Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews, co-authors of the best-selling Yoga Anatomy, have spent decades teaching yoga teachers how bodies actually work — and how to bring that understanding into the room with real students. In Fundamentals, they teach together: Leslie drawing on the lineage of Krishnamacharya and Desikachar and a lifetime of breath-centered work, Amy bringing her depth in kinesiology and Body-Mind Centering®. Two perspectives, one conversation, and every idea tested in your own body before it becomes a teaching tool.

TOPICS COVERED

1. Foundations — sthira and sukha as a lens for healthy movement; the cell as a model for the whole system; bone, connective tissue and muscle from the cellular level up; anatomy as a story, and whose story it is; key Sanskrit terms as practical guides.
2. Breathing — the mechanics of breath as shape-change; the diaphragm through Leslie's SLARA formula; accessory muscles; cellular respiration; ujjayi; bandhas; pranayama as breath un-obstruction.
3. Strength, Flexibility & Movement — the joint as a relationship; synovial joint anatomy; balanced joint space; muscle contractions and relationships; what stretching really does; proprioception; "how flexible is flexible enough?"
4. The Spine — evolution of the spine; vertebrae, discs and ligaments; primary and secondary curves; spinal movements; back pain and what to watch for.
5. The Lower Limb — the foot, gait, the knee, the pelvic halves; the lotus dilemma; pathways of weight; building an asana through base of support, center of gravity and range of motion; common cues examined.
6. The Upper Limb — hands, wrists, forearm, elbow and shoulder; hands compared with feet; shoulder girdle compared with pelvic girdle; using the hand as a foot; common shoulder issues.

Resources provided

• Video lessons with Leslie and Amy, combining lecture, imagery and group discussion
• Guided somatic and physical explorations throughout every unit
• Video glossaries of the muscles of the spine, lower limb and upper limb, built on a skeleton with colored tape to show layers and attachments in three dimensions
• A joint actions video glossary covering the spine, sacrum, feet, lower limbs, hands and upper limbs
• An asana library of more than 20 poses, each explored three ways: starting with the breath, joint and muscle actions, and workshop — plus workshops on Uttanasana/Utkatasana, Vinyasa and Cat/Cow
• Drawing, coloring and labeling exercises, and reflective writing prompts
• In-person lesson plans for 10 hours of live exploration
• Pre-approval by Yoga Alliance for the anatomy category of teacher training programs