Yoga Anatomy Course
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Learn Anatomy from an Ayurvedic Doctor during our Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training in India
Yoga anatomy is the study of how the body moves through yoga poses: the muscles, joints, and bones engaged in each posture, and how they work together to create safe, sustainable movement. During our Ashtanga yoga teacher training in India, anatomy is taught specifically through the lens of Ashtanga practice, making it one of the most practical parts of the TTC. It is taught by renowned Ayurvedic doctor, Dr. Shashirekha.
Anatomy for Ashtanga: Why It Matters
In Ashtanga yoga, the same sequence is practiced daily. That means the same joints, muscles, and connective tissues are loaded again and again over time. Understanding the anatomical mechanics behind that repetition — what’s being strengthened, what’s being stretched, and where injury risk builds — makes you both a safer practitioner and a more effective teacher.
The anatomy course at Sachidananda Ashtanga Yoga Shala runs alongside Chidananda’s alignment and adjustments classes, so what you learn in the lecture room connects directly to what you experience on the mat. Students consistently find that this anatomical knowledge deepens their understanding of posture corrections and hands-on adjustments during daily practice.
What the Course Covers
The anatomy sessions are lecture-based, led by Dr. Shashirekha C.K. — an Ayurvedic doctor with over 10 years of experience teaching anatomy in yoga teacher trainings in Mysore and internationally. Topics include:
- Musculoskeletal anatomy: bones, joints, muscles, and connective tissue relevant to Ashtanga practice
- Movement analysis: how the body moves through key poses in the primary and intermediate series
- Injury prevention: understanding common Ashtanga injuries and how alignment choices affect risk
- Ayurvedic perspective on the body: how Ayurvedic principles inform physical constitution and recovery
- Modifications and contraindications: adapting poses safely for different bodies and levels
CLASS TIMINGS
Your Anatomy Teacher: Dr. Shashirekha C.K.
Dr. Shashirekha is an Ayurvedic doctor specializing in muscle, bone, and joint injuries related to yoga practice. For over 10 years, she has taught courses, workshops, and tailor-made programs in Ayurveda, diet, Ayurvedic therapies, and yoga anatomy. She is the author of Yoga Body Anatomy: Insights to Muscular Movements, combining clinical precision with a genuine understanding of what practitioners need, whether deepening their own practice or preparing to teach.
For students completing the 200-hour or 300-hour teacher training, this knowledge doesn’t stay on the mat. Understanding the anatomical basis of each posture gives you the language and confidence to explain to your own students why alignment cues matter, and how to modify a pose for injury or limitation, and adjust it safely and effectively by hand. Paired with Chidananda’s alignment course, Dr. Shashirekha’s anatomy sessions give TTC graduates a rare foundation: clinical anatomical knowledge taught alongside daily hands-on practice.
