I found Yoga-Fascia, Anatomy and Movement by Joanne Sarah Avison on Amazon. I’d never heard of the author, who according to her bio teaches in London. The  foreword was written by Tom Myers, author of the book Anatomy Trains which is a groundbreaking and intense tome so I went for it. I believe the book to be a great tool for Teachers interested in the Movement and Fascia Importance as well as for practicioners that want to understand the layers of their own body as they take the journey of Yoga Practice.

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YOGA Fascia Anatomy and Movement seeks to bridge the divide between the application of classical anatomy and real-life experiences of practicing and teaching yoga.

This book presents fascia as the tensional network of connective tissues; the fabric of the human form. Research into fascia is revealing a whole new context for understanding the human body both at rest and in motion. Whatever your style of yoga, YOGA Fascia Anatomy and Movement makes sense of the experience of the moving body in and beyond the yoga classroom. It is a groundbreaking and invaluable resource in the contemporary art and science of yoga. The book is written in straightforward and accessible language, and is divided into three parts.

Part 1 examines recent research and the paradigm shift from the classical anatomy of the musculoskeletal system to the new perspective the fascia provides.

Part 2 applies this perspective to the practice of yoga with highly illustrated, clear descriptions of techniques and exercises.

Part 3 considers the metaphysical aspect of yoga and the hidden geometry of our biotensegrity architecture as a metaphor for consciousness.

YOGA Fascia Anatomy and Movement is intended primarily for yoga teachers, but can be adapted for use with Pilates and all other movement training programs. It is also a resource for therapists working in the fields of sport, dance and movement therapy as well as manual practitioners.

 

From a review on line:

 

The result: the book is a masterwork. It is written for an audience of Yoga teachers–and I like that because I believe that if you want to really get into a subject, try to read books written for teachers of that subject. It’s got a whole different tone compared to books written for the masses–it’s an assumption that you, too, are passionate about this subject. There’s no feeling that she has to sell the tickets, cause you’re already on this bus.

Fascia is a newish subject, and one that I haven’t seen a lot of books about yet. I’d love to see a short, snappy, funny and photo-rich Fascia book with easy infographics that appeals to a wide audience…maybe it can come with a tennis ball and a  mat…but until then, we have to accept the challenge of more advanced works.

There are a few moments where I feel like she knows her subject so well that I am not quite getting it, but I suspect that is more my fault for not actually being a Yoga teacher. I haven’t been able to sit down and read it cover-to-cover, I keep jumping around from chapter to chapter, getting up to try things, taking time to think her ideas through. The book is as dynamic as the subject, which says a lot about her depth of knowledge.

I particularly liked that there are drawings and photos but no photos of very well-dressed super-perfect glowy people doing Asana on their stand-up paddelboard.

I particularly liked the back third movement section, and found that more accessible for entry-level people than some of the (albeit super interesting) theory.

And I appreciate that there is NO diet advice. At all. I have noticed many otherwise great movement or exercise books, such as Barefoot Walking and Strong Curves have large  sections on the authors’ ideas about food. Eat more, eat less, eat raw vegan, eat Paleo, eat this not that. Listen, writers, if I want a food book I will get one. Thank you to those who deliver movement content without assuming I need a diet!

Ultimately, I believe this book is going to be like the Velvet Underground, in which it quietly changes the world, becomes a favorite of those who are teaching and writing about the subject and inspires a million people to start a band.

I am going to go ahead and suggest that if you have any interest in Yoga, movement, fascia, bodies or theory around these subjects you seek it out immediately.

Link to amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Anatomy-Movement-Joanne-Avison/dp/1909141011