In my thinking, teaching, and writing, I have been ruminating on the fundamental role that our spines play in the manifestations of our life force. It is interesting that our backs and spines do not occupy a more central role in our awareness. Here is an excerpt from the book I am working on:
“Backs are funny things. We all know intellectually that we have spines and spinal cords. Most of us have seen a plastic representation of the skeleton so we have an image for a spine. We also know, in words, that our spinal cords relay intricate neural impulses between our brains and bodies in every moment of every day. The sophistication of the spinal cord flesh, the ingenious protection provided by vertebrae and disks, and all of their amazing operations, these are not on the forefront of our everyday consciousness. We do not ruminate on the fact that our spine is the fundamental axis for our uprightedness, a characteristic essential to our intuitive sense of humanness and dignity. In many ways, the spine is the core of our being. Yet, we do not really think about our ‘backs’ until they hurt.
There is nothing like devastating spinal trauma, a massive assault on the most basic carrier of your life force. This is different from an assault on your brain. The brain is the center of your control, of your personality, of your sense of individuated identity. But these are refinements and clarifications of your life force, not the energy itself. The more basic energy – what you are, not who you are – emanates more through your spine.
Even though my whole life has been rewritten by a broken back, I had never truly considered my spine directly. How we kiss and speak with our mouths, a location that is right in front of the top cervical vertebrae (C1). How make babies at the other end. How musical rhythm enters our spines and leads to the profoundest of intimacy and the most ecstatic of dancing. How hugs bring relief and comfort because they ground our core axis. How it’s possible to integrate our spines with our breath and thereby deepen our appreciation of living. All these things will take years and years and the rest of my lifetime to realize. I will have to learn how awareness can move to and from the spine without muscular action. I will have to learn how the subtle energy running through us emanates from the spine and is literally transcendent. It even transcends a severed spinal cord.”
Most people don’t pay much attention to their backs and spines until they cause problems. I find this curious. I wonder if it’s because our spines are so central to the energy of our manifestation. Perhaps it’s hard to be aware of what makes us possible. I wonder if awareness of the earth and our environment is difficult for a similar reason – it is too central to our manifestation. Instead, we have a long history of believing that the earth is here for our dominion. Similarly, we have held a similar attitude toward our bodies.
So just for a minute, allow that your spine is central to your manifestation. It might make you smile and exhale with relief.