Functional Anatomy of Yoga: A Guide for Practitioners and Teachers Paperback – August 30, 2014

The only times I could put this book down were when the insights and information were so profound I had to stop and let it soak in. I took a year of college anatomy complete with cadaver lab yet I feel like I have more functional knowledge after reading this book. He makes anatomy interesting and accessible, even fascinating. He presents anatomy based on understanding, not memorization. I feel like my yoga practice is more focussed with this emphasis on which tissues you want the pressure on for each family of poses. It's detailed when that detail is necessary and useful, yet also gives an impressive overview. I love this book and will refer back to it again and again.The information is so practical and pertinent to a yoga practice. He gives clear exercises within the poses to be able to feel what he is talking about. Great book. If you are interested in what is happening in the muscles in yoga poses and understanding why we align poses the way we do, this is the book. I love that it is not dogmatic and it explains why alignment may be different for different people.

I buy a lot of anatomy books, but I can't read very many of them. Far too many are merely picture books with line drawings in them of bones, muscles, body parts labeled with latin sounding names. This book by contrast is readable. It has paragraphs, diagrams and photos. Like a well sequenced yoga practice the ideas flow organically. I suggest you read the book in order, cover to cover and I would not say that about most anatomy books.As the title suggests this is an anatomy book for practitioners of yoga. Whether you are a student or a teacher you can learn how your body works. I think even if you are med student you may like this book as it will help you understand you patients. This book is written from a very human perspective. Most anatomy books by contrast are very dry. If reading this book gets you interested in yoga, even better.The dvd by David Keil was also helpful.

This book has helped me as a practitioner and as a teacher. David has put a lot of work into explaining very complicated subjects in a simple way. Whether you want to simply know why you can't do a pose or you want an in-depth description of all the pertinent anatomical structures and how they come together to produce movement you will enjoy this book! As a side note, his adjustments are top notch and his yoga adjustments DVD explains how he analyzes and approaches the application of external mechanical forces to help others achieve a deeper posture. His body of work demonstrates he is more than just a pretty face using gut intuitions to "feel" the poses. He actually knows what is happening or not happening and how to explain it. I know I spent a long time working with intuitive teachers who were really nice people, but nobody has helped me grow my practice and my understanding of anatomy more than David Keil. He is a top-notch professional and having worked with him in person I can say he is also a really nice guy!

Far and away one of the very best books on anatomy for yoga teachers and practitioners. David makes the information so accessible. He has a conversational writing style, and organizes the information in such a way that you are not overwhelmed, and easily "get it". Only a few yoga teachers are blessed to have a background in anatomy, so for some of us the subject can be intimidating. But, understanding anatomy is essential, I believe, for a yoga teacher. It doesn't hurt if you're a student, either - which we all are. I have struggled for years reading about anatomy, and attending workshops on anatomy, but finally "broke through" with David's help. His DVDs are great too, and so is his website. I'm also taking his online course which is superb. David's background as a kinesiologist, and yoga practitioner, come together with his personality, to create the perfect forum for the subject. Thank you, David. You are now my "go-to guy" for anatomy for yoga.

Great functional anatomy book! I would recommend (along with the online course) to anyone taking any YTT 200 hour course. During training, there is often not much time available to dig deep into anatomy. This book has accessible terminology, easy to understand explanations, excellent application to yoga postures, and covers everything you need to know (and more, if you really want to geek-out). The online component, if also purchased, can be completed at your own pace. I completed it before beginning my YTT200. When we came to the anatomy portion of the training, I felt comfortable and familiar with terminology and basics, so I got a lot more from the training than I would have it it were all brand new information.

This book helped me form an understanding of how my body is moving during yoga practice. It definitely enriched and informed my practice, and provided guidance and direction on how to approach asanas that are challenging. It also helped me understand why they are challenging and what is it in my particular body that makes them so. The book inspired an appreciation for the amazing complexity and design of the physical body and its workings.My criticism of the book is that illustrations oftentimes did not align with the text. At times i had a hard time following the narrative and how it related to the pictures. I felt like i wished the pictures were better labeled and more relevant to the specific concepts/terms mentioned in the text. This is coming from somebody who knew nothing about anatomy when she picked up this book. Perhaps this would not be an issue for someone who is already familiar with basic anatomy.As a complete novice to the topic i also found myself wishing that there was some kind of diagram of the whole body for easy reference.