Yoga Anatomy

2

CHAPTER

YOGA AND THE SPINE

A

s the central nervous system, with its complex sensory and motor functions, evolved
over millions of years and became absolutely essential to the survival of early humans,
it required the corresponding development of one of nature’s most elegant and intricate
solutions to the dual demands of sthira and sukha: the spine. In order to understand how
the human spine came to be what it is, we must fi rst go back to studying the simple cell.

pHylOgeny: A Brief HistOry Of tHe spine

Imagine the cell fl oating around in a primordial sea of fl uid, surrounded by nutrients ready
to be assimilated across its membrane (fi gure 1.1, page 2). Now imagine that the nutrients
become less concentrated in some areas and more concentrated in others. The more suc-
cessful organisms are the ones that develop the ability to reach the nutrients by changing
their shape. This was probably the fi rst form of locomotion; the pseudopod in fi gure 2.1
is an example of a simple cell with that ability. Shape changing as a survival method is an
important principle to remember later on.
It is not too diffi cult to see how moving around becomes more and more valuable to
these organisms, so the pseudopod eventually refi nes itself into a specialized organ, such as
the fl agella pictured in this bacterium (fi gure 2.2).
Now, rather than passively fl oating around in
their environment, these primitive forms of life
actively seek out nutrients that are necessary to
their survival. An added benefi t of mobility is that
in addition to seeking out food, they can avoid
becoming food for other organisms. Thus, we see
the early biological basis for the yogic principles of
raga and dvesha (attraction and repulsion). Seeking
out the desirable and avoiding the undesirable is a
fundamental activity of all living things, and another
window into the concepts of prana and apana.
Life forms respond to this pressure of seeking
what’s desirable and avoiding what’s undesirable
with ever more complex adaptations. As an organ-
ism’s sensitivity and response to its surroundings
become more complicated, it reaches a point
where these activities require central organization
and guidance.

E5267/Kaminoff/fig2.2/417577/alw/pulled-r2

Figure 2.1 The cell changes shape

and extends into a pseudopod.

E5267/Kaminoff/fig2.3/417578/alw/pulled-r2

Figure 2.2 Bacterium with fl agella.