David Coulter

'The reslt of an obvious labor of love, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga explains hatha yoga in demystified, scientific terms while at the same time honoring its traditions. It should go a long way to helping yoga achieve the scienfific recognition it deserves. Useful as both textbook and reference, this work is a book that all serious yoga teachers and practitioners will want on their shelves. It will also be welcomed by sympathetic physicians-and there are more of us all the time-as well as physical show more therapists and other health professionals.'-Timothy McCall, M.D., author of Examining Your Doctor: A Patient's Guide to Avoiding Harmful Medical Care (from the foreword to Anatomy of Hatha Yoga)

'Anatomy of Hatha Yoga will be the bible for yoga instructors and practitioners who are seeking in-depth knowledge explaining the anatomy and physiology of their discipline. It will be years, if ever, before anything comes close to surpassing it.'-Michael J. Alter, author of Science of Flexibility and Sports stretch

'Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by Dr. David Coulter contains useful information not only for yoga instructors, but for anyone working with the muscluloskeletal system-physical therapists, bodywork therapists, chiropractors, personal trainers, and massage therapists. I recommend it to everyone who does any kind of bodywork.-Ohashi, author of Do-It-Yourself Shiatsu, Reading the Body, and The Ohashi Bodywork Book

'While not for everyone, this ranks as one of the most impressive books to come our way in the last several years....Advanced students and yoga teachers will want Anatomy of Hatha Yoga as a desk reference and will find themselves consulting it repeatedly in the years ahead.'-Phil Catalfo, Yoga Journal, Nov. 2001

'(Coulter) leads the reader through the intricacies of anatomy systematically, with a watchful eye on the goal: to understand yoga practice better....For example, there ways to accomplish the sometimes awkward feat of isolating the rectus abdomnins muscles in nauli kriya are explained in section on abdominoplevic exercises.'-Rolf Sovik, Yoga International, Jan, 2002

'The book is certianly exhaustive and comprehensive in its scope and depth, offering nsights into such topics as the mechanics of breathing, the various kriyas, and more subtle aspects of yoga practice such as the mudras and bandhas, from a yogic as well as from a Western scientific point of view.'-Jane Sill, Yoga & Health (UK), Oct, 2001

'Every posture is analyzed exhaustively in terms of the muscle and joint actions involved, and there are many tips and observations that will help the student to improve his/her yoga practice.'-Ruth StC Gilmore, Spectrum (UK), Winter, 2001

'(Coulter) writes as simply as possible, with more than 350 drawings and photographs illustrating yoga poses and human anatomy so that a layperson can understand these discussions of complex processes.'-Holly Nichols, NAPRA Review, Nov/Dec, 2001

'Coulter's book is by far the most comprehensive and stands as a definitive statement on the relationship between yogic practice and human anatomy, as anatomy is defined in terms of Western biology and physiology.'-J.S. Alter, Choice: Current Reviews for Academic Libraries, Dec, 2001

'In lesser hands, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga just would not fly. Dr. H. David Coulter's background gives this work the validity that such an ambitious undertaking requires, though, and the book soars....Coulter writes in a clear style, avoids many of the most technical terms, and explains terms that may be confusing.'-R. John Allcorn, New Age Retailer, Nov/Dec, 2001

As the third millennium begins, Anatomy of Hatha Yoga is the only modern authoritative source that correlates the study of hatha yoga with anatomy and physiology. Yoga teachers, personal trainers, medical therapists, or anyone who is curious or troubled about how the body responds to stretching and exercise will find in this book a cornucopia-partly new and partly old-of readable and reliable information. It was written and edited to meet the needs of a general audience largely unschooled in the biomedical sciences, and yet to attract and challenge the interests of medical professionals.-Body and Breath Inc, 2001

Contents

Foreword
Preface
Introduction
Basic premises
Chapter One-Movement and posture
The neuro-musculoskeletal system
The nervous system
Reflexes
The vestibular system, sight, and touch
Connective tissue restraints
Stretching
Three postures
Putting it all together
Chapter Two-Breathing
The design of the respiratiory system
The muscles of respiration
How breathing affects posture
The somatic and autonomic systems
The physiology of respiration
Thoracic breathing
Paradoxical breathing
Supine abdominal breathing
Abdominal breathing in sitting postures
Diaphragmatic breathing
A traditional warning
Chapter Three-Abdominopelvic exercises
Crunches and sit-ups
The foundation of the body
Supine leg lifts
Yoga sit-ups
The sitting boat postures
The peacock
The pelvis and the anatomical perineum
Ashwini mudra
Mula bandha show less