Author(s): Bernie Clark

Yoga & Body Training

Your Upper Body, Your Yoga, the final book of the Your Body, Your Yoga series, focuses on the shoulders, arms and hands. Your body is unique, and this uniqueness affects your yoga practice. The anatomy and biomechanics of the arms and shoulders are described in varying levels of detail, for the novice through to the experienced teacher. Applying this knowledge to a safe and effective yoga practice holds a few-surprises: you may discover that the traditional alignment cues pervasive in yoga classes are not the best directions for you, given the nature of your body. Where your hands should be positioned and how you move your arms may depend on the bony structure of your shoulders and arms. Included is Volume 5 of the Your Body, Your Yoga series: Asymmetries and Proportions. This volume examines functional asymmetries that need no fixing, as well as dysfunctional ones that do require addressing. Body proportions are highly variable and will affect the way postures are performed by different students. If you have ever wondered why you cannot do certain poses, the answer may become clear when you discover just how unique you are. For students who don't want much detail, there are summaries, drawings and simplifying sidebars to unpack the difficult topics. For yoga teachers, there are sidebars that translate biomechanics into simple instructions for your students. For the enthusiast who wants to delve deeper, there are detailed sidebars and endnotes. Regardless of your level of experience or preferred style of practice, there is much within this book that will challenge, inspire and delight you. Book jacket.