Anatomy for Yoga Teachers: Tyler’s Story

Ever wondered what it’s like to learn anatomy for yoga teacher training? Well, as yoga instructor Tyler discovered, it can be hard!

In this interview we talked to Tyler about feeling overwhelmed by everything there is to learn in anatomy, the importance of anatomical knowledge as a yoga instructor, why she chose to study with Kenhub and how we helped her to learn to love anatomy.

Her advice to you? It’s never too late.

Here’s everything Tyler had to say.

Icebreaker Questions

What’s your favorite section of Kenhub?

My favourite section of Kenhub is the Anatomy section. Because I teach yoga, I am particularly interested in the way muscles work together as well as the bone structure of the human body. I really love watching the videos and then practicing with the quizzes. I have learned so much that I can apply to my day to day life and personal physical fitness. I cannot wait to keep learning more.

Favorite anatomical region?

The lower extremities. I could not imagine life without running, jumping and dancing. I love to be in movement.

You're stuck on a desert island. What body part will come in most useful?

My hands. Even if I had to drag myself around with no legs, I could at least manage to find food and eat. What a terrible prospect!

Anatomy for Beginners

What first brought you to Kenhub and how did you know it was right for you?

I was sitting in an anatomy lecture and felt so lost. I was an eager student, but the instructor was so advanced in her knowledge she could not break it down into comprehensible parts for me. I really wanted to learn the material for my own personal life and for my profession. I did an online search while I was lost during one of my instructor's lectures and I found Kenhub. I took a look, joined, and was hooked. Suddenly anatomy was open to me again and I was thrilled.

How was studying anatomy different to what you had studied in the past, and how did you approach learning a new subject?

I have a Master of Arts degree in Teaching so I am rather aware of how I learn and the best ways for me to study. I was unable to assimilate any of the information I was reading on anatomy before Kenhub. Then once I began to watch the videos and take the quizzes reading about anatomy suddenly made sense.

What was the biggest challenge for you in learning anatomy? How did Kenhub help you to get around it?

When I first started studying anatomy I was absolutely overwhelmed. I had no background in the subject and my instructor was so knowledgeable that I could not absorb anything from her. If I had not genuinely wanted to learn the subject, I would have quit. Kenhub literally stopped me from doing that. Once I started familiarizing myself with the site and prioritizing what I wanted to learn first, I finally enjoyed studying anatomy.

Which media type (articles, videos, quizzes, atlas) at Kenhub has been most useful for you, and why?

The combination of videos and quizzes have helped me the most. I watch the videos multiple times and absorb more each viewing. Quizzes are great. They help me track my progress and make my learning more active than passive.

Yoga Anatomy for Teachers

You work as a yoga teacher. Tell us a little about your work and the relevance of human anatomy within it.

The reason I started teacher training in first place was because I realized I did not understand enough about my own body to keep it as healthy as I wanted to into my later years.

I was an athlete and dancer and have always been active, but as I started practicing more yoga I realized that I really did not have a deep understanding of how everything in my body worked together. I knew that if I inadvertently repeated negative physical patterns that they would manifest themselves later in life. I so wish that I had learned all of this years ago. What a difference it would have made. But it's never too late.

How has Kenhub helped you in your career as a yoga/pilates teacher?

I was intimidated by anatomy before I found Kenhub. My intuitive knowledge about the body and my own psychical fitness served me well for many years, but it was not enough to serve the diversity of bodies and students I see.

What has Kenhub taught you about learning anatomy?

Kenhub has made anatomy something that I genuinely love to study and has given me a platform where I can actually learn the information and apply it to my day to day life both work and personal. In addition to teaching yoga, I interpret between Spanish and English in medical offices. Kenhub has given me a lot more confidence in actually understanding the science and not just the language.

Is there any advice you'd like to share with yoga/pilates students just starting out in their anatomy education?

Anatomy is your friend. Anatomy will only help you and make you a better student and teacher. The human body is beautifully complex and there is always something more to learn. Just jump in and start.

Tyler is a yoga instructor in Napa, California. You can find out more about her here.

Are you trying to learn anatomy for yoga teacher training and wanting to pull your hair out? Trust us: it doesn’t have to be so hard. Make like Tyler. Sign up with Kenhub today and find out how you can learn to love anatomy, too.