June 2023: Spine

Our spines are amazing.

They absorb and propel, spiral and pivot, soften and lengthen.

They protect the preciousness of the spinal cord.

They move every time we breath.

The spinal column is made up of stacked vertebrae and the muscles and ligaments that support them. This boney structure supports posture and structural integrity.

Deep within the bones is the spinal cord – the central organizing structure of the nervous system. The spinal cord is an early development both embryologically and evolutionarily. It’s a structure shared by early life forms, a structure pulsing with life and fluidity.

These central organizing structures provide a midline, a place to organize around. The poetics of a midline often inspire embodiment practices of integrity and dignity.

Core. Posture. Central channel. Place of strength and vulnerability. Our spines hold sensate, complex components of our living and movement practices.

Building awareness here, and practicing movement with intention towards our spine, can be a vital source of embodiment.

Can you feel your spine as a mobile, breathing, complex midline?