Week 1 (Anatomy: Earth) **1. How many bones are in an ordinary human body? Please list as many as you can from head to toe**. Approximately 206. The skull, mandible, cervical spine (c1 (atlas), c2 (axis), c3-7), hyoid, thoracic spine (t1-t12), ribs, sternum (xiphoid process), clavicles, scapula (acronian process), humerus, ulna, radius, carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, lumbar spine (L1-5) sacrum (5-7 fused together), coccyx (1-3 fused together), illacus (pelvis w/ ischial tuberosities and acetabulum), femur, patella, tibia, fibula, tarsals, metatarsals and phalanges. It is worth noting that there is quite a range of different sizes and shapes of skeletons, individual bones and joints that genetically determine our flexibility and healthy range of motion. If one is not born with hyper-mobility (which can range from healthy to unhealthy), no amount of stretching will change that. **2. Approximately how many ligaments are there and what are their function?** About 900. They connect bones to other bones. **3. How many tendons are there and what are their functions?** About 4,000. They connect bones to muscles and the Golgi organs help restrict muscular expansion. Some people have hyper mobile joints as a result of Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. Of the 14 different kinds of EDS which range from mild to deadly, there is one that does not have a genetic signature but can be diagnosed by a medical doctor with a point scale system. Physical therapist and Yoga Instructor, Dr. Libby Hinsley, recently wrote a book about it called Yoga for Bendy People. In it, she recommends a variety of safety measures to avoid preventable injuries for anyone who suspects they or their students may be struggling with this condition which may be as common as 1 in 5 people. She makes the argument that the percentage might be much greater among people who are attracted to yoga (1 in 3 or even 1 in 2). (Anatomy: Water) **4. Approximately how many muscles are there in the human body? List as many as you can from head to toe.** About 600. Examples include: tongue, Sternocleidomastoid (STM), Levator scapula, erector spinae, scalenes, trapezius, rhomboids, deltoids, rotator cuffs (sub scapularus, Supra spinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor), triceps, biceps, brachioradialis, flexors, extensors, digitorum longus, pectorals (major and minor), Serratus, intercostals, diapraghm, heart, abdominals, quadratus lumborum, psoas, illiacus, levator ani, periformis, internal obturators, gamellies, quadratus femoris, gluteus (Maximus, medius, minimus), hamstrings (biceps femoris), quadriceps, abductors (tensor fascia lata or TFL), adductors (gracillius), gastrocnemius, Soleus, tibalis, peronious (longus and Brevis), digitorum longus and so on. **5. What’s the difference between arteries and veins? What is the main function of blood?** Arteries distribute oxygenated blood from the heart and veins return blood back to the heart to receive fresh oxygen. Blood is primarily the main distributor of energy along with many other functions (immunity, repair, distributing information via neuropeptides and hormones (from the endocrine system). Red blood cells form in the marrow of our bones and attach to oxygen molecules via hemoglobin. Red blood cells cannot fit into tight spaces like inside joints, ligaments or tendons, but synovial fluid can. **6. Approximately what percentage of the water in our body is lymph and what is its main function?** The average percentage of water in our body is about 50-60%. About 90% of that water is lymphatic fluid. Lymphatic fluid helps to remove viruses, bacteria and debris from our tissues via the interstitium (connective tissue matrix) that spans from the surface of our skin down the core of our bones, encapsulating muscles and allowing them to move. The lymphatic fluid does not get circulation unless there is movement, which is why it is good to walk, run, dance, or better yet adopt a regular regimen of asanas to maintain mobility, longevity and quality of life. (6 Divisions of Sanskrit literature) **1. Give the two major sections of Sanskrit literature. Then give the two forms of sacred literature and differentiate between these two.** - Sanskrit literature is divided into sacred and secular. - Sacred Sanskrit literature is further divided into: orthodox and heterodox. - Orthodox systems accept the Vedas as authoritative whereas heterodox systems like Buddhism and Jainism do not. **2. Name the six divisions of Sanskrit literature and briefly describe each. Make sure to include the six schools, as well as the founder for each.** 1. Shruti: That which is “heard”. Shruti means the Vedas. These are the timeless truths passed down from perfected beings to the great sages. 2. Smirti: that which is remembered. Smirti are the “commanding scriptures" or codes of Vedic culture. These are not man-made ideas but "laws" like the law of seeds. a. injunctions (what needs to be done) b. prohibitions (what should not be done) c. mahavakyas (teachings on ultimate reality and our identity with it 3. Itihasa: "Friendly" texts The Itihasa's explain Vedic truths via stories and dialogues between gods and men. The four Itishashas are the Ramayana, Yoga Vashishtha, Mahabharata, and Harivamsa. 4. Purana: Devotional treatises The Purana are Itihasas with a devotional nature. They were compiled by the great Sage Vyasa and include 18 major and 18 minor works. These deal mainly with cosmology, descriptions of the 25 avatars, the future, and genealogy of kings. 5. Agamas: Philosophical texts and manuals of divine worship In general, the Agamas are dialogues between gods and include mantras and yantras. They are non-Vedic in origin (but not anti-Vedic). There are 3 main divisions of Agamas: Vaishnava Agamas, Shaiva Agamas, and the Shakta Agamas. 6. Darshana: The six philosophical systems based on the Vedas a. Nyaya - Akshapada Guatama c. 500 b. Vaisheshika - Kanada Rshi c. 500 or 600 BCE c. Sankhya - Kapila Muni (or Ishvarakirshna) d. Yoga – Master Patanjali e. Purva Mimamsa (Jaimini – disciple of Vyasa) f. Uttara Mimamsa – primarily Veda Vyasa **9. Why was it forbidden to write (or translate) the Vedas and what is the problem with doing so? Why would Vyasa have done so?** The Vedas were considered timeless—they were alive and able to change with age. Writing them down freezes them and doesn't allow for any flux or adaptation to the different needs of different people at different times, their intellectual capacities, etc. One might suppose that in the 'degenerate age' that the Vedas were being lost and Veda Vyasa saw that written Vedas, though against the code, were better than no Vedas at all. (Niyamas) **1. Define *niyama*.** In the Yoga Sutra, Master Patanjali outlines his code of ethics in terms of the yamas and niyamas. The yamas are actions one should “restrain” from doing, whereas the niyamas are actions we should embrace. **2. Name and briefly describe the first niyama.** The first niyama is shaucha, or cleanliness. In this context, cleanliness refers to both physical cleanliness as well as what you put into your body and mind. **3. How might you practice this niyama in our life, and if you did, what would be the result of these seeds?** The seed correlation for cleanliness is that we will never find ourselves in filthy environments. Examples of cleanliness include cleaning up after others or using reusable cups so we are not littering the environment with a coffee cup a day. **4. Name and briefly describe the second niyama.** The second niyama is santosha or contentment. There are many ways to describe santosha, from simply being content with what we have in life (other than our level of spiritual realizations), to understanding that contentment is a result of seeds stemming from our past actions. **5. How might you practice this niyama in your life, and what would the result of these seeds be if you did?** In one sense, contentment comes from knowing that we are in control of our own destiny. Finding happiness then comes from serving others and helping others find their own happiness. With this understanding we can attain what Master Patanjali calls the “highest forms of happiness”, meaning the highest of spiritual attainments.