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Functional Anatomy Yoga Course

in association with sister IAYT-accredited school Inner Peace Yoga Therapy 

Learn Anatomy in a Practical, Approachable Way With Maria Shamas.

Online Course Dates/Times:

November 1st - November 9th, 2025

 Saturdays 9 AM - 7 PM ET

Sundays 9 AM - 7 PM ET

With additional self-study hours, homework, practice teaching and on demand lectures. 

Additional Integration Hours (for enrolled Yoga Therapy students only - includes hours delivering YT with mentored review) - 
Dec 4, 2025 5:30 - 7:30PM EST

This module explores advanced anatomy and its relationship to physical movement; along with practical treatment applications. The human body will be studied as a sacred temple with all of its myriad complexities and diversity for both assessment and individualized therapeutic application. Participants will be guided in teachings pertaining to advanced postural assessment, range of motion, basic muscle strength & flexibility testing, practical Ayurvedic concepts related to the assessment and treatment process, understanding of the client’s emotional anatomy and training in practitioner sensitivity & awareness. Participants will both experience and facilitate all assessment techniques taught, through this gaining a more thorough understanding of specific symptomatic presenting issues, while maintaining the greater focus of the client as a fully integrative whole human being. 
 
Join with the students of our sister school Inner Peace Yoga Therapy to learn best practices for functional anatomy tools for assessment in yoga therapy and in therapeutic yoga settings. Perfect for all movement teachers and yoga therapists-to-be.
 

REQUIRED TEXTS AND EQUIPMENT:

  • The Anatomy Coloring Book by Kapit and Elson 

  • Yoga Biomechanics Stretching Redefined by Jules Mitchell 

  • Space to practice asana, mat or something similar, a block, strap, bolster OR books, belt/scarf and pillows for props 

IN THIS COURSE YOU WILL LEARN:

  • Identify and describe key anatomical structures and their functions in relation to physical movement.
  •  Analyze the complexities of the human body as a sacred temple, emphasizing its holistic nature.
  •  Demonstrate techniques for advanced postural assessment to evaluate individual alignment and movement patterns.
  •  Interpret assessment findings to identify potential areas of concern in clients.
  •  Analyze the results of range of motion assessments to inform therapeutic strategies.
  •  Engage in hands-on practice of assessment techniques, both as a facilitator and a participant.
  •  Synthesize knowledge gained through experiential learning to address specific client needs while considering the whole person.

LEARN PRACTICAL TOOLS TO:

  • Develop your confidence teaching to all different types of bodies
  • Think critically about biases that often go overlooked in anatomy and movement science
  • Gain support and education to skillfully move away from a "one size fits all" type of teaching
  • Improve your verbal alignment cues for the individual body you are working with
  • Learn to better see and "Read" bodies in order to better meet your student's varying needs
  • Integrate body knowledge into yoga in an approachable, useful way
  • Interface more effectively with doctors and healthcare professionals
  • Advance your teaching towards a Yoga Therapy Certification

Successful completion of this course includes:

  • Certificate of Completion
  • 50 CE Credits with Yoga Alliance 
  • 50 Required Hours for students enrolled in Yoga Therapy Program 

Requirements for Certificate of Completion 

  • 75% Live attendance minimum at classes & all classes and related work completed
  • 75% pass on final quiz ( with option to take twice)
  • Completion of all homework & assignments

This course is for you if you:

  • You're concerned about keeping yourself and your students safe and injury-free
  • You’re questioning if the alignment “rules” you’ve been given are actually based on evidence or are applicable to all bodies
  • You want to support your students' work with an existing injury, disease or trauma
  • You want to learn how to adapt poses while respecting yoga tradition
  • You want to help students overcome physical plateaus so they can safely and effectively progress in their asana practice and movement in everyday life
  • You want to feel confident as a yoga teacher
  • You want to answer your students' questions with integrity, but are concerned about your scope of practice
  • You want to understand the jargon you hear other body practitioners using.
  • You want to feel confident incorporating the other, non-asana, limbs of yoga with purpose into your classes

Investment/Tuition:

  • New Students $1,195.00 (Early Bird: $1,120.00)
  • PYI Grads $1,120.00 (Early Bird $1045.00)

 

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT!  $75 OFF through October 17th, 2025

**Use Code { ANATOMY2025 }  at Checkout**

Enroll Now $1195
PYI Grad- Enroll Now $1120

Meet Our Expert Faculty

Maria Shamas (formerly Mendola),
C-IAYT, RN MS (Functional Anatomy)

Maria has a rich history in the field of wellness, yoga therapeutics Ayurveda. She is an RN, with an MS in Community Health with extensive work in the fields of Rehabilitation and Women’s Health. She went on to receive extensive teacher training in yoga, and then yoga therapeutics, and has both a private practice in yoga therapy, ayurvedic consultation and an extensive teaching curriculum for advanced students of yoga therapy. She teaches with Inner Peace Yoga Therapy, and then with her own Maria Alive Therapeutics.

 

FAQ's

Yoga can be the path to pain management and a healthier lifestyle for many people with differing pathologies. With the Prema Yoga Institute, you can enhance your practice and teaching with a functional anatomy yoga course that teaches you all about the human body.

If you’re looking for a yoga certification to improve your personal practice or help you become a better yoga teacher, this functional anatomy yoga course is the ideal next step. At PYI, our Functional Anatomy Course counts towards your IAYT Yoga Therapy Certification and Yoga Alliance CE’s!

Importance of Understanding Anatomy for Yoga Practitioners

The right yoga certification can unlock the path to your next stage of learning and improve your life in previously unforeseen ways. Learn how functional movement helps you understand body mechanics, combined with mindfulness and breath techniques that can create a holistic outlook on health and well-being.

Our functional anatomy yoga course teaches you about the different muscle groups and how biodiversity determines the uniqueness of each body. You can learn how to improve joint stability to reduce the likelihood of falls and even better manage conditions like hypermobility syndrome. Students may also find that, with continuous practice, they can increase their range of movement in arms, legs, back, hips, and other limbs and joints. You can use these skills to bolster your health or continue your journey to becoming a qualified yoga teacher.

functional anatomy yoga course

Take any of our more in-depth courses to help improve overall health and well-being. If you already teach yoga to others, you’ll find that this course will help you become a better mentor, training students how to use yoga to manage their health better and vastly reducing the risk of injury or discomfort during practice.

yoga

Who Should Enroll in This Course?

Many yoga students and teachers benefit from the functional anatomy yoga course. This yoga certification is ideal for the following:

  • Yoga practitioners interested in improving their health and well-being
  • Life-long learners
  • Yoga teachers or teachers-in-training
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Wellness practitioners of other modalities
  • Students enrolled in our Yoga Therapy Certification Program - or those seeking to enroll

Consider expanding on your education with yoga training for healthcare professionals to help create a more holistic skill set for helping patients and clients. Cutting-edge research shows that yoga can have many benefits that support holistic health — mental, physical, and emotional. Yoga, breath techniques, and meditation are all factors that could help many people with:

  • Managing trauma and PTSD
  • Managing stress and/or burnout
  • Anxiety and related conditions
  • Depression
  • Chronic pain and chronic disease management
  • Motivation and drive

Prema Yoga Institute’s functional anatomy yoga course can also help you understand how to treat specific body areas, such as the shoulder rotator cuff or hips. Improved joint health via targeted yoga practice could lead to improved overall well-being.

Career Benefits of Functional Anatomy Yoga Certification

Your yoga certification can help you take your career to the next level. If you’re a yoga teacher, understanding anatomy and the limitations of certain conditions helps make your classes more inclusive. By allowing your training and certification to inform and adjust your teaching style for different students, you ensure that your yoga teaching is a safe space for those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Rather than focusing on the perfect form and shape of poses, you can focus on how each pose feels for your students and the benefits yoga brings them. You can empower students to utilize adjusted poses that aren’t as stressful on the knees, hips, or other body parts that may cause pain or discomfort.

functional anatomy yoga certification

You can also use your functional anatomy course to balance your focus between meditation, breath work, and physical work. With a better understanding of how the body works, you can empathize with your students and their needs and provide yoga training that improves daily lives.

Your functional anatomy certification benefits include:

  • Become a better teacher
  • Create a safe, inclusive space for more students
  • Healthcare professionals create complementary treatment plans via anatomy-based yoga
  • Improve your own well-being and gain confidence
  • A deeper understanding of how both range of motion and stability are tools that can improve the accessibility of your yoga teaching

Say goodbye to the concept of a “one-size-fits-all” yoga style and welcome a body-positive, healthful approach to yoga for all.

Enroll in Our Functional Anatomy Yoga Certification Course Today!

If you’re excited to start your journey to learning the anatomy of the human body as it relates to yoga, it’s simple to get started. Our online store highlights all the available courses, and you can find the functional anatomy course and its next starting date here. The course takes 50 hours to complete and requires that you’ve had at least a year of yoga practice — contact the admissions department for more details on requirements.

The course is run online by experienced teachers focusing on accessibility and inclusivity. Enroll early to gain a discount, and remember, if you’re enrolled in the Yoga Therapy Program, this course counts as 50 hours toward your total for that certification.

Contact us to learn more about our functional anatomy yoga certification.

PREMA YOGA INSTITUTE

NYC’S PREMIER YOGA THERAPY SCHOOL

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