Vanda scaravelli awakening the spine
Awakening the Spine: The Stress-Free New Yoga that Works with the Body to Restore Health, Vitality and Energy
February 3, 2023
Awakening the Spine is sort of an odd book. It looks like an easy read, there are a lot of pictures, but there are some points she makes about yoga and our bodies that I've never read about before. The most fascinating to me is the significance she places on the lower back, a point where the body extends upwards and downwards at the same time as a result of gravity - a sort of magical junction.
For example, in this analogy that compares a tree to a body she writes, "This central point of the tree, where it touches the earth's surface, corresponds in our body to the waist at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, where the human spine moves in both directions. Goethe said that he could understand the falling of the apple (that gave Newton the idea of gravity) but he could not understand how a tree could grow in two opposite directions. This inexplicable cosmic interconnection of dynamic movements, following the law of gravity, is the same that moves the planets and holds the different worlds together.".
She writes: "We have three friends: gravity, breath, and wave (connected with the supple movement of extension along the spine). These three companions (fused in one) should be constantly with us. Her premise has perfect timing for me as I've recently become very interested in both breath and the spine - specifically the fluidity of the spine. She points out that extension and cartilage health through practice can be developed at any age.
The author expresses the importance of the spine, breathing, and practice. She talks about spine and nerve development, and our connection to the earth. Also interesting is that she writes about probable yoga practice in early Egypt - which is an insight in Shanon Gannon's (Jivamukti Yoga founder) new book.
The book was written 30 years ago which probably places her experience and education with BKS Iyengar about half a century ago.
For example, in this analogy that compares a tree to a body she writes, "This central point of the tree, where it touches the earth's surface, corresponds in our body to the waist at the level of the fifth lumbar vertebra, where the human spine moves in both directions. Goethe said that he could understand the falling of the apple (that gave Newton the idea of gravity) but he could not understand how a tree could grow in two opposite directions. This inexplicable cosmic interconnection of dynamic movements, following the law of gravity, is the same that moves the planets and holds the different worlds together.".
She writes: "We have three friends: gravity, breath, and wave (connected with the supple movement of extension along the spine). These three companions (fused in one) should be constantly with us. Her premise has perfect timing for me as I've recently become very interested in both breath and the spine - specifically the fluidity of the spine. She points out that extension and cartilage health through practice can be developed at any age.
The author expresses the importance of the spine, breathing, and practice. She talks about spine and nerve development, and our connection to the earth. Also interesting is that she writes about probable yoga practice in early Egypt - which is an insight in Shanon Gannon's (Jivamukti Yoga founder) new book.
The book was written 30 years ago which probably places her experience and education with BKS Iyengar about half a century ago.