YOGA & HEALTH

One Practice That Effectively Improves Your Spine Health and Clarity

Sadhguru explores the significance of the spine and shares which yogic practice particularly can keep the backbone of your system healthy, relaxed, and activated in order to enhance your perception and overall wellbeing.

Sadhguru: In a way, the body knows everything that is happening to this planet, the solar system, and even the universe. Living in cities, you may not know which phase of the Moon it is today. But if you observe the ocean, birds, and plants, you can infer the phase of the Moon, based on how they behave. For example, how much a seed can sprout is distinctly different between Amavasya and Purnima. Your body is also different on different days, though you may not know it unconsciously.

The Role of the Spine In Raising One’s Awareness

Whatever you know unconsciously, you can also know consciously if you apply yourself in a certain way. All the information is here, but you are not able to access it because there is too much static in your brain. One important aspect in this context is your spine, and in what condition you keep it.

Ultimately, whatever you wish to do in your life depends on how much clarity you have.

You may wonder why it is important to know what is happening to the Moon and the Earth. It is not about the Earth and the Moon – it is about bringing clarity to your perception. Ultimately, whatever you wish to do in your life depends on how much clarity you have. If you do not have clarity, you will try to make it up with confidence. Confidence is not a substitute for clarity. It is like trying to cross a busy highway without a clear vision but a lot of confidence.

You could refer to your horoscope and say, “My horoscope says I will live for ninety years, so nothing is going to happen to me,” and just cross. Or you try to run across shouting slogans that will bring you confidence. It may work by sheer chance or because of the compassion of a driver. But if you try it every day, we know where to pick you up.

Confidence Without Clarity Is a Disaster

You have to bring clarity about everything because clarity is not about a particular thing – it is about the nature of your mind. If you use a torch, it will show you everything. Similarly, if a certain level of clarity comes, everything becomes clear. Clarity is a quality that you bring into you.

If I sit here with my eyes closed and someone walks into this hall, I can tell you what kind of person he or she is. This is not some great Yoga; even your dog can do that. Only you do not know because a kind of a mental diarrhea is going on in your mind endlessly. If you want to do anything successfully, you must have clarity. If you want to have clarity, the most important thing is that your spine is in a certain condition because your perception is largely handled there.

The spine is not just a physical structure – it is the basis of communication in your system.

Unfortunately, it has become so common for people to have back pain. One reason is very limited usage of the body, constantly sitting on chairs. If you slouch with your legs stretched out, you can see what is happening to your spine. If you sit with your legs crossed and your left heel pushed into your perineum or the muladhara, the way your spine functions will be very different. The spine is not just a physical structure – it is the basis of communication in your system. If you lose it or if it becomes insensitive, you are losing something phenomenal.

Yoga Namaskar – a Phenomenal Spinal Stretch

Just try the squat. If you can put your feet together as you squat – which very few people can do – a natural upsurge of energy will happen. We do not want too much energy to happen; so the next best stance is to keep your feet parallel to each other and shoulder-width apart. The soles of your feet should be flat on the ground. The spine is a complex assembly that needs to stretch every day. If it telescopes, then the communication capability in the spine is largely lost.

Yoga Namaskar is a wonderful yogic exercise for the spine. You can start with 7 and do up to 21. If you slowly increase the number every two days, in about forty days, you will be at 21, which is a good number to do. It will make a phenomenal difference in the way you function. You will see a difference in the sharpness of your mind just because you are doing a simple practice to relax and activate the spine.