o_19gutb9tvriojp4s1o13fc1mena.pdf

yoga and the spine 19
Intrinsic Equilibrium
If you were to remove all the muscles that attach to the spine, it still would not collapse.
Why? Intrinsic equilibrium is the concept that explains not only why the spine is a selfsupporting
structure but also why any spinal movement produces potential energy that
returns the spine to neutral. The same arrangement exists in the rib cage and pelvis, which,
like the spine, are bound together under mechanical tension. This fact about the core
structures of the axial skeleton reveals a deeper truth about how yoga practice appears to
liberate potential energy from the body.
True to the principles of yoga and yoga therapy, the most profound changes occur when
the forces obstructing that change are reduced. In the case of intrinsic equilibrium, a deep
level of built-in support for the core of the body is involved. This built-in support does not
depend on muscular effort because it is derived from the relationships between the noncontractile
tissues of cartilage, ligament, and bone. Consequently, when this support asserts
itself, it is always because some extraneous muscular effort has ceased to obstruct it.
It takes a lot of energy to fuel our constant, unconscious muscular exertions against
gravity, and that is why the release of that effort is associated with a feeling of liberated
energy. Thus, it is tempting to refer to intrinsic equilibrium as a source of energy because its
discovery is always accompanied by a profound sensation of increased vitality in the body.
In short, yoga can help you to release the stored potential energy of the axial skeleton by
identifying and releasing the less efficient extraneous muscular effort that can obstruct the
expression of those deeper forces.
Elements of Linkage Between the Vertebrae
The spinal column as a whole is ideally constructed to neutralize the combination of compressive
and tensile forces to which it is constantly subjected by gravity and movement. The
24 vertebrae are bound to each other with intervening zones of cartilaginous discs, capsular
joints, and spinal ligaments (shown schematically in blue in figure 2.5). This alternation of
bony and soft tissue structures represents a distinction between passive and active elements;
the vertebrae are the passive, stable elements (sthira), and the active, moving elements
(sukha) are the intervertebral discs, facet (capsular) joints, and a network of ligaments that
connect the arches of adjacent vertebrae (figure 2.6). The intrinsic equilibrium of the spinal
column can be found in the integration of these passive and active elements.
Figure 2.5 Alternating zones of hard
and soft tissue in the spinal column.
Figure 2.6 Ligaments of the spine.