Alas, gentle reader, this column has been a long time in coming and I am extremely honored and humbled to be able to write about a subject for which I have great passion – the body.


Wrestling with which topic to start with, I decided to tackle a fundamental question I am sometimes asked: is it really necessary to study anatomy at all?


On the surface the answer seems obvious.  As yoga students or teachers we have to know about the body, how it moves, what we are doing to it when we practice and how to bring about a desired change when needed.  However, when we take a moment, step back, look a little deeper and approach our body not as just a vehicle by which we navigate this world but as a doorway through which we glimpse the great mysteries of the universe, then it puts the question in a whole new light.


The Bridhadaranyaka Upanishad states that the “source of all actions is the body, for it is by the body that all actions are done.  The body is behind all actions, even as Brahman is behind the body.”


As you know, the ultimate goal of yoga is to reawaken the awareness of our intrinsic union with Brahman or the source of all.  According to the passage above, one of the simplest ways for us to begin to experience this connection is to first know our body.  It is all too common for people to move through life on autopilot without the knowledge (jñāna) or awareness (citi) of their body, how it feels or what messages are being relayed from their deeper consciousness.  Unfortunately, this lack of awareness pervades our culture and society and leads to the disconnected life experience we see all around us.


One of the most effective ways to begin to know the body is to study it.  This is where anatomy comes in.  Through awareness and knowledge of the physical structures and metabolic functions of the body we begin to sense something greater, an intelligence and organization to things.  We become aware of a deeper undercurrent or force animating that which we study.  The deeper we explore, the more our awareness of universal principles existing within our body increases.


Through the lens of this awareness we begin to view the body in a sacred, reverent way.  What was once the rote study of gross physical structures and mechanical functions becomes a spiritual journey, a quest where our own experience of physical existence is no longer mundane or on “autopilot” but takes on a mystical hue.


In his note at the beginning of Dr. David Frawley’s book, Inner Tantric Yoga, professor Lokesh Chandra quotes the Amrita-ratnavali saying that “[t]he essence of all things resides in our bodies.”  This is why the study of anatomy is so important. It is a keystone in the foundation of understanding our physical being and connecting to not only our inner dimensions but also our planet and the cosmos at large.


For me, this is the true study of anatomy and the perspective from which I hope to present future columns for your enjoyment.


== COMING UP NEXT MONTH ==

“Yoga Therapy: What’s On The Horizon”


Jeff Masters LMT, CYT, MPCT, MSc. (Hon.) is the founder and directory of Thunder Mountain Wellness Center in Sedona.  He can be reached at (928) 600-2609 or visit http://www.tmwc.org for appointments or consultations.

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