Yoga anatomy

Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff is a part of a series of books that examine human anatomy through movement. I picked up this book because I have taken some yoga classes. I wanted to know what things to be careful about and what yoga was doing for me.

Yoga is a pretty large topic, so this book only gives a brief overview of the major poses along with detailed illustrations. Key muscles are identified in the drawings. Most poses include a section of notes with some warnings on the potential harm that can occur if the pose is done incorrectly.

The book has fabulous illustrations, which sells the books by themselves. What information that is provided was interesting and helpful. There were a few descriptions that indicate a particular muscle that was then not identified in the illustration. I found this a bit frustrating. Also, the poses are shown at their most extreme, with a few exceptions in which alternate poses are added.

For me, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know how to modify the poses so that I could minimize strain on the knees or how to build up to the complete pose, for example. For that, I think other resources will have to be found. This book is a helpful addition to anyone that has an interest in yoga, but should only be considered as one part of the subject.

The books I select for review are books which I personally select from my local library. I do not receive any reimbursement from authors or publishers or free books. I do provide links to Amazon as a convenience to the readers of this blog. I do earn a small referral pittance which is not even enough to buy a soda.