Yoga Body Anatomy by Shashirekha C. K

Author:Shashirekha C. K.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Notion Press
Published: 2017-11-14T05:00:00+00:00

Looking at a superficial dissection, we see that three pairs of muscles overlie the genitals. In both male and female, the superficial transverse perineal muscles course laterally in the shared border of the urogenital and anal triangles, extending laterally from a heavy band of centrally located connective tissue—the central tendon of the perineum—to the ischial tuberosities. The bulbospongiosus muscles in the male encircle the base of the penis; in the female, those same muscles encircle the vagina and urethra. The ischiocavernosus muscles in both the male and female lie superficial to the erectile tissues of the corpora cavernosa, which course from the inferior pubic rami to the body of the penis in the male and to the clitoris in the female. In a slightly deeper plane of the urogenital diaphragm (in both male and female), the deep transverse perineal muscles spread out laterally in sheets that attach to the inferior pubic rami, and the urethral sphincters encircle the urethrae.

A modified Cat Stretch

In addition to the Downward-Facing Dog, which was mentioned in the section on Ashwini Mudra, one of the best yoga postures for helping you come in contact with the delicacy and precision of the root lock is a modified Cat Pose. From a kneeling position, bring your chin to the floor, swing your elbows out and bring the upper part of the chest as low as possible, arching your back deeply and mimicking a cat peering under a couch. Then tighten the perianal region generally. You will immediately notice that the exposed anus in this position brings the sensations toward the front of the diamond-shaped perineum rather than behind, and that even if you squeeze vigorously the gluteal muscles remain relaxed. After you have practiced this pose several times and got accustomed to its associated sensations, you can try to find the same feelings when you apply the root lock in sitting postures.

Agni Sara

Agni Sara, or “fanning the fire,” is a breathing exercise, an abdominal exercise and a powerful stimulus to abdomino-pelvic health. When it is done with full attention and for an adequate span of daily practice, it stokes the fire of the body like no other exercise. But before trying it, we’ll first do a training exercise for active exhalations and then work with a moderate practice—A and P breathing—that is accessible to everyone.

Active Exhalation

During relaxed, casual breathing, you make moderate efforts to inhale and you usually relax to exhale, but all the exercises that follow make use of active exhalations, in some cases breathing out all the way down to your residual volume.

To get an idea of what is involved, try the following exercise: Inhale moderately through the nose, purse the lips and exhale as if you were trying to blow up a balloon in one breath. Try this several times. If you slowly breathe out as much air as possible through the resistance of the pursed lips, you’ll notice that exhalation is accompanied by a tightening of the muscles throughout the torso, including the abdominal muscles, the intercostal muscles in the chest and the muscles in the floor of the pelvis.

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