strive to learn the names of various muscles so we
can communicate the expected effects of each pose more clearly.
Virtually every cell in the body needs to received oxygen and nutrients
and eliminate byproducts to survive. The circulatory system uses blood
cells to carry oxygen from the lungs through the heart and digestive system
to the cells via arteries. It then draws the blood back to organs of
elimination and the lungs through the veins.
Yoga, like all physical exercise, helps strengthen the entire
cardiovascular system.
The respiratory system is one of the most important areas to a complete
yoga practice. This system consists of the nose/mouth, the trachea,
lungs, and supporting muscles. This system is responsible for
supplying oxygen (and other important gases) to our body and eliminating
waste gases such as carbon dioxide.
An entire branch of yoga is devoted to strengthening and controlling the
breath. Pranayama practices strive to deepen and slow our breathing,
make us more conscious of the connection between breath and body movements,
and gain control over elements of our emotional state.
The nervous system consists of the central nervous system (CNS)
consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and the peripheral nervous system (PNS)
consisting of somatic nerves (under concious control) and autonomic nerves
(sympathetic, parasympathetic and enteric nerves). This also includes
all the sense organs of taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch.
One of the primary goals of yoga is to gain control over the random
fluctuation of signals from the brain. Some also believe yoga can give
the practitioner control over the entire nervous system.
The lymphatic system consists of bone marrow, thymus gland, tonsils,
appendix, lymphatic vessels, lacteal or chyliferous vessels, and the glands
through which they pass. Lymphatics absorb certain materials such as
excess fluids from surrounding tissues and return them back to the
bloodstream. White blood cells, produced by bone marrow, help protect
the body by destroying viruses and bacteria.
Many yoga postures (asanas) actively seek to assist the lymphatic system.
These postures either massage applicable glands or help squeeze excess
fluids into and out of various tissues.
A number of small organs and glands make up the endocrine system. Glands
such as the hyperthalamus, pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal,
ovaries, and testes produce various hormones that regulate mood, growth,
development, tissue function, and metabolism.
Some believe various yoga poses, such as shoulderstand, can stimulate
healthy functioning of these systems.
The organs of digestion consist of the mouth, throat, stomach, small
intestines, large intestines. These organs prepare the food we consume into
a form from which the body can derive nutrition. The liver, pancreas,
and gallbladder also assist in breaking down our food.
The organs of elimination consist of the kidneys, renal artery/vein,
ureter, urinary bladder, urethra, and rectum.
Like the lymphatic and endocrine systems, many yoga postures actively
assist both the digestive and elimination systems. Furthermore, almost
all yoga traditions suggest diets that have been shown to improve overall
health.
| Gray, Henry, et.all, Gray's Anatomy, Descriptive and Surgical,
Running Press, 1974 |
| Sieg, Kay; Adams, Sandra, Illustrated Essentials of Musculoskeletal
Anatomy, Fourth Edition, Megabooks, Gainsville, FL 2002. |
| Feuerstein, Georg, The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga,
Shambhala Publications, Boston, MA, 1997. |
| Kraftsow, Gary, Yoga for Transformation, Ancient Teachings and
Practices for Healing the Body, Mind, and Heart, Penguin Compass, New
York, NY, 2002
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| Web References
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| Yoga Journal
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