Embodied Wisdom: A Weekend of Yoga, Anatomy & Self-Discovery
Move with intention. Teach with confidence. Inspire with wisdom.
For yoga teachers, yoga teacher trainees + experienced practitioners
Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th April 2025 | 10.30am-5.30pm | YQ
Join Andrew for a fascinating journey through the human body, applying all the knowledge back to practicing and teaching yoga.
By gaining a solid, evidence-based understanding of our anatomy and physiology we can empower ourselves to take more control of our own health and wellbeing, reframe the language we use to talk about our bodies (and talk to others about theirs), and ultimately feel more connected to ourselves and our students.
You will come away from the weekend:
Reminded that your body is unique, resilient and robust.
With a deeper sense of awe in the power of the human experience.
With more confidence in your own yoga practice and teaching.
With a stronger ability to discern myth from fact in the yoga world (and beyond!) through the application of critical thinking.
With a clearer idea of how to make your teaching more inclusive, accessible and empowering.
Each topic that we delve into will be related directly back to the asana practice. The sessions will be interactive and experiential and will vary between discussion, lecture, small group work, personal reflection and asana exploration. There will be a strong focus on using knowledge of anatomy to make asana practices as inclusive as possible. A detailed manual will be included.
The weekend is ideal for yoga practitioners with an established practice, who want to learn more about the human body, go deeper in their own yoga practice and develop a teaching style that is up to date, empowering and inclusive. We will explore anatomy to a depth that is appropriate for teaching yoga.
By the end of the weekend, you will feel inspired and empowered. You will have the confidence to breakdown any yoga asana with a clear understanding of the key actions and movements and know how to work with your own unique anatomy and that of your student.
About Andrew McGonigle
Author of Supporting Yoga Students with Common Injuries and Conditions (2021) and of The Physiology of Yoga (2022), Andrew McGonigle has been a passionate anatomy teacher for years. With a background in the medical field, massage therapy, yoga teaching and now anatomy teaching, he has led numerous trainings and workshops around the UK and beyond. Andrew is also part of the YQ Learning Hub Team and teaches Anatomy at our 200h TTC.
A few topics that will be talked about at this training :
An Introduction to Intelligent Movement Principals:
An introduction to muscle looking at its structure and function and how we can apply the knowledge of stretch reflexes to deepen our practice
The structure and function of bone and joints looking at both the importance and limitation of alignment and what limits our movement
Whether yoga alone can reverse bone loss
How a knowledge of fascia can impact our movement on and off the mat
The Nocebo Effect and choosing empowering language
What causes muscle tightness
Flexibility vs mobility
Anatomical language and how this can help us to remember the names of some of our muscles
A Detailed Exploration of the Lower Limbs:
An exploration of our feet and ankles looking at their structure and function and how we can apply this knowledge on and off the mat
Why our knee joints may be vulnerable to injury and how to support them
A detailed look at the hip joints focusing on what makes each of us so unique
Piriformis Syndrome
A Detailed Exploration of the Upper Limbs:
The importance of shoulder joint and girdle mobility and stability in our yoga practice
An evidence-based approach to Shoulder Impingement
Hyperextension of the elbow joint
Why wrist pain is so common in yoga
A Detailed Exploration of the Spine:
An exploration of our pelvis and sacroiliac joints and how to keep this area supported during our asana practice
An evidence-based approach to back pain and prolapsed discs
The anatomy of our core musculature
Increasing thoracic spine mobility
Supporting our cervical spine during inversions
An evidence-based approach to releasing neck tension
This workshop counts towards CPD requirements for Yoga Alliance Members (12 contact hours)..
A detailed manual is included in the training fee.
Both days will run from 10.30am until 5.30pm with a one hour lunch break.
Please choose one of the below options if you would like to join this training. If you choose the deposit option, the remainder of your fee (£140) is to be paid by 15th of March 2025 by bank transfer.