YOGA
Evolution along the spine
The Tribune, June 10, 2006, Chandigarh, India
| Yoga pays great attention to the spine, which is referred to, in yogic terms, as the express highway of human evolution. Charles Darwin put forth the same concept in his theory of evolution, from the supine invertebrate to the erect homo sapien; we have come a long way. “The end of the physical evolution is the perfection of the mammalian form. The end of the mental evolution is the perfection of the human intellect and the end of spiritual evolution is the full expression of ones natural enlightenment in samadhi,” says Himalayan master Yogiraj, in his book Wings to Freedom. Initiation into higher meditation techniques are all concentrated at opening the channel in the spine as preparation for the rising of the kundalini energy. |
Since the central nervous system is aligned along the spine, the attention to this area takes on more importance for the physical and mental bodies. Relaxing the spine and removing stress from the vertebra helps calm the nervous system, leaving one with a great sense of ease. The knots are removed from, the physical spine through the performance of asanas and pranayama does the same for the subtler pranic body.
In this day of turmoil and tension, people spend more time standing and sitting and do not get enough time to rest their back- literally. |
Relaxation technique
Lie down on a mat making sure you are away from any draught or cold area. Take a few deep breaths to relax. Every time you breathe out feel yourself sinking into the ground as if lying on soft earth. Let the gravitational pull of the earth suck your body into the ground. Stay like this till you feel rejuvenated. Then gently feel the earth releasing your body and get up. |
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If attention paid to the quality of support- the bed or chair used- is lacking in attention, then the stress is multiplied manifolds. The reclining yoga asanas lend support to the back by relieving strain accumulated due to one’s lifestyle, while at the same time preparing the spine for further progress.
There are many reclining asanas, the most popular among them being the savasana, or the corpse pose. It is normally believed that this is an easy posture to perform but highly stressed people find this one of the most difficult to start with. The savasana is supposed to be done without falling asleep in the midst and most beginners either do this or find it very hard to follow the slow process of relaxing the body inch by inch. The savasana, when done properly, is credited to be more calming than deep sleep. The conscious relaxation technique works to release tension in the muscular physical body, and then moves deeper to calm the emotional and mental bodies. It does not stop there as the serenity penetrates deeper into the sub conscious mind to release seeds of old memories and karmic baggage to eventually free the practitioner. |
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