seat of the
The vertebral column - the central conduit for prana, the Divine light. Image from
Thieme.
Humans have been trying to figure out the inner workings of the celestial machines we call our bodies since the beginning of time. In the West, anatomy tends to be compartmentalized,
with focus on individual parts rather than the whole. Our lives are lived in our bodies, and yet so many never get to really know their own personal gift - a slice of Nature that is
real divine magic. In ancient and indigenous cultures, it was a simple understanding that it is our nature to be united with everything around us.
Ida Rolf said the seat of the soul is physiological. By digging in and studying how prana moves us and how physical and energetic qualities can be liberated and harnessed, we begin to understand the depth and profundity of the innate wisdom living within us. We realize that the body divine is a form, however fleeting and impermanent, that is a manifestation of formlessness. We must align form to the master Divine blueprint in order to appreciate optimum capacity for life.
duality inspires
Balance between rhomboids and serratus anterior is essential in properly positioning the shoulder blade. Image from
Thieme.
The other major relationship in balancing the shoulder girdle - the trapezius and pectoralis minor. Image from
Thieme.
Our bodies are built on a foundation of relationships, or pairs of opposites. Your arms, for example, cannot ever be extended over your head without relating to your kidneys. You cannot
separate the intimate relationship between the inner thigh muscles (adductors) from their abducting gluteal partners (medius and minimus) and the deep rotators. To position the shoulder
blade on the torso in an optimum position for freedom and stability in the arm, balance must be struck in the motor muscles of the shoulder girdle, which are comprised of dual opposing
pairs of muscles.
The body is a complex orchestration of push-pull, agonist versus antagonist relationships, where two apparently opposite sides work together to bring balance. In Patanjali's yoga sutra, there is a very specific sutra stating that asana, when done with stability and comfort, leads to the ending of affliction from pairs of opposties. On the gross anatomical level, this can be shown in the body as opposite forces coming into balance, letting us reside in a state of ease and neutrality.
the journey
It is essential to bring our spine, our support system, into balance, for it is through this central channel that our life force flows.
It is easy to get lost in the details. This image from
Kapandji illustrates much of the intricate functional detail of the hip joints.
This composite of images demonstrates opposing front and back fascial lines within a global body perspective. Image from
Anatomy Trains.
The anatomy of the deep belly is mystical and ancient. Balancing the psoas complex in the core creates space for the emergence of breath and truth. Image from
Thieme.
Like rolfing and other structural and energetic healing modalities, yoga is a profound and dynamic form of multi-faceted structural integration. By opening, strengthening and aligning the body,
lifeforce (prana) can freely flow through countless energetic channels (nadis), allowing full freedom of movement and dynamism. It takes time and dedication, but the process is typical of classical
yogic teachings, which dictate that the path of yoga leads us on a journey from gross to subtle, from outside to inside. It is evident in Patanjali's yoga sutras, and it is the natural way
back into our innate freedom and wisdom. Anatomically, the same is true in our practice. We begin by opening the peripheral body, and work our way inwards. In Chinese medicine, the meridians
that correspond to internal organ systems all have significant "source points" in the feet and hands. Rolfers will often prep deep-body work by preparing the arms or legs. We look to balance
the very real energetic, fascial pathways that comprise the fabric of the human body.
It is of utmost importance in yoga practice to maintain a more global, fascial and spacial awareness of the inner breathing body, while we look at more and more subtle detail. Otherwise, it is possible to get lost in the nuts and bolts of an overly technical, external, cerebral practice. By watching the breath and practicing properly from the beginning, we can experience the natural union of mind and body, where inner and outer awareness become the same.
Anatomical structure is simultaneously physical, energetic, psychological and emotional. It is this undertstanding that provides the fuel for the necessary intensity of a devotional, spiritual practice (tapas). We practice and study (svadhyaya), and walk along our path of dharma. As we understand more and more about how we operate and fit into the world around us, the face of the Divine is revealed to us in such brilliance that we cannot continue to try and decipher it. We must balance our cerebrum through falling into faith, in that final and most difficult practice of kriya yoga, ishvara pranidhana, or alignment with the Divine.