A Journey Into Yin Yoga

54 A JOURNEY INTO YIN YOGA

individual cell and its surroundings. IMPs can be broken into two categories:

receptor proteins and effector proteins. The receptors are like cellular anten-

nas that monitor signals from the external environment. The effectors help to

transport information from one side of the membrane to the other, synthesize

molecules, and aid in the regulation of the shape and motility of cells. Simply

put, one of the main functions of IMPs is to allow nutrients into the cell and

eliminate waste out of the cell.

A certain type of IMPs are called integrins. Integrins link the cytoskele-

ton to the extracellular matrix. Through the integrins, important signals are

expressed. The integrins act as a mediator or a two-way street. This is how

the cell communicates to its external environment and how the external

environment communicates to the individual cell. Without the integrins, there

would be no cellular division, growth, or survival.

Although there has been extensive research on the cell, what about the

environment that exists outside of it? It is so complex, that is has various names,

such as extracellular matrix (ECM), connective tissue, ground substance, and

interstitial spaces. This extracellular world has been largely unexplored, but

that is beginning to change. Researchers are finding a whole world within

this part of the body.

Biophysicist James Oschman, PhD, calls this terrain the living matrix. Dr.

Oschman is a leading researcher in the field of energy medicine and says,

“The living matrix continuum includes all of the connective tissue and all of

the cytoskeletons and cell nuclei throughout the body" (2016, 165).

“Don’t look for miracles. You yourself are the

miracle.” —Henry Miller

Connective Tissue

The most extensive structures in your body are connective tissues. These

tissues connect, support, and bind body structures together. Without these

connective tissues, the body would have no form and spill into a puddle of

bones, organs, and muscles. The main functions of the connective tissue

include providing support for the musculoskeletal system, protecting the

organs, and assisting in the transport of key substances throughout the body.

Simply put, connective tissues build the substances that make the body

strong and pliable, and they hold everything together. They bind the cells in

the body together. The extracellular matrix is found everywhere from the skin

all the way to the nucleus of the cell. It is the Tao of the body. It is through

this vast network that the Tao of the body communicates, processes, and

stores information. See how the dots are starting to connect?