One way to do that is by studying the Human Body.  Regardless of your yoga style or technique, the human body remains a constant across all Asana traditions.  This class is your window into the workings of this miraculous container we travel in.

We will review and discuss:

• Anatomy and Physiology Basics–terminology, tissues, structures and functions
• Mechanics of Movement–concepts of movement and how to be more observant of these in our students
• The Nervous System–the brain, learning, reflexes and the mind
• Common Injuries–modifications, healing and what to avoid
• Posture-specific Analysis– risk and modifications

This is not a “name the muscles” class.  We dive in deep and work on concepts that will help enrich your experience of your yoga practice, bring more awareness and intelligence to your sequencing, and help make you a better observer of your students. This workshop will help build skills that make you a better yoga teacher.

The next class is scheduled as follows:

Date: January 10th & 17th (two consecutive Sundays)

Time: 1 P.M.-7 P.M each day; starting promptly at 1!

Place: New Seattle Massage Classroom–4519 1/2 University Way NE, Seattle WA 98105

Cost:  $125–includes instruction and all materials, 12 CEU’s for Yoga Alliance RYT’s

Registration forms will be sent by email.  If you want to attend, please leave your contact info in the “Comments” section below, or email functional.anatomy@unitytherapeutic.com with any questions.   (This email is monitored for this class only and will be terminated upon completion of the class.)

Richelle is a massage therapist, yoga teacher and therapist, bodywork educator, and perpetual student of life.  She has been learning and teaching about anatomy, healing, injury prevention and rehabilitation since 1994.  Richelle is eager to share her knowledge with you!

Do you desire a deeper understanding of human anatomy and physiology?  This class goes beyond memorization to explore the various systems that influence a yoga practice.  We will examine and discuss the physiology of:

• The Nervous System—The influence of the brain in sensory perception.
• Muscles—Including common conditions, reflexes and postural patterning.
• Fascia—What is it really and how does it work?
• Joint Structures—General anatomy along with specific mechanism of injury at the most vulnerable joints.
• The Breath—How it fits in…

Along the way, we will discuss how this deeper knowledge can advance our teaching skills through more intelligent modifications, hands-on adjustments and sequencing.

Richelle Ricard is an educator, massage therapist and yoga instructor who has been studying the human body and its miracles since 1994.  She developed a yoga-specific anatomy curriculum in 2007 for yoga teacher-trainees and is eager to offer an advanced version to veteran instructors. More about Richelle here…

• Cost:  $100 (introductory fee—one time rate!)
• Dates:  Saturday, October 31-Sunday, November 1
• Times:  10 A.M. To 4 P.M. (12 hours CEU credits for Y.A. RYT)
• Location:  New Seattle Massage, 4519 ½  University Way NE, Seattle WA 98105
• Contact:   206-931-2949 or functional.anatomy@unitytherapeutic.com (this email is monitored for this workshop only and will be removed when the workshop is completed)

Part 2:  The Nervous System

In this section we will examine the nervous system in greater detail and how massage treatment affects pain through it.  The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord and all the peripheral nerves that go to the muscles, organs and skin.  The nervous system uses hormones and electrochemicals to turn stimulation into sensation and act through movement of muscles and other tissues.  If it happens in the human body, the nervous system is involved at some point.

When we consider the nervous system in bodywork, we recognize two things:  first, that we feel pain because a part of our brain tells us we do…through the use of hormones, it is the modulator of sensation; second, that we feel things because our nerve-endings have sent sensory information to our brain via the spinal cord, our brain makes sense of it, and instructs our muscles to react based on that information.  In certain cases however, the brain is taken out of the equation:  we call this a "reflex".  We have a few reflexes already pre-programmed into our muscles so that when certain stimuli is experienced, the signal goes to the spinal cord and speeds directly back to the muscle as action.  This is a part of the "fight or flight" mechanism; our body’s way of removing itself from a potentially painful event.   Certain parts of the brain eventually get clued into what has gone on during a reflex reaction and records it, a bit like an external hard drive for your computer.

One such reflex is the "stretch reflex".  When a muscle is stretched too far, too fast, the stretch reflex causes the muscle to contract very quickly to protect itself from tearing.   Another is called the "GTO response".   This is roughly the opposite of the stretch reflex; when a muscle bares too much tension, the GTO response causes the muscle to relax all contraction to protect itself from spasm or strain.  Over time these reflexes can make patterned imprints on the brain (that external hard drive), leading to what is typically called "muscle memory".  Some massage techniques work directly with these reflexes to help reduce painful spasms, increase the length and pliability of muscle tissue, and reset the memory of a particular muscle or group of muscles.  Ahhh, pain relief!

We should also consider "gate theory" when speaking about the nervous system and pain relief.   Gate theory states that the nerve signal for pressure sensations are faster and stronger than the nerve signals for pain sensation. That is a handy revelation when most massage treatments employ the application of pressure at some point.  If you apply pressure to tissue that is in pain, the pressure signal "beats the pain signal to the gate", and the brain only acknowledges the pressure sensation.  Ahhh, pain relief!  This may be why we instinctively press on an injury…the pain of a bump, a scrape or even a cut will benefit, at least temporarily, from immediate applied-pressure.

Because the brain uses hormonal information in feeling various sensations, we try to use that to our advantage in bodywork.  Part of what makes a massage such a relaxing experience is that our brain turns off the "fight or flight" response of the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS)–a condition where our brain and body are flooded with stress chemicals such as adrenalin and epinephrine–and turns on the "relaxation response".  This Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is the part of the nervous system that allows the body to recover and heal after high-stress events.   When we massage the skin, muscles and organs, the PNS signals the brain to turn off adrenalin production and increase the production of endorphins, dopamine and serotonin–our on-board supply of pain killers and euphorics.  Our brain slows down our breathing, increases our healing and rebuilding processes, and gives us the sensation of rest and comfort.  Our nerves relax and slow the flow of information and the perception of pain is reduced.  Ahhh, pain relief!

Ultimately, as the communication network between our outer and inner worlds, the nervous system is the key focus in any pain relief treatment. Massage and bodywork can address it very generally in the case of parasympathetic stimulation, or directly when utilizing specific reflexes and circulatory functions.  Over time, regular massage treatment can help inprint the brain with a higher tolerance for painful stimuli and keep the Sympathetic Nervous Response to a minimum.

Check back soon for the last installment in this series: Energetic and Emotional Release.