We might consider the skull and spine as the same continuous unit, and the entire system on the outside of this (including the eyes, ears, nose, mouth, face, etc) the body. There are two pieces of an inseparable whole, but in embryological development there is distinction. This spine is an ingenious piece of cosmic architecture. The thirty three vertebrae house the central spinal nerve, the main highway of nerve traffic that carries a great deal of information between the brain and body and vice versa. These vertebrae and held together in such perfect symmetry and harmony with each other that the spine itself is built like a spring to withstand the entirety of Earth's gravity. There is a great deal of weight pulling the spine down, and the way it is built, it actually uses this downward gravitational force to sustain itself in a spring like fashion. There is a tremendous amount of latent energy stored in the structure for this reason, and if anything gets out of whack, the energy leaks outside of this containment, escaping from the (ideally) closed system.
When we understand how the entire body connects to the spine through the fascial system, which is the network of connective tissue fibers that ensure connectivity and holistic operation of the human body, we will begin to develop a deeper appreciation for the spine. Of course the spine is important! Movement in the spine affects a subsequent movement outward into the body. There is a deep interrelation happening between movements of the spine and the rest of the body.
There is also a different set of nerves that exit the spinal canal to innervate specific areas of the body. As we travel down the spine, each intervertebral space is sending energy and information to and from the brain and body to register very different and detailed functions of the body. For example, the nerves that exit in the lower part of the spine innervate completely different systems, such as the sexual organs, than the nerves that exit the upper part of the spine, which innervate the throat, the neck, and the thyroid gland. Each particular spinal segment has a unique and important role for the proper functioning of the whole system. If any area is overly stiffened, there is strain on the nerves, and the information does not flow as easily. One could say that there is then a lack of proper communication between the brain and body and that specific region or area. What does this mean for the practitioner?
We invite this concept forward for one to consider. The spine is like the main interface between the body and brain. Without it, the two cannot communicate. The brain sits on top of the spine like a command center, observing the below environment of the body purely through the signals that are being received from the body. The body is the sensing machine, a vehicle which has specific sensation functions which allow the raw data of the universe to be gathered through its vessel and then transferred to the brain, where the information is then decoded. The brain does its job of quantum computing with such precision and detail, turning the infinity of bits of information that are actually available in the Universe into a digestible chunk of data that allows us to respond and interact accordingly with the world. The brain and body work together in such a way and it is through the spine that this is taking place, and especially the spinal nerve.
In yoga, we call this spinal nerve, which would be a column of light if we could perceive it, the sushumna nadi. The word nadi refers to 'flow' or 'river'. Thousands of years ago, the yogis perceived everything as energy, and even the most brilliant scientists today, with their experiments and advanced diagnostic technology, are beginning to draw the same conclusions about the nature of reality. The flow of this energy was perceived through the body as nadis. The theory is that there is an intelligent force operating through our being. It is governing the many aspects of what keeps us alive, such as what keeps our heart beating, our immune system functioning, and the countless other miraculous feats that are taking place inside of us. This force runs all the way down and into to the 200,000 biochemical functions in every one of our 50 trillion cells every second that we are alive. Known throughout the ages in humanity as the life force, prana, chi, mana, there is a common thread across many different cultures of people and it is that there is a sort of supreme, organizing intelligence that assists us in our aliveness.
Keep in mind not to confuse the word intelligence here with intellect or even sentience. It is perhaps preferential to associate words such as organization or pattern instead, as this gives a more broader context to what we mean. Some seem to be triggered by the thought of an intelligent governing force - that is fine, we do not wish to cause a debate about the matter. We wish for the reader to consider the truth of the matter - that if there was not for some immutable, natural law, our very being would be an impossibility. There are ratios, mathematics, incredible calculations taking place across, within, and throughout every single molecule of body in incomprehensible dimensions.
Part of the metaphysics of all this talk is deeply rooted in the actual, neurobiological function of the spine and human nervous system. There are a great many mysteries that are locked away, hidden from our eyes, as we have not sensitized ourselves to directly perceive where in our body perception arises. Has anyone put any thought to that? Where in the body does the actual perception arise, of the world that we have perceived? What role does the spine and brain play in this experience?
If the spine is the central axis of the body, and the entire body connects to the spine, what happens if the spine opens? What happens if it closes? What happens if it develops the capacity to open AND close? How does breath tie into the mechanics of the opening and closing of the spine? What sort of information does the brain receive during an opening affect? What about a closing affect? We are talking about expansion and contraction here - something the entire Universe is doing. What if we mimic this expansion and contraction and pay attention to what takes place during this process?
Be curious. Be attentive of the spine. Notice how the breath assists in the expansion during the inhalation phase of respiration. Observe how the exhalation helps with the contraction affect. Indulge deeply into the process of feeling the spine during respiration, and using the two - breath and spine - to move the body. Allow the body to relax around the spinal structure. Let gravity assist. See what happens. There something at the very root of our entire being, waiting to be excavated through the our attention. The part of us that perceives.
May all sincere seekers awaken to the truth of their own being. OM
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