Body-Mind Centering® Embodied Anatomy & Yoga Training

Directed by Lisa Clark, Certified Teacher of BMC

Embodied Anatomy is a deep, internal study of the body which goes beyond intellectual and experiential approaches. Movement is explored through the direct experience of our own body systems, tissues and cells. The learning process takes place not just in the mind, but in the body itself and the experience is integrated at the cellular level. In its application to yoga, Embodied Anatomy opens a door to the transformative aspects of yoga and takes asanas beyond a formulaic, external approach and into the subtleties of yoga practice.
Initiating asanas in this conscious, embodied way allows you to freely execute each posture as an expression of your present internal state of being. Your yoga experience is then shaped by the fullness of your cellular involvement rather than dictated by your ability to complete an external form. Static positions transform into dynamic patterns of movement and you, as well as your practice, become enlivened.

There are fourteen courses in this program – twelve on the body systems and asanas and two on professional level subjects (movement repatterning and professional issues & competency).  The courses on the body systems and asanas may be taken individually in any order with no further commitment to the program.  The requirement for entry into these courses is a basic familiarity with yoga asanas.  No prior experience with Body-Mind Centering® is necessary.  To do the professional level courses, you must first complete a minimum of eight body systems courses plus the asana course. Participants who wish to complete the program and receive a Certificate in Embodied Anatomy and Yoga must take all courses in the program, do written and practical homework, do additional outside tutorials, and must have 200 hours of yoga practice (in addition to the hours in our program)

• For the dates click here

To get to the course descriptions click on the course title

• Skeletal System & Yoga
• Organ System & Yoga
• Breathing & Yoga
• Vocalization & Yoga
• Fluid System & Yoga
• Ligamentous System & Yoga
• Endocrine System & Yoga
• Nervous System & Yoga
• Muscular System & Yoga

EMBODIED ANATOMY & YOGA COURSES
Skeletal System & Yoga
The skeletal system gives our body the basic form through which we locomote through space, act on the environment, and sculpt and create the energy forms in space that we call movement. Through embodying the skeletal system, the mind becomes structurally organized, providing the supporting ground for our thoughts, the leverage for ideas, and the fulcrums or spaces between our ideas for the articulation and
understanding of their relationships. In giving us the basic framework for the movement of our mind, this system sets the foundation for the psychophysical qualities of clarity, effortlessness and form. There are three separate skeletal courses:

Lower Limbs, Upper Limbs and Axial Skeleton
Ligamentous System & Yoga
The ligaments coordinate and guide muscular responses and provide specificity, clarity and efficiency for the alignment and movement of the bones. When all of the ligaments of a joint are actively engaged, the movement of that joint becomes highly specific and is carried effortlessly
to surrounding fascia and successive joints.

Organ System & Yoga
Our organs are vital and alive. They provide us with a sense of personal self and organic authenticity. Organs support our postural tone and our feelings, and give volume to our movement.

Endocrine System & Yoga
The endocrine glands are the bridge between the organs and the nervous system and between the nervous system and the fluids. They support the spine and bring dynamic clarity to the chakras. The crystalline psychophysical states that the glands create allow us to experience and understand the universal aspect of self.

Nervous System & Yoga
Experience first occurs on the cellular level. The nervous system records the experience and organizes it into patterns. It can then call forth the experience and modify the pattern by integrating it with the patterns of other experiences. The nervous system is the last to know, but once knowing, becomes a primary controlling system of the body.

Fluid System & Yoga
The major fluids of the body are cellular, interstitial and transitional fluids, blood, lymph, synovial fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid. Related semiviscous fluids are fascia and fat. Their embodied psychophysical qualities underlie presence and transformation, set the ground for basic communication, and play a major role in the counterbalancing of tension and relaxation, rest and action.

Breathing & Vocalization & Yoga
We manifest our state of being through our breath. Through the expressive qualities of our voice, we communicate to the outer world who we are. Breathing and vocalization support each other and are reflected in each other. An understanding of breathing and vocalization provides the foundation for pranayama and chanting. There are two courses on this subject: one on Breathing and one on Vocalization.

Muscular System & Yoga
The muscles establish a tensile three-dimensional grid for the balanced support and movement of the skeletal structure by providing the elastic forces that move the bones through space. Through this system we embody our vitality, express our power, and engage in the dialogue of resistance and resolution.

Fundamentals of Asana Practice from a Body-Systems Perspective In the previously described yoga courses, the theme is the body systems material and how it can enrich yoga practice. In the Fundamentals of Asana Practice, the focus is on asanas and how to choose, build, organize,
adapt, sequence and execute them based on body systems principles. Some of the aspects covered are: building basic elements for ease of execution; balancing and recuperating through associated counterpostures; thematic sequencing of a common thread that weaves the asanas into a unified whole; establishing a beginning, a middle and an end; adapting postures based on individual needs.

Applications in Movement Repatterning for Embodied Anatomy & Yoga (AMR)
In the body systems courses in this program, the emphasis is on establishing a foundation for the personal embodiment of the principles taught. Applications in Movement Repatterning is a professional level course that builds on the skills gained earlier and applies those skills to facilitating others in their yoga practice.
The prerequisite for this course is completion of at least eight body systems courses plus the asana course. Touch and movement are direct, subconscious pathways of communication. There is a synchronicity between them, that when integrated, allows us to help others to find a deep repatterning that bypasses habitual ways of moving. AMR is of primary importance in transmitting the essence of our own embodiment to others and in
opening the internal pathways that underlie the external movement of the body through space.

Professional Issues and Competency in Embodied Anatomy & Yoga
What does it mean to practice and teach Embodied Anatomy and Yoga and how do you transition into this role? This course includes a review of skills and an evaluation of competency, as well as ethics from a yoga perspective (yamas and niyamas).

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Getting to know you...
No prior experience with Body-Mind Centering® is necessary. Participants should have a basic familiarity with yoga asanas.
We would like to know a little about you. If you have not filled out an application with us in the past, please briefly answer the following questions.
What is your experience with yoga?
Number of years of practice? Are you a yoga teacher? What experience have you had with Body-Mind Centering®?
Do you have any physical or emotional conditions that could affect your participation in this program? If, yes, please describe.
Which programs are you interested in, EAY, EDMY (Embodied Developmental Movement & Yoga) or both?
Are you interested in the full EAY and EDMY (Embodied Developmental Movement & Yoga) programs or in individual courses? (If you are not sure, you can always decide later.)
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Time-Schedule EAY Europe

Photos ©Martha Hoelzer, the photos were taken at Sfeer Studio in Chapel Hill North Carolina, USA