The Fifth Chakra and Restoring the Primary Curve

In Anatomy, the primary curve relates to the natural curve of the head, neck and spine as found in the faetal position. We develop secondary curves in the neck when we learn to look up as babies, in the lumbar spine when we leanr to sit up and in the legs when we learn to stand. The balance of these curves determines a person’s posture.

It was new moon last Thursday, so time for a new theme: the fifth chakra. With it being so cold and wintry, and posibly just low energy with the new moon, I have been drawn to practice yin these past few days. I designed a yin routine that matches the focus of my yang flow practice and the results have revealed some magic I’d like to share.

To work on the fifth chakra, I practiced child’s pose, puppy dog, supported bridge, plough and downward corpse. Of these, I noticed, plough and downward corpse release tension in the body by restoring the primary curve. Padding is used to support the body and less presure is placed on the body than a full impact yang version of the poses. The neck is rounded, the lumber is rounded, the sacrum and legs are rounded,. In a sense, we are returned to the comfort and security of the womb, and invtied to surrender to the supported position with our eyes closed and the lights off. Somatically, we feel the freedom of our body before it learned to stand, sit or even lift our head. Moments away from the primordial sound, the origin of the soul, we experience those moments of emptiness, before the worries of adult life and the pressures of being human engrained our fascia with tension. I have found that much like shavasana, yin yoga returns the body to a very quiet meditative space, and combined with this deep approach to anatomy, creates some very peaceful states of being. The spine is suspended in its curved state, and likewise the mind taken to a place of emptiness, or ‘no mind’.