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OPEN MIND OPEN BODY The Yoga of Connection |
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Week 2: Investigating Your Own Interconnectedness Last week, we started with the connection of breath, and this week we explore the connection of the body. Every part of your body is connected to other parts of your body, through a vast matrix of (what else?) connective tissue. Many of us know the term "connective tissue" as it refers to ligaments - the tissue that binds bone to bone - or fascia, the thin white tissue that wraps around every muscle fiber, every muscle, every joint, every organ, creating both containers and connections throughout the body. But many more tissues in the body are also considered "connective tissue" - including skin and even blood (which carries the breath to every part of the body). Take a moment just to reflect on this simple fact - that every cell in our body is connected to every other cell, and to the whole body, through many layers of connective tissue. Tissue that binds seemingly separate parts together, and tissue that is fluid, bringing what is needed to every part of the body. When we are injured, this connectedness is often disrupted. Often, our bodies try to compartmentalize the injury, pain, tension. The body will try to protect itself by creating stiffness, rigidity, a sort of physical barrier around the physical trauma. As if it could shut that part of itself off, separate from the rest of the body. Or the connectedness becomes exaggerated: scar tissue binding to healthy tissue, preventing healthy movement and function; inflammation "hoarding" blood to the point of pain and swelling. Whether or not you have an injury, explore the dynamics of connection in your body through intentional deep stretching. Choose a part of you body that is often tight or sore, or a part of the body that is recovering from injury. Notice how that part of the body feels in relationship to the rest of your body. Does is seem dull, as if it is not really part of your body? Does it feel larger, louder, exaggerated in its representation in the internal map of your body? Begin to stretch this part of the body, using any movements or yoga poses that feel good. Start easy and slow. Imagine the breath and blood flowing to and through that part of your body. Imagine tight connective tissue softening. Unravel tension from an area that seems to concentrate tension, sensation, pain, or stagnant energy. Feel this stored energy radiate out and release. As you stretch this part of the body over time, watch the sensation spiral out to other parts of your body. Feel how this part of the body is connected to other parts. Enjoy this practice, for a few minutes or as long as you need. This evening, I spent this practice investigating an old hamstring injury, nurturing the injured area and feeling the enormous relief of sensation moving through the leg and into the hips and back. Connect this idea and practice to your life: When you are hurt, do you have a tendency to shut yourself off from others, creating a protective barrier? Or do you have a tendency to cling to others, or cling to how things are, for safety and comfort?
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