Your Pose, Her Pose - Same, same yet different?
Most of us know that our life experiences shape our day to day practice. Injuries, posture habits, conditioning, how much time we’ve put in on the mat, and other movement practices (or lack of them) guide our ranges and capacities.
But did you know that even our anatomy, the way we are literally built by birth, is not identical from person to person?
Bones and their variations
We’re often taught that there are 206 bones in the adult human skeleton. That’s the “classic” number, but the reality is more fluid. Some people have extra ribs (like cervical or lumbar ribs). Others have tiny additional bones in the skull called sutural (wormian) bones. In the hands and feet, there may be extra sesamoid bones (the kneecap, or patella, is just the largest of them).
Even the bones we share aren’t fixed: the sacrum begins as five bones that fuse into one, and the coccyx can be three to five bones depending on the person. In infants, the count is higher still, about 270, with many bones fusing as we grow.
So, “206” is less a rule and more a useful reference point.
Muscles and their subtle differences
With muscles, variation is even more pronounced. Textbooks usually say “600–650,” but no one can give a single exact number. Why?
Some people naturally have an extra muscle (like a psoas minor or plantaris), while others don’t.
Small muscles in the face, hands, or feet may be doubled in one person, absent in another.
Even definitions matter: some anatomists count a muscle with two “heads” (like biceps) as one, while others count each head separately.
Studies show that about 10-15% of us are simply missing certain muscles that others rely on daily.
How this shows up on the mat
This diversity isn’t just a textbook curiosity. It reveals itself in asana practice:
Malasana (Yogi Squat): Some people have shallow, outward-facing hip sockets, making this posture feel effortless from the start. Others have deeper, forward-facing sockets, and their pelvis may take months or years of practice to comfortably lower into the squat.
Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II): Some thigh bones rotate easily in the hip socket, so the legs open widely with ease. Others feel a gentle jam or restriction and need more time and mindful work to find their alignment.
Forward Folds (Uttanasana / Paschimottanasana): For some, the pelvis hinges naturally, letting the torso fold deeply. For others, the hip structure directs the movement more through the spine, and the hips open gradually with consistent practice.
Padmasana (Lotus Pose): Hip socket depth, rotation, and femur shape determine accessibility. Some bodies slip into a comfortable Lotus immediately. Others need months or even years of patient opening before the knees and hips allow the pose safely.
Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana): Achilles tendon and calf length vary. Some people’s heels touch the mat the first day they try yoga. Others may work for decades to find that same grounding, and both experiences are completely valid.
Chaturanga: Longer arms relative to the torso can make hovering feel lighter and easier. Shorter arms can make the same shape feel heavier and more challenging, requiring more strength, awareness, and time.
Wheel Pose (Urdhva Dhanurasana): Shoulder socket shape and arm bone length influence openness. Even the length of your abdominal fibers affects the arch. Some people naturally find a deep backbend from the start, while others cultivate it gradually through steady practice.
The list goes on. Structure shapes possibility.
Effort, acceptance, and the sutras
So does this mean we resign ourselves to “what is”? Not at all.
Yoga teaches us the subtle art of discerning: when limitation is about effort and practice, and when it is about anatomy and acceptance.
Patanjali offers the balance beautifully:
Sutra I.12: “abhyāsa-vairāgyābhyāṁ tan-nirodhaḥ” ~ “The fluctuations of the mind are stilled by practice (abhyāsa) and non-attachment (vairāgya).”
Sutra I.14: :sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārā-āsevito dṛḍha-bhūmiḥ” ~ “Practice becomes firmly grounded when done with dedication, for a long time, without interruption, and with respect.”
Practice (abhyāsa) transforms what can be changed. Non-attachment (vairāgya) softens our grasping at what cannot. Many differences in muscles, fascia, or nervous system can respond to abhyāsa - consistent practice over time. But bones, proportions, and anatomical blueprints require vairāgya - the humility to accept and respect what is without force.
Acceptance without limitation
And here’s the most important part: this awareness is not meant to limit you.
Our bodies and minds are miracles - often capable of more than reason can explain. Your Padmasana may come tomorrow, or it may take years. And when it comes, it will look uniquely yours - telling the story of your life, experiences, body, even your ancestors. Are you willing to hear the tale it has to tell?
Yoga isn’t about forcing the body into a pose. It’s about letting the pose reveal your body’s truth, and trusting that truth to keep evolving. Practice transforms what can change. Acceptance softens what cannot. And to live in that space between effort and grace - is to yoga.
