Amrita 6: Asana through the ages - Magazine - Page 79
And that’s the concept of pre-tension, one that we bring to life in yoga
with every breath we take. Joanne Avison has been talking about useful stiffness in yoga for years. (4) She is among
the most vocal of the biotensegrity
protagonists encouraging the application of its principles into functional application. John Sharkey is another
protagonist of the movement to recognise the tensional matrix of fascia
as a key element of the locomotor
system and is a key proponent of softfix cadaveric dissection for movement
professionals.(5) (6)
There are many ways to teach connectedness. In this era of deep division
and polarity, our anatomy for yoga
conversation now has the language to
teach connection from a structural
perspective. It’s an exciting time to live
through the shifting paradigms, and as
a yoga teacher, you have so much
power to embody the lived experience
of biotensegrity in practice. Enjoy! A
REFERENCES
1
Scarr G. Simple geometry in complex organisms. Journal of bodywork and
movement therapies. 2010;14(4):424-44.
Levin S, de Solórzano SL, Scarr G. The significance of closed kinematic chains to
biological movement and dynamic stability. Journal of bodywork and movement
therapies. 2017;21(3):664-72.
2
Dick TE, Hsieh Y-H, Dhingra RR, Baekey DM, Galán RF, Wehrwein E, et al.
Cardiorespiratory coupling: common rhythms in cardiac, sympathetic, and
respiratory activities. Progress in brain research. 209: Elsevier; 2014. p. 191-205.
3
Avison JS. Fascial form in yoga. In: Schleip PhD R, editor. Fascia: The Tensional
Network of the Human Body: The science and clinical applications in manual and
movement therapy, 1e: Churchill Livingstone; 2012.
4
Sharkey J. Regarding: Update on fascial nomenclature-an additional proposal by
John Sharkey MSc, Clinical Anatomist. Journal of bodywork and movement
therapies. 2019;23(1):6-8.
5
Sharkey JM. BioTensegrity-Anatomy for the 21st Century 2015 [Available from:
http://www.johnsharkeyevents.com/blog/2015/3/11/biotensegrity-anatomy-for-the21st-century.
6
KAREN KIRKNESS, MFA & MSc Human Anatomy, is a passionate yoga practitioner with 20+ years’ experience. Originally an Ashtangi, Karen’s
style incorporates power, precision, and fascination with helical patterns found throughout nature. Her teaching is informed by early influences
of endurance sports, performance art, and more recently, motherhood. She weaves threads of theory, creativity, and healing into her lively,
fascia-aware, nonlinear approach to yoga that you will soon find in print as Spiral Bound: Integrated anatomy for yoga from Handspring
Publishing https://www.handspringpublishing.com/our-authors/karen-kirkness/
Karen is a Senior Yoga Teacher with the Yoga Alliance Professionals, and PhD candidate with research in Medical Sciences and Anatomy
Education at Hull York Medical School. Karen founded her yoga studio (https://meadowlarkyoga.com) prior to 2010 and since then has
embraced an inter-lineage approach to yoga. She seeks to facilitate a constraints-led journey toward self-care and personal growth for all. She
presents creatively in both art and science festivals and is a member of the Anatomical Society and the International Symposium of Clinical
and Applied Anatomy. Karen lives with her husband Simon and their two toddlers in the Scottish Borders.
www.karenkirkness.com/Yes_I_Want_Spiral_Anatomy | www.instagram.com/karenkirkness/?hl=en
www.yogaallianceprofessionals.org
AMRITA Issue 6 / Spring 2021 77
