Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses

Master the science behind Vinyasa Flow and the standing poses of Hatha Yoga. Dr. Ray Long guides you on a visual narrative through the anatomy, biomechanics, and physiology of this ancient art, decoding each pose along the way. The Mat Companion series provides you with beautifully illustrated, step-by-step instructions on how to use scientific principles to obtain the maximum benefit from your practice. Each book includes the Bandha Yoga Codex, a simple five-step process that can be applied to any pose to improve strength, flexibility, and precision -- no matter what style of yoga you practice.

The Mat Companion series is designed to assist you in understanding the functional anatomy of yoga. Although all yoga poses are interrelated, for learning purposes we have subdivided them into categories according to their general form. This first book of the series shows how to combine Western scientific knowedge with the practice of Vinyasa Flow and the standing poses. In Vinyasa we repeat a foundational series of postures that encircle individual asanas from the other pose categories. This vigorous and aerobic practice combines breathing and body movement to produce heat, warming up the muscles, tendons, and ligaments and generating a detoxifying sweat. Practicing Vinyasa in a heated room enhances these effects. In the first part of this book, we discuss the practical application of Western science to Vinyasa Flow. Following the Vinyasa portion of the book are the standing poses. Learning Hatha Yoga begins with these fundamental postures, which stretch and strengthen the muscles of the lower extremities and open the hips and pelvis. As a result of this practice, activities of daily living, such as standing and walking, feel comfortable and easy. Working the muscles and joints of the lower extremities also stimulates the nerve centers that supply this region, increasing electrical activity in the lumbosacral plexus. This increased electrical activity in turn illuminates the first and second chakras of the subtle body, aiding to remove energetic blockages that develop throughout our lifetime. It is this combination of biomechanical, physiological, and energetic processes that differentiate yoga from other forms of physical activity.

Ray Long, MD FRCSC, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and the founder of Bandha Yoga. He graduated from The University of Michigan Medical School with postgraduate training at Cornell University, McGill University, The University of Montreal, and Florida Orthopedic Institute. Ray began his study of human anatomy and science at a young age under the guidance of his father, David Michael Long Jr., MD, PhD, a cardiovascular surgeon and research scientist. He went on to graduate from The University of Michigan Medical School and became an orthopedic surgeon. Ray was introduced to the alternative healing arts by author and mystic Robert A. Johnson, who taught him about shamanism, dream work, and ceremony. He began practicing yoga while a medical student in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and after graduation travelled to India to study with Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar, his daughter Geeta, and son Prashant. During his time at the Iyengar Institute, Ray spent many hours observing and documenting Yogacharya Iyengar’s personal practice. These observations formed the foundation for much of his later work on combining Western science and yoga. Dr. Long is the author of the bestselling series, "The Key Muscles of Yoga" and "The Key Poses of Yoga" and the "Yoga Mat Companion" series. He teaches seminars worldwide.