For Yoga Teachers & Movement Professionals

Applied anatomy and movement education to help you teach more skillfully, adapt more intelligently, and work more confidently with real human bodies. 

Most yoga teachers receive only a small amount of anatomy education during teacher training — often not enough to confidently understand movement, adapt practices intelligently, or work skillfully with the wide range of bodies, limitations, and injuries that appear in real-world teaching.
 
This pathway is designed to help fill that gap.  

Understanding Movement Beyond Memorization

The emphasis here is not on memorizing anatomy terminology for its own sake. It’s on developing a deeper understanding of movement, biomechanics, musculoskeletal balance, common injuries, and how anatomy directly influences teaching, cueing, sequencing, and adaptation.
 
The work is practical, applied, movement-based, and grounded in years of hands-on teaching experience with yoga teachers, movement professionals, and students from a wide range of backgrounds and abilities.  

Rather than relying on rigid formulas or one-size-fits-all alignment systems, the emphasis is placed on observation, discernment, movement variability, and understanding how different bodies interact with movement in different ways.

What this pathway focuses on

Skeletal & Joint Anatomy

Explore the structure and function of the major joints in the body, including connective tissues, ligament anatomy, movement capacity, and common joint-related injuries.
 
Topics may include:

  • bone anatomy and common bony landmarks 
  • cartilage anatomy and connective tissues 
  • general and joint-specific anatomy 
  • ligament anatomy and joint stability 
  • movement limitations and compensation patterns 
  • scapulohumeral rhythm and shoulder mechanics 
  • common injuries such as ACL tears, disc herniations, and rotator cuff injuries 
  • strategies for reducing unnecessary strain during movement and yoga practice

Muscle Anatomy & Function

Develop a clearer understanding of the major muscle groups in the body, including their location, attachments, actions, and functional roles within movement.
 
Topics may include:

  • muscle anatomy and physiology 
  • open-chain and closed-chain actions 
  • types of muscle contraction 
  • muscular balance and imbalance 
  • how weakness or tightness may appear in posture and movement 
  • strengthening and stretching approaches 
  • stabilizing vs. movement-producing roles of muscles 
  • practical application through yoga asana and supplemental exercises

The Kinesiology of Yoga Asana

Explore yoga postures biomechanically to better understand movement, muscular engagement, stabilization, mobility requirements, compensation patterns, and skillful adaptation.
 
Rather than approaching yoga through rigid alignment formulas, the emphasis is placed on understanding how different bodies interact with movement — and how anatomy can help inform safer, more intelligent teaching.  

Topics may include:

  • which muscles are contracting, lengthening, or stabilizing within specific postures 
  • how structural differences influence movement capacity 
  • common compensation patterns in yoga asana 
  • movement analysis and posture breakdown 
  • balancing mobility and stability 
  • adapting practices for injuries, limitations, or nontraditional populations 
  • understanding the difference between appearance and function in postures

Injury Awareness & Prevention

Develop a more nuanced understanding of common movement-related injuries and how to teach and practice in ways that better support long-term joint health.
 
The emphasis is not fear-based or restrictive, but rooted in developing greater discernment, observation skills, and movement literacy.

Strengthening, Stretching & Movement Variability

Learn how to strengthen and stretch major muscle groups through yoga asana, bodyweight movement, and supplemental exercises while respecting individual differences in structure, mobility, strength, and movement history.
 
This work emphasizes adaptation over rigid formulas and encourages a more thoughtful relationship to movement and physical practice.

Nervous System, Breath & Embodied Teaching

In addition to anatomy and kinesiology, occasional workshops may explore topics such as:

  • stress physiology and nervous system regulation 
  • breathing mechanics and respiratory physiology 
  • yoga breathing practices and the research surrounding them 
  • embodied cueing and communication 
  • how anatomy influences the way we teach and speak about movement 
  • creating learning environments that are both clear and accessible

Ways to study

Standalone Workshops

Shorter workshops designed to explore specific topics in an accessible and practical format.
 
Examples may include:

  • Keeping the knees safe in pigeon pose 
  • The physiology of stress 
  • Breath & the nervous system 
  • Scapulohumeral rhythm for shoulder health
  • The karma of your verbal cues

These workshops are designed to be approachable, practical, and immediately applicable to both teaching and personal practice.

The Happy Healthy Joint Series

A multi-part workshop series focused on the anatomy, biomechanics, common injuries, and movement considerations of the major joints in the body.
 
Topics may include:

  • foot & ankle 
  • knee 
  • hip & pelvis 
  • shoulder girdle 
  • elbow & wrist 
  • spine and axial joints

Each workshop combines lecture, discussion, movement exploration, and practical application through palpation and embodied learning.

Signature Anatomy & Kinesiology Training

A deeper professional training exploring:

  • skeletal anatomy and yoga asana 
  • muscle anatomy and yoga asana k
  • kinesiology of yoga asana 
  • movement analysis 
  • injury awareness and prevention 
  • strengthening and stretching principles 
  • applied biomechanics

This training is designed for those seeking a more substantial and integrated understanding of anatomy, movement, and embodied teaching.

Supplemental Anatomy for Yoga Teacher Trainings

A shorter modular anatomy program designed to support 200-hour yoga teacher trainings and provide a more grounded introduction to musculoskeletal anatomy, movement, and injury awareness.
 
This material can function as:

  • supplemental anatomy education for YTT programs 
  • continuing education for yoga teachers 
  • an accessible entry point into anatomy and movement study

Teaching approach

My approach to teaching anatomy is grounded, conversational, and highly applied.

The goal is not to overwhelm students with memorization or abstract terminology, but to help make anatomy more understandable, approachable, and directly relevant to movement and teaching.  

The work is informed not only by years of teaching yoga and anatomy internationally, but also by extensive experience working hands-on with bodies through movement education and therapeutic bodywork.  

Rather than teaching rigid formulas or one-size-fits-all alignment rules, the emphasis is placed on observation, discernment, adaptation, and understanding how different bodies interact with movement in different ways.

Who this pathway is for

This pathway may be especially valuable for:

  • yoga teachers seeking a deeper understanding of anatomy and movement 
  • movement professionals working with diverse populations 
  • teachers wanting to better understand injuries and movement limitations 
  • practitioners interested in biomechanics and musculoskeletal health 
  • yoga teacher trainees wanting a stronger anatomy foundation 
  • experienced teachers seeking continuing education and refinement 
  • anyone interested in understanding movement through a more practical and embodied lens

Student reflections

“This course gave me so many tools that I could immediately use in my group classes and private sessions. I was thrilled that I could look at a body and have more information about how a particular student may need to modify or adapt a pose to make it more beneficial to their particular body.”
— Jess Blake, Yoga Teacher  

“Jason’s approach was the most thoughtful and straightforward anatomy education I have ever experienced. We explored not only anatomy, but injury prevention and how yoga postures can look incredibly different from one body to the next.”  
— Jessie Zalla, Pilates Instructor & Yoga Teacher  

“Jason used clear, down-to-earth language and creative presentations to make anatomy come alive. He challenged us to deepen our understanding in a congenial setting, without stress.”  
— Ingrid Marcroft & Stephan Kolbert, Studio Owners  

“This course raises the standard of excellence for yoga and movement educators.” 
— Chris Loebsack, Studio Owner

Format and participation

Most workshops and trainings are offered online, allowing students and teachers from around the world to participate remotely.
 
Occasional in-person intensives and retreat-style trainings may also be offered in Montevideo, Uruguay.  

The emphasis throughout is on creating learning experiences that are accessible, practical, interactive, and directly applicable to real-world teaching and movement practice.

Upcoming workshops and trainings

Upcoming workshops, trainings, and continuing education opportunities will be announced here as they become available:

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