30-Hour Online Course
25 hours of video instruction plus 5 hours of homework and self-study.
262-Page Digital Manual
Course slides and reference materials to support learning and integration.
Online with lifetime access
This self-paced training includes a Certificate of Completion eligible for Yoga Alliance YACEP hours.
About the Course
Functional Anatomy is a 30-hour yoga teacher training with Bernie Clark that invites you to look beyond alignment and aesthetics to truly understand how the body moves, adapts, and benefits from yoga.
Blending modern anatomical science with yogic inquiry, this in-depth training explores the individuality of every body, the purpose behind each posture, and the deeper intelligence of movement itself.
You’ll leave with a refreshed approach to teaching asana —
- A deeper understanding of anatomy as it applies to yoga practice
- Tools to assess and adapt asana for individual students
- Confidence in applying functional, evidence-based principles
- A lens for questioning assumptions and evolving your teaching
- A personal understanding of your own structure and movement potential
Whether you’re a teacher, therapist, or dedicated practitioner, this course will transform how you see and work with the human body—on and off the mat.
What Is Functional Anatomy?
Functional
- Having a specific purpose or intention
- Related to how something works or operates
- Designed to be practical and useful
Anatomy
- From the Greek ana-tome: “to cut apart”
- The study of the structures of an organism
Functional Anatomy is the study of how the parts of an organism work together to create practical, intentional movement.
Course Highlights
Filmed Live in Vancouver, Canada
This 5-day Functional Anatomy training captures Bernie’s clarity, humor, and depth of insight, teaching live students, fielding questions, and showcasing a range of human variation.
You’ll explore:
- Personal explorations and measurements of your ranges of motion and what is stopping you from going further
- Understanding the physiological and biomechanical limits to range of motion
- The differences between a functional approach to movement and postures versus an aesthetic approach
- The difference between flexibility and mobility
- When hypermobility is okay and when is it not
- A deep look at the major joints, how they work and where/when compression may arise
- Special focus on the hips, lumbar spine and shoulders
- The importance of human variation and investigating the unique limits to everyone’s range of motion
- Exploring your own uniqueness and what it means for your range of motion
- Understanding the variations and effects of proportion and asymmetry
- De-bunking many traditional ideas of how people should look in yoga asanas or while moving their body
You’ll return to your mat — and your teaching — seeing bodies, postures, and possibilities in a whole new way.
You’ll Dive Into Questions Like…
1. What is the intention for each posture I teach or practice?
Move beyond aesthetics. Instead of chasing shapes, clarify what each pose is meant to achieve.
2. What am I feeling?
Develop interoception — the ability to sense and interpret what’s happening within.
Build a new vocabulary for sensations and discover a new metric for success:
Intention over appearance.
3. What stops me?
Explore what truly limits movement — compression, tension, or anatomical variation — and understand why none of it means failure. Learn to apply yoga to each person’s body, instead of fitting every body into a single version of a pose.
This awareness changes everything — shifting your teaching from prescription to personalization, from form to function.
A Training That Asks “Why?”
In modern yoga, many alignment cues have been standardized — and rarely questioned.
Bernie invites you to pause and ask:
Why do we cue the way we do?
Why do we believe postures should look a certain way?
Why do we assume deeper is better?
This course encourages critical thinking, curiosity, and open-mindedness. You’ll leave with a fresh understanding of the human system — resilient, adaptable, and beautifully diverse.
Why Study with Bernie Clark
Bernie Clark is one of today’s most respected voices in the field of yin yoga and yoga anatomy. Known for his accessible, research-informed, and practice-oriented approach, Bernie bridges the gap between traditional yoga wisdom and modern science.
With over 40 years of experience studying the human body and mind, Bernie is the author of influential works such as Your Body, Your Yoga, The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga, and Your Spine, Your Yoga.
His teaching style is clear, curious, and grounded — weaving insight, humor, and evidence-based understanding into every lesson. Students often describe his courses as transformative — not only for how they teach, but for how they deepen the understanding of yoga itself.
When you study with Bernie, you’re not just learning information — you’re learning a new way of seeing.
Pay in-Full
One time payment-
Immediate and lifetime access
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Group access
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Certificate on completion
3-Payment Plan
Spread over 3 monthly payments-
Immediate and lifetime access
-
Group access
-
Certificate on completion
6-Payment Plan
Spread over 6 monthly payments-
Immediate and lifetime access
-
Group access
-
Certificate on completion
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- Yoga teachers who want to teach with greater anatomical intelligence and compassion
- Practitioners curious about their own movement patterns and limitations
- Anyone ready to replace “right and wrong” with “what works and what doesn’t”
Yes, currently Yoga Alliance is accepting all continuing education completed online. This includes both contact and non-contact hours. In order to receive continuing education hours for the training, you will need to complete all sessions. This course qualifies for 30 credits.
Yes. Required reading sold separately: Your Body, Your Yoga, Your Spine, Your Yoga, and Your Upper Body, Your Yoga by Bernie Clark
Measuring tools:
Yard Stick (or Meter Stick), Goniometer
Take This Course
Course Content
About Instructor
Bernie Clark
5 Courses
Course Includes
- 7 Lessons
- 73 Topics
- 1 Quiz
- Course Certificate
