Yoga Anatomy Homework for October 22, 2009

Here's a homework assignment based on Wednesday's class:

As if you were speaking to a beginning student, BRIEFLY explain (in your own words) how the contraction of the diaphragm creates 3-dimensional expansion of the chest cavity.

Also, in preparation for next week's class on the accessory muscles, please review the text and video at the following links from Ray Long's Bandhayoga website:

http://bandhayoga.com/keys_access.html
http://bandhayoga.com/keys_access2.html

I'd like to know what you think about the info, so please feel free to send me your comments.

Yoga Anatomy Homework for October 15, 2009

Sorry this took so long, but we finally hope to have our e-mail list and blog distribution up and running as of today.

This Yoga Anatomy blog is where I will post links, homework, announcements and other items of interest. Its subscription is only open to people who have participated in trainings, intensives and workshops that I've taught. If you're not in my NYC classes, but have questions, please feel free to use the "Comments" feature of the blog below. No anonymous comments, please.

For this week, I'm sending you some links about breathing.

Here's something from Mike White's website. He doesn't give his own definition, but lists many perspectives from the World Book dictionary:
Breathing Defined

Here's a page from Andrew Weil's website. Based on our last 3 sessions, see how many red flags get raised by his statements:
Breathing - the Proper Technique

I'd also like you to review the following three breath animations, and be prepared to discuss them in class. No need to reply to any of this, just make some notes about the three, and what you see is right or wrong about them based on our discussions so far.

1. http://www.indiana.edu/~issgraph/breath.html

2. http://www.biotopics.co.uk/humans/inhexh.html

3. http://pennhealth.com/health_info/animationplayer/breathing.html