Anatomy, Physiology and Yogic Physiology
Western anatomy the examiner expects
Know joint classification and the movements available at each joint, the four spinal curves (cervical and lumbar lordosis, thoracic kyphosis, sacral curve), muscle roles as agonist, antagonist and stabiliser, and the three planes of movement. Respiratory essentials: the diaphragm is the principal muscle of inspiration; sternocleidomastoid and scalenes are accessory muscles recruited in laboured breathing. Slow, nasal, diaphragmatic breathing raises vagal tone and heart-rate variability, shifting autonomic balance toward parasympathetic dominance and lowering the stress response, including cortisol over time.
Yogic physiology
From the Taittiriya tradition come five koshas - annamaya, pranamaya, manomaya, vijnanamaya, anandamaya - gross to subtle. The five vayus are prana (chest, inward), apana (pelvis, downward and outward), samana (navel region, balancing and digestive), udana (throat, upward), vyana (all-pervading, circulatory). The three principal nadis are ida, pingala and sushumna, and the three granthis are brahma, vishnu and rudra.
Traps
Questions swap udana with apana, or place samana in the heart rather than the navel. Others mis-order the koshas or imply yoga discards a kosha rather than penetrating it. In applied questions, candidates forget that breath-holding raises intrathoracic pressure and blood pressure - relevant to any hypertensive student.
Rule of thumb
Before judging a contraindication, name the joint, the direction of load, and the tissue at risk; then match that to the student's condition.