Bandha Yoga - Scientific Keys to Unlock the Practice of Yoga

Utthita Trikonasana - Extended Triangle Pose
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Trikonasana creates a series of triangles with the body. These actions result in a powerful stretch of the front leg hamstrings, with a secondary stretch of the back leg hamstrings and gastroc-soleus muscles. It also stretches the upper-side abdominal and back muscles.
From “The Key Poses of Yoga”
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The front knee extends.
• The back knee extends.
• The back foot rotates inward 30 degrees and supinates.
• The front foot rotates out 90 degrees.
• The trunk laterally flexes.
• The front hip flexes.
• The back hip extends and externally rotates.
• Both shoulders abduct.
• Both elbows extend fully.
• The cervical spine rotates the head to face upward.
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From “Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses”
by Ray Long MD

Uttanasana - Intense Forward-Bending Pose
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Uttanasana is a symmetrical pose, offering the opportunity to identify asymmetry and imbalances between the two sides of the body. It is also a form of inversion since it takes the head below the heart and is used during periods of rest in the practice.
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From “The Key Poses of Yoga”
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The hips flex.
• The trunk flexes.
• The femurs internally rotate (slightly).
• The knees extend.
• The cervical spine is neutral.
• The shoulders flex overhead.
• The elbows flex.
• The forearms pronate.
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From “Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses”
by Ray Long MD

Parsva Sukhasana - Easy Seated Twist Pose
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Twisting poses connect the upper and lower appendicular skeletons (the arms and the legs) to turn the axial skeleton (the spine and torso). This lengthens the spinal rotator muscles that attach from one vertebra to another, as well as the erector spinae, quadratus lumborum, and abdominal musculature. It is important to understand how moving one part of the body affects another more distant part. This is a central tenet of yoga and is one factor that separates yoga from Western physical therapy. Most Western medical systems look at an isolated region of the body and develop exercises that focus on the structures within that region. Yoga looks at the entire body in a pose, and a pose within the practice, the practice integrated into life, and so on.
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Note how bending the arm that is on the knee turns the trunk, which then turns the pelvis, affecting the legs. The legs and pelvis provide an anchoring counter-force by turning the lower body away from the chest and torso. The shoulder and pelvic girdles are connected by the vertebral column, which rotates to accommodate the twist. The form of Parsva Sukhasana illustrates how a variety of subplots or stories within the pose work together to affect the main theme—turning the upper body in one direction and the lower body in the other.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The hips flex, abduct, and externally rotate.
• The knees flex.
• The trunk extends and rotates.
• The shoulder on the side that holds the knee flexes; its elbow extends and forearm pronates.
• The back-arm shoulder extends; its elbow extends and forearm pronates.
• The cervical spine rotates.
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From "Anatomy for Backbends and Twists"
by Ray Long MD

Danurasana - Bow Pose
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Here the torso and legs form the body of a bow and the arms form the string. Contracting the muscles on the back of the body slackens the string. Keeping the muscles along the front of the body active tightens the bow. Further bending the elbows draws the string and bends the bow. From “The Key Poses of Yoga”
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The shoulders extend.
• The elbows extend.
• The forearms pronate.
• The hips extend, internally rotate, and adduct.
• The knees flex.
• The ankles dorsiflex (extend).
• The trunk extends.
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From “Anatomy for Backbends and Twists”
by Ray Long MD

Ardha Chandrasana - Half Moon Pose
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In this pose, the body weight is on one leg, with one hand extended and touching the floor. The other leg is extended parallel to the floor and acts as an active counterbalance. Freely interpreted, the pose carves a half moon; ideally, it hangs quietly in the sky. All limbs must remain on the same plane, because tipping the leg backwards will cause loss of balance. The Half Moon requires some knowledge of the core pelvic muscles and how to engage them so the leg can move freely.
From “The Key Poses of Yoga”
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The standing hip flexes.
• Both knees extend.
• The raised hip externally rotates.
• The shoulders abduct.
• The cervical spine rotates the head to face upward or remains neutral.
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From “Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses” by Ray Long MD

Urdhva Mukha Svanasana - Upward Facing Dog Pose
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This back-bending pose forms part of the Sun Salutations and Vinyasa Flow sequence. It can also be performed alone to strengthen the upper extremities, open the chest, and tone the extensors of the back.
From "The Key Poses of Yoga"
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The knees extend.
• The ankles plantar flex.
• The hips extend, internally rotate, and adduct.
• The elbows extend.
• The forearms pronate.
• The shoulders extend and externally rotate.
• The trunk extends.
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From "Anatomy for Backbends and Twists"
by Ray Long MD

Supta Padangusthasana: Lying Down Big Toe Pose (Revolving Variation)
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This is a variation of the Supta Padangusthasana pose and is related to Parivrtta Trikonasana. It affects many of the same muscle groups and is a combination of twist and hip opener.
From “The Key Poses of Yoga”
by Ray Long MD
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The hip of the leg on the floor extends and internally rotates.
• The hip of the leg that crosses over the body adducts and internally rotates.
• The knees extend.
• The ankles plantar flex.
• The feet evert.
• The trunk rotates.
• The shoulders abduct and externally rotate.
• The elbows extend.
• The forearms pronate.
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From the book “Anatomy for Vinyasa Flow and Standing Poses”
by Ray Long MD

Bakasana - Crane Pose
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Alignment is as important as strength in this and other arm balances. Engaging the correct muscles provides the necessary force required for stability. Bakasana connects the upper and lower extremities at the inner thighs and upper arms. The powerful muscles of the inner legs—the adductors—are at an optimal length to generate force with the least amount of effort. In Bakasana, the legs use these muscles to grip the arms and create a focus for balance. Firmly extend the elbows to lift the body, placing the center of gravity directly down through the hands. Activate the abdominals to flex and lift the trunk upwards. Flex the hips and knees to draw the feet up, and evert the ankles to open the soles of the feet as the final element of the pose.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The hips flex and adduct.
• The knees flex.
• The ankles dorsiflex.
• The feet evert.
• The toes extend.
• The trunk flexes.
• The shoulders flex, adduct, and externally rotate.
• The elbows extend.
• The forearms pronate.
• The wrists extend.
• The cervical spine extends.
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Excerpt from: “Anatomy for Arm Balances and Inversions" by Ray Long

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana I - Pigeon Pose
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This is an advanced backbend. We illustrate an intermediate variation using a belt to aid in grasping the foot. Pay particular attention to the chest in this pose. Pigeon helps to lift and open the chest by activating the pectoralis minor muscles, located at the upper part of the chest, and the rhomboid muscles, which connect the spine to the shoulder blades. (from The Key Poses of Yoga by Ray Long MD)
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The forward-leg hip flexes, abducts, and externally rotates.
• The forward-leg knee flexes.
• The back-leg hip extends, internally rotates, and adducts.
• The back-leg knee flexes.
• The trunk extends.
• The shoulder of the arm that grasps the foot flexes and the elbow flexes.
• The shoulder of the arm that remains on the floor extends.
• The same-arm elbow extends and the forearm pronates.
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(from Anatomy for Backbends and Twists by Ray Long MD)

Pincha Mayurasana - Feather of the Peacock Pose
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Pincha Mayurasana is a balancing pose in which the body forms the slight arch of a feather. Proper alignment of the shoulders and hips leads to a feeling of lightness and ease in the pose. The deep and superficial shoulder muscles are strengthened as one balances and aligns the shoulder and hip girdles. (from The Key Poses of Yoga by Ray Long MD)
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The shoulders flex and externally rotate.
• The elbows flex.
• The forearms pronate.
• The wrists flex.
• The trunk extends.
• The hips extend and adduct.
• The knees extend.
• The ankles are neutral or plantar flex slightly.
• The feet evert.
• The toes extend.
• The cervical spine extends.
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(from Anatomy for Arm Balances and Inversions by Ray Long MD)

Ardha Matsyendrasana - Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
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This twisting pose, reminiscent of the salmon twisting as it climbs upstream, uses the energy generated by binding the forward arm to the foot and the other arm (behind the back) to the thigh. We illustrate it here in its intermediate variation, using a belt to reel the back arm into the leg. (from The Key Poses of Yoga by Ray Long MD)
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Pink muscles are stretching and blue muscles are contracting. The shade of the color represents the force of the stretch and the force of contraction. Darker = stronger.
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Basic Joint Positions
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• The hip of the leg that remains on the floor flexes, abducts, and externally rotates.
• The hip of the other leg flexes, adducts, and internally rotates.
• The knees flex.
• The trunk flexes and rotates.
• The shoulder of the arm behind the back extends and internally rotates.
• The elbow of the same arm flexes and the forearm supinates.
• The shoulder of the arm that holds the foot abducts and externally rotates.
• The elbow of the same arm flexes.
• The forearm pronates.
• The ankle of the foot that is held plantar flexes.
(from Anatomy for Backbends and Twists by Ray Long MD)

Sacral Nutation

The sacroiliac joint is one of the most stable in the body due to the stout ligaments that surround it. It doesn’t move much—some say it doesn’t move at all. The movement that is available is called “nutation,” which means nodding (as in nodding your head). In nutation the sacrum tilts forward just a little bit between the iliac crests. We can use this movement to deepen forward bends such as Uttanasana. This adds some incremental forward bending from within the pelvis, rather than the lumbar spine, and aids to protect the spine from hyperflexion.....
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Excerpt from: “How to Use “Nutation” to Refine Uttanasana—Part I”

Surya Namaskar
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The Sun Salutations are a combination of poses practiced in series, with each pose successively deepening with every repetition. It is typically performed at the start of the practice, classically upon awakening in the morning. In this way, the Sun Salutations can be viewed as a type of warm-up for the full practice.
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Heat is generated in the body, raising the core temperature and causing the blood vessels on the body surface to dilate. Vasodilatation combines with sweating to dissipate the heat and regulate the core temperature of the body. Sweating also releases toxins from the body.
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The increased heat raises blood flow to the muscles and makes the tendons and ligaments more pliable. Synovial fluid circulates in the joints, carrying nutrients to the articular cartilage and removing debris from the joint space.
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The brain creates “set lengths” for muscles based on regular activity. Sitting in a chair or riding a bicycle on a regular basis signals the brain to set the length of the muscles about the hips for flexion. Consistent practice of Yoga lengthens the muscles, improving range of motion throughout the body. This creates new “set lengths” in the brain. Muscles tend to shorten when we sleep, accounting for “stiffness” in the morning. The Sun Salutations are a variation of ballistic stretching. Use this type of stretch to take the muscles back out to the length that was set in the brain during your previous practice.
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Excerpt and images from our book “The Key Poses of Yoga”.

Use Your Shoulders to Deepen Uttanasana
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In Uttanasana, fix the hands onto the mat and attempt to drag them forward. This contracts the anterior deltoids and draws the upper body deeper into the pose. If you can’t reach the floor, grasp the lower legs or backs of the knees and attempt to pull the hands forward. Activating the anterior deltoids with the hands fixed in place connects the upper appendicular skeleton (the arms and shoulder girdles) to the lower appendicular skeleton (the lower legs and hips). In a forward bend, engaging the anterior deltoids in this manner stretches the posterior kinetic chain, including the hamstrings...
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...At the same time you are contracting the anterior deltoids to draw the trunk forward, engage the quadriceps to straighten the knees. A cue for activating the quads is to lift the kneecaps towards the pelvis. In addition to straightening the knees, this signals the antagonist hamstring muscles to relax into the stretch through reciprocal inhibition. To better understand this physiological mechanism, try doing Uttanasana with and without firming the thighs. Note how the sensation of the stretch changes when you engage the quads....
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Excerpt from: “How to Use Your Shoulders to Deepen Uttanasana”

Alright! Any practitioners here? Yoga saved my life. I was months from back surgery and gave yoga a try. Now almost ten years later better health then ever and haven’t had any back pain for years! Last year I became a certified instructor!

the greatest eye opener for me has been that yoga is a spiritual practice. The asana, or physical portion is one of eight petals. The postures are just preparation for mediation and “union” or “ enlightenment” - ultimately samadhi.

namaste

The thoraco-lumbar complex (TLC) is a multilayered structure composed of the thoracolumbar fascia and the muscles that connect to it. This composition of passive fascial tissues and active muscular structures acts as a corset-like structure that encircles the torso. It plays a key role in maintaining the integrity and stability of the lumbar spine and the sacroiliac joint and is also important for load transfer from the upper limbs to the lower limbs. Engaging the muscles that connect to the thoracolumbar fascia acts to stabilize the spine and trunk.
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Img1 - Cross section of the thoracolumbar fascia with its connections to the abdominal core and erector spinae (at L3).
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Img2 - To further illustrate, consider a cylindrical container of a fixed volume. Decreasing the circumference of the cylinder results in an increase of its height (to maintain the total volume). The torso, with the abdominal cavity, can be viewed in the same manner: tensioning the abdominals acts in combination with the TLF to lengthen the torso and lift and stabilize the lumbar. Think of this concept in conjunction with the Sanskrit term “Uddiyana,” which means lifting or flying up.
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Clinical studies have demonstrated an association between low back pain and inefficient engagement of the abdominals. All of this has implications for the use of Uddiyana Bandha, both for protecting against low back strains and for potentially improving the treatment of low back pain through yoga...
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Img3 - Begin with a (seated) pose like Dandasana. The cue for co-activating the abdominal core and erector spinae is to draw the navel towards the lumbar and lift the lower back. Visualizing the trunk as an hourglass and the anatomy of the thoracolumbar composite as a corset helps to access this lifting and lengthening action.
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Excerpt from our blog post: “Lengthening the Torso in Forward Bends”

The Popliteus Muscle
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The popliteus muscle originates from the outside surface of the lateral condyle of the femur (with a small slip to the lateral meniscus and fibular head) and inserts onto the inside of the back of the tibia. It acts to flex and internally (medially) rotate the tibia when the leg is not weight bearing…
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The key to poses like Lotus, Baddhakonasana and Janu sirsasana is to obtain range of motion of the hip joint, while maintaining congruency of the knee. So before I practice these poses, I typically warm up with some asanas that release the muscles about the hip (first)...
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When working on isolating smaller difficult to access muscles like the popliteus, begin with a couple of short duration visualizations. Don’t try too hard, but simply imagine the action of the popliteus in Baddha konasana (Img2) and gently contract the muscle. Then release and take the counter pose, Dandasana. Repeat the process, picturing the popliteus muscle near the knee joint engaging to synergize flexing the knee and internally rotating the tibia. Several short duration repetitions allows the brain to create circuitry to more efficiently access this important knee stabilizer. Do this process over several days, after which you will be able to engage the muscle at will and with increasing refinement. Use gentle muscular engagement and “ease into and out of” your poses, paying attention to detail. If you experience pain in your stretch, then carefully release and come out of the pose.
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Excerpt from our blog: “Visualization, Biomechanics and Yoga: The Popliteus Muscle”

Your wrists are not an area where you want to “work through pain”...
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Scientific studies have demonstrated that having a strong core can improve the efficiency of your rotator cuff. A strong and efficient rotator cuff leads to improved stability of your shoulder girdle. This decreases load transfer to your wrists in poses where you bear weight on the hands (like arm balances, Dog Pose and Chaturanga).
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Conversely, if your core is weak, or you don’t properly engage it in these types of poses, your cuff is less efficient and your wrists have to bear more of the load. Practicing with imbalances of this nature can lead to a cycle that reinforces the imbalance and, ultimately, injury to the wrist (and shoulders).
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Reducing the risk of harm to your wrists (and other joints) can include decreasing the frequency and duration of poses that load the wrists and correcting imbalances in the postures. If you have developed wrist pain, you should consult a trained medical professional and work under their guidance. Managing wrist pain almost always includes a period of time off and resting from weight bearing poses, usually combined with some light wrist mobility exercises.
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In the interim, I’ve found that Hard Style Plank Pose is a great pose to work on. That’s because it’s awesome for strengthening the core and addressing the underlying imbalance and it doesn’t involve weight bearing on the wrist. Image1-2 illustrate activating the core in this pose. Check our blog for the cues! Images 3-5 highlight the muscles of your rotator cuff (infraspinatus, teres minor, supraspinatus, subscapularis).
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Excerpt from: “Connect Your Cuff to Your Core in Forearm Plank”

Joint Reaction Forces
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Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Muscular contraction and gravity create opposing forces across the joint surfaces, known as joint reaction forces. It is important to spread these forces over the greatest possible joint surface area.
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Joint congruency refers to the fit of a joint’s articular surfaces. A joint is congruent when its surfaces fit together perfectly. Movement out of congruency focuses stress on a small surface area. A large force focused on a small area of articular cartilage can injure it, eventually causing degenerative changes.
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Some Yoga postures have the capacity to sublux or take a joint into an incongruent position. Avoid this by using the joints with a greater range of motion while protecting those joints with limited range of motion.
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From “The Key Muscles of Yoga” by Ray Long MD

Refining the Pelvis in Twisting Standing Poses - Parivrtta Trikonasana
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Always warm up first to acclimate the stretch receptors within the muscles and lengthen the myofascial connective tissue. … Get a feel for rotating the trunk by bringing the opposite hand to the knee or lower leg in an intermediate variation of the pose. This connects the upper and lower appendicular skeletons.
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Img1 Engage the abdominals to turn the torso. This involves activating the lower-side internal oblique and upper-side external oblique muscles.
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Img2 Flex the forward hip by contracting the front-leg psoas and its synergists. The cue I use for this is to gently draw the trunk towards the thigh and imagine lifting the (front) leg towards the trunk. Co-activating the psoas and oblique abdominals flexes the hips and trunk and turns the body from the core. …
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Img3 With the core muscles engaging, the next step is to gently press the hand against the outer side of the foot, ankle, or knee by contracting the triceps and forearm muscles as shown. At the same time, I press the front foot into the mat and gently attempt to drag it towards the hand. This combination forms a lock between the upper and lower extremities. .... Finally, I attempt to drag the back foot towards the midline. My foot won't move, but this cue engages the adductor muscles of the back leg, further drawing the pelvis towards the center of the body.