Flexion, Extension
I opened one of my anatomy books yesterday and came upon the line, "Flexion precedes extension." I gasped at the beauty of the sentence and quickly closed the book and my eyes, letting that thought break into bloom inside. What a concept! Yes- flexion precedes extension. All the way back when we were developing in the womb, our bodies were in flexion. The first curve of the spine that develops is the thoracic, while the other curves develop later.
Flexion precedes extension.
I even like the spiritual aspect of it. When we practice yoga our first Universal Principle of Alignment is about Opening to Grace; about being humble and spacious. When we are aligning in our poses, often in Anusara we literally bow in. Bowing in physically helps in a number of ways: it gets the thighs back, it helps us find the curve in the lower back, it helps to open the floor of the pelvis. But it also makes us humble, sensitive, less aggressive before we then proceed to express ourselves fully.
Flexion precedes extension.
Humility precedes self-expression.
May I stay humble today in my teaching, in my writing, in my practice, in my day.
May I bow to the beauty that this day has to offer, and then offer my own light back out.
Namaste.
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