The Yoga Engineer's Manual: The Anatomy and Mechanics of a Sustainable Practice

by Richelle Ricard, LMT

Overview

An innovative yoga manual for teachers, trainers, and advanced students—craft a safer, more effective yoga practice informed by anatomy, physiology, and biomechanics.

Supplemented with more than 100 illustrations and photos, The Yoga Engineer’s Manual makes yoga anatomy simple, clear, and accessible. With tips, tools, and practical advice for on-the-mat applications, this essential resource is written for yoga teachers and practitioners of all traditions. It offers a step-by-step, layer-by-layer examination of the connection between our physical and energetic bodies, their activation through finding one’s best personal alignment, and methods for utilizing asana practice to explore the deeper nature of the Self.
 
To experience the full benefits of yoga, author and yoga teacher trainer Richelle Ricard explains that we need to start with understanding the body: its mechanics, physiology, and our own individual strengths and limitations. Too often, outdated yoga modalities and rote memorization fail trainers and students with a one-size-fits-all approach. The Yoga Engineer’s Manual introduces the functional anatomy, postures, asanas, and yoga-classroom skills that teachers need to confidently lead safe
and effective classes that work for all students. Ricard also includes exercises, study guides, and supplemental materials for an interactive and continuous learning experience.
 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781623176341
Publisher:	North Atlantic Books
Publication date:	08/17/2021
Sold by:	Penguin Random House Publisher Services
Format:	eBook
Pages:	368
File size:	19 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

RICHELLE RICARD, LMT, is an educator, bodyworker, and movement specialist whose work across the Pacific Northwest and beyond has earned her notoriety as the "Anatomy Girl." She has been teaching yoga teachers
about anatomy, kinesiology, and preventing injury in asana practice since
2008. Her own twenty-year asana practice has shown her the value of critical thought regarding alignment and execution, and it brought her deeper into understanding of the How and Why we practice yoga. She has written curricula for teacher trainings worldwide and hopes that, together, the yoga teachers of the world can shift out of a practice of rhetoric and regurgitation and into a closely observational style of teaching that honors the individual as well as the deeper energetics of asana practice.
 
Richelle is currently devoted to designing online support courses for The Yoga Engineer’s Manual and her other teacher training programs, as well as continuing to teach yoga and provide clinical bodywork to her community. Her favorite escapes from her various realities are beaches,
mountains, novels, and a long hot bath. Really good tequila also helps.

Table of Contents

Preface xi

1 Perspectives on Practice and Teaching 1

2 How to Use This Book 7

3 Terminology and Reference Points 13

4 Relevant Human Systems 21

5 Fundamentals of Physiology and Kinesiology 39

6 Integrating Anatomy into Practice and Teaching 45

7 The Spine and Core: Structure and Nature 57

8 The Spine and Core: Principles of Teaching and Practice Mechanics 87

9 The Lower Extremity: Structure and Nature 127

10 The Lower Extremity: Principles of Teaching and Practice Mechanics 177

11 The Upper Extremity: Structure and Nature 227

12 The Upper Extremity: Principles of Teaching and Practice Mechanics 265

13 Unifying the Practice 325

Artwork Attributions 327

Contributors 329

Acknowledgments 331

Index 337

About the Author 353

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"A must for your yoga library! Practical and insightful (with a dash of humor), this book is a must-read for students and teachers who want to create a sustainable yoga practice that can last a lifetime."
—RACHEL SCOTT, MSc, MFA, ERYT 500, YACEP, author of Living Yoga

"Richelle has a unique gift for translating functional anatomy into a language everyone can hear. She keeps it real and relevant, always connecting the dots of how what we do on the mat affects the engineering of our body well beyond asana."
—ERIN TAYLOR, RYT, founder of Athletes for Yoga and author of Hit Reset

"Richelle Ricard will challenge you to question asana cues you’ve either heard 1,000 times or uttered yourself. She boldly disrupts our assumptions and asks that we open our minds and pay exquisite attention to what is arising in our bodies as we practice. You will be a more skillful yoga teacher if you read this book!"
—KAREN SCHWISOW, ERYT 500, founder of Three Trees Yoga Teacher Training

Editorial Reviews

"A must for your yoga library! Practical and insightful (with a dash of humor), this book is a must-read for students and teachers who want to create a sustainable yoga practice that can last a lifetime."
—RACHEL SCOTT, MSc, MFA, ERYT 500, YACEP, author of Living Yoga

"Richelle has a unique gift for translating functional anatomy into a language everyone can hear. She keeps it real and relevant, always connecting the dots of how what we do on the mat affects the engineering of our body well beyond asana."
—ERIN TAYLOR, RYT, founder of Athletes for Yoga and author of Hit Reset

"Richelle Ricard will challenge you to question asana cues you’ve either heard 1,000 times or uttered yourself. She boldly disrupts our assumptions and asks that we open our minds and pay exquisite attention to what is arising in our bodies as we practice. You will be a more skillful yoga teacher if you read this book!"
—KAREN SCHWISOW, ERYT 500, founder of Three Trees Yoga Teacher Training

"... essential information for every yoga teacher. Richelle brings to light the many ways that one single cue for the alignment of a pose cannot serve everybody. She tackles the important information on how anatomical difference needs to be considered in every pose and how to adjust each pose for those differences."
—SUZY GREEN, RYT E500, C-IAYT 500 Yoga Therapy, owner of Three Trees Yoga Teacher Training

"The Yoga Engineer’s Manual is a remarkable resource for conveying the complex subjects of anatomy, biomechanics, and special conditions in a way that is simple to read due to its smart organization and excellent images and visuals. Richelle has created a truly great book for teachers, students, therapists, schools, and trainers! A must-have for every practitioner who loves their body and practices yoga." 
— STEPHANIE ADAMS, ERYT 500, YACEP, OES, ACE PT, author of Cancer Exercise Specialist Yoga

"Have you had students develop pain during or after class? Do you wonder if there’s something wrong with what you’re teaching? There might be, but it’s not your fault and there is help! The yoga industry is not supposed to replace physical medicine, and yet many people will try yoga before they seek medical help—hoping to ‘fix’ themselves in your class. Thanks to yoga’s impact on the nervous system, people often do find relief from various problems without extra guidance. But ... just as many people get hurt and quit yoga forever. Let this anatomy-informed yoga field guide ... serve as the remedy. Richelle Ricard’s extensive experience with massage therapy, yoga, and teaching informs her deep understanding of functional anatomy in this wonderful resource for teachers and students alike."
— YA-LING J. LIOU, DC, author of The Everyday Pain Guide and founder of Stop Everyday Pain

From the Publisher