Today a yoga teacher needs to offer a whole package of holistic learning rather than just teaching yoga asanas. Why does this part of the body feel better when I do this pose? Does my diet affect the energy in my body? A good yoga teacher should have the answers to these questions. And that is the reason why a yoga teacher not only has to study ancient traditional medicine but at the same time also has to study the anatomy of the human body and understand how it relates to yoga.
Let us see 6 reasons why studying anatomy is so important for yoga teachers.
1. To increase the effectiveness of yogasanas
By studying anatomy in yoga, as a teacher, you will acquire a deep understanding of the bones, muscles, and joints in the body and how they help in movement. This further helps you get know-how on the correct execution and alignment of asanas. Then you come to know the benefits of certain types of poses like which yoga asanas promote better sleep or help in good digestion. Once you study the anatomy of the body, then you can learn the effects of yoga exercises on the human body.
2. Protect the body from injuries
Being a yoga teacher, it is primarily your responsibility to ensure the safety of students and prevent injuries while they perform yoga poses with you. Some students may even have prior health problems or injuries which a yoga teacher has to take care of while training them. Based on your studies for functional anatomy, you will learn how to maintain correct body posture during yoga poses. This will help you guide the students in the proper direction, thus preventing injury or discomfort caused due to incorrect body posture.
3. To achieve the full benefits of yoga
Yoga helps people mentally and physically. So to get full benefits from doing and teaching yoga, one must learn the anatomy of the body. Once you learn the do’s and don’ts of yoga physiology, then the correct energy channels can be activated in your body which can positively affect your overall well-being.
4. To guide students correctly
A While conducting classes, the yoga instructor needs to guide students correctly so they can do yoga easily and safely. Therefore, it is very essential to acquaint yourself with each part and function of the body so that you teach students in a safe environment. Ultimately, you can guide students on what works best for them according to their body type and need. For instance, females shouldn’t do headstands during their periods.
5. Career Growth option
When you learn anatomy as a yoga student or even as a yoga teacher, you can then interact with doctors, physiotherapists on different levels and even attend physiology conferences. This increases your career prospects in the yoga field wherein you can apply for multiple roles.
6. Gives you a confident approach
By gaining complete knowledge of the body structure, then as a yoga teacher, you can practice or teach yoga with more confidence and clarity. This will add to your credibility in teaching yoga asanas and will also help your prospective yoga students.
To sum up, yoga is not just a type of physical exercise. It is a fine blend of ancient physiology and modern techniques for overall health benefits. Without a doubt, a yoga teacher should have a good knowledge of anatomy to practice correct yoga poses and keep their students safe and healthy.
