Anatomy is rarely discussed in detailed during a physical yoga class. Typically, someone would go to a class, work-out and then ask the teacher some questions on some asana (pose), their own limitation or injuries.
How to learn about anatomy
There are many ways to learn about anatomy of the human body. One of the common way is to buy books. If you are practicing yoga, a book that relates yoga and anatomy will be more relevant than to purchase a book solely on the human anatomy that is more appropriate for a person who has knowledge in medical backgrounds.
A recommended book would be Yoga Anatomy book by Leslie Kaminoff. The book is filled with information on the human anatomy and its chapters are arranged based on yoga postures. This book will be good as a start for teachers or a beginner who wants to learn more about anatomy in yoga.
Find a day and pay attention to what your yoga teacher is saying during class. You might have realized that some scientific names are mentioned. Alot of people just let it pass them by as long they manage to get the pose the teacher is asking for. By taking mental note of one or two, you can learn further by asking your teacher about what they have just mentioned in class. It is a subtle opportunity for you to be lead into the further knowledge and understanding of the asana you’ve just did in class.
Another way to learn about anatomy is by attending workshops and specialized classes. There are many workshops that are very niche and specialized. Some yoga centers offer specialized classes to pay more attention to students who wants to learn more deeply on a certain subject on yoga that are not taught much in general classes.
Benefits of learning about anatomy
The benefit of learning about anatomy can help you to understand common health problems and basic physiology. With basic knowledge, you can further identify your own health problems and work on a solution.
This does not mean that you can become a doctor overnight and cure all your health problems but, at the very least, understand the risk of certain habits and body movements that can cause harm to your health.
Besides the physcial body, knowledge in human anatomy can help you identify psychosomatic disorders, which are physical health problems that are caused by mental factors.
Due to the reason of the intertwined connection between the physical and non-physical aspects of our being, we can use yoga (physical movement of asana) to help us heal our non-physical disorders such as stress, anxiety and depression.
No longer is yoga all about getting into pretzels positions or obtaining of supernatural powers, but as a therapy where it helps us to restore balance back to our being.