Human Dissection Lab
This course is for yoga teachers and committed students who wish to observe the mechanical properties of human connective tissue and get a visual and tactile sense of human movement.
Tissue Mechanics Anatomy Lab
3 Days and In-Person in Colorado Springs
Explore connective tissue mechanics, musculoskeletal anatomy, and breathing mechanics in a hands-on in-person cadaver lab. Eligible for 19 CEU’s upon completion.
Thursday – Saturday
Nov 9-11, 2023
$1500 USD
$1800 USD after Aug. 1, 2023
See, feel, and stretch connective tissue.
Dissect and disassemble an
SI joint to look inside.
Inflate and deflate the lungs; make the cadaver “breathe.”
In this 3-day course, we will dissect:
- Superficial fascia
- Deep fascia
- Muscles and tendons
- Joint surfaces
- Joint capsules and ligaments
- Bones
- Heart and lungs
If you wish to explore a specific structure not on the list above, that can be arranged as a personal side project for you with prior communication.
Ask ALL your questions.
Choose your own dissections.
Learn from skilled assistants.
Course Objectives
This course is for yoga teachers and committed students who wish to observe the mechanical properties of human connective tissue and get a visual and tactile sense of human movement. The program includes a group Zoom meeting before and after the lab plus content related reading.
Course Description
In this lab, you will dissect specific anatomical structures of an embalmed cadaver. Jules and her team will prepare the cadaver prior to your arrival each day to reflect and present the specific structures noted on the course itinerary. You will have the opportunity to touch, feel, and dissect yourself, although some prefer to spend most of their first time in the lab watching and listening. However you choose to take in the content, you’ll walk away with a greater understanding of anatomy and biomechanics, especially as it relates to how we teach yoga. Jules will host a Zoom meeting prior to the lab, as well as after the lab, and will assign small sections of reading for discussion during the lab. You can expect to engage in discussion such as:
Course Topics
- Connective tissue behavior and stretching
- Muscle continuity, fiber direction, and function
- Specific joints such as the shoulder, knee, hip, and more
- The psoas and whether it deserves its fame
- The poor misunderstood upper trap
- The incredible SI joint
- Synovial fluid and joint capsules
- Anything and everything about the spine and vertebral discs
- The connection of the heart, lungs, and diaphragm
- Layers of the abdominal wall
- The role and evolution of the IT band
- Identifying capsular muscles
- Labrums, menisci, and bursae
- The vagus nerve
- Nerve plexuses
- The pelvic floor
- The plantar fascia
Course Includes
- 2 x 60 minute group Zoom meetings led by Jules
- 3 full days in the lab led by Jules
- Several lab assistants for extra support
- Lab tools and equipment
- Suggest reading from Jules’ book related to the course work
- Access to a private social network for this special cohort
Not Included
- Lab coat and gloves
- A copy of Jules’ book
- Travel to and accommodations in Colorado Springs, CO
How To Know If A Cadaver Lab Is Right For You
- Do you think you know nothing about anatomy?
- Do you think you know everything about anatomy?
- Do you find textbooks to be painfully dry and two-dimensional?
- Are you in awe of the human body?
- Are you curious about human movement?
- Have you heard the spine is unstable?
- Have you heard the knee joint is fragile?
- Have you wondered what happens to musculoskeletal tissue when we age?
- Can you picture what tendinopathy, osteoarthritis, or a bulging disc looks like?
- Are you skeptical of overcomplicated models of human movement?
- Are you skeptical of oversimplified models of human movement?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this lab is for you.
The primary concern I get is about knowing too much or too little anatomy. The lab has a way of leveling the playing field. Everyone sees something they have never seen before and everybody learns from the curiosity of others. A beginner’s eye can often see things in a way that the expert’s eye can’t, and vice versa.
The second concern is usually about the ick factor. Since these cadavers are fixed (embalmed) there is little to no blood and pathogens have been chemically cooked. If you have ever changed a diaper, picked up after a pet, or held a heaving drunk girlfriend’s hair back, you’ve experienced grosser things than you’ll encounter in the lab. That said, you are welcome to take breaks and step outside anytime you feel overwhelmed.
The third concern is usually around confronting illness, death, and our own mortality. The lab environment is reverent, supportive, and collaborative. We have daily share circles as well as pre- and post-zoom calls to process, share, and pay respects. Expressing emotions is okay and normal. We love you.
Expect the unexpected.
See what cannot be described.
Meet like-minded friends.
Jules Mitchell, MS, LMT, ERYT 500 is the author of Yoga Biomechanics: Stretching Redefined. She leads continuing education courses both online and worldwide, runs her own 300hr yoga teacher training program, is a mentor and coach, and leads the occasional yoga retreat. Her time spent in the lab over the years has informed much of how she teaches and she is thrilled to have to opportunity to share the experience with you.
