Yoga teacher, Melina, recently asked me, "Why can't my student straighten her knees in Paschimottasana (seated forward fold) when she can in Uttanasana (standing forward fold)? Her hamstrings seem pretty open. What are the mechanics behind this?"

I've had many students come up to me after a class saying, "My [fill in body part] is really tight! What is a good pose or stretch that I can do to loosen it up?" This or some variation of this question will inevitably come up at some point in a yoga teaching career. A general understanding of the mechanics of a stretch will help you find a quick answer and keep your yogic composure!

Here's another yoga teacher question that I recently recieved:
"Does rocking side to side in happy baby pose massage your kidneys? Does it compress the kidneys, and when you release does it send them fresh blood? I am curious about this in regards to compression of the organs in floor bow as well! 'Fresh blood'- is that a thing?"

In this post I'm getting back to some anatomy terminology! This will be the 3rd and final part of my anatomy language series. Please check out Anatomy Language: Part I and Anatomy Language: Part II if you missed them. There are a few more basic movements that are helpful for yogis and yoga teachers to know. These additions are kind of "special movements", but don't worry! These movements are really only special