Body · Reading
The spine
Five regions and seven jobs, from holding you upright to protecting the spinal cord.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Structural anatomy
The spine is a column of vertebrae with discs between them, curving gently so it can carry weight and absorb shock.
It has five regions. The cervical spine, seven vertebrae, is the neck. The thoracic spine, twelve, carries the ribs. The lumbar spine, five, bears the most load. The sacrum joins the spine to the pelvis, and the coccyx, the tailbone, is at its base.
The spine holds the body upright, carries its weight, lets it bend, extend and rotate, absorbs shock through its curves and discs, anchors muscles and ribs, gives passage to the nerves, and protects the spinal cord.
Diagram
Practices
Balasana
Child's pose
Child's pose. Kneeling and folding forward to rest, the forehead to the floor.
Cat–cow
Marjaryasana and Bitilasana. On hands and knees, rounding and arching the spine with the breath.
Utthita Trikonasana
Extended triangle pose
Extended triangle pose. A wide-legged side stretch that keeps both legs straight and the chest open.
Salabhasana
Locust pose
Locust pose. Lying on the front, lifting the chest and legs together.
Navasana
Boat pose
Boat pose. Balanced on the sitting bones, legs and chest lifted.
Plank
Phalakasana. The body held in a straight line on the hands and toes.
Vasisthasana
Side plank
Side plank, named for the sage Vasishtha. Balanced on one hand and the edge of one foot.
Savasana
Corpse pose
Corpse pose. Lying still at the end of practice, letting the body and breath settle.
Related
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 11–12, anatomy cards