Understanding the trunk
Yogic Wisdom
In western yoga we always hear about being grounded. The understanding of being grounded varies between person and teachers. This being, said we can always add a bit more to the knowledge to get a fuller perspective. Understanding the trunk is one of those things! Once we know about something that has not been considered before, it can improve and enrich our mindsets.
Firstly, we need to consider what we call our trunk, is it our body, legs? Is it above the knee and below the chest as in our core? Or is it as Pilates teachers, our centre? It may be all of the above. Today’s article is about unlocking knowledge from the tree pose.
Spiritual knowledge or yogic knowledge can free us from the physical. By this we mean pain and suffering or making it easier to navigate life. Not to be 3 sheets to the wind. Yoga is about balance or as we recently wrote about- Harmony. That means living in balance be it mind, body, physical and spirit.
So why are our trunks important?
If our chosen path is yoga, then we will teach from the understanding of the tree pose. The trunk is important to balance what is above and what is below (as above so below, so below as above). Or spiritual and physical worlds. If our path is spiritual development then our centre, our heart, our trunk must be strong enough to support growth.
A Stem does not become a branch overnight.
It does not matter how grounded we are, if our stem/ trunk/ centre/ heart is not strong enough we will not be able to hold what is to come or what is possible. The trunk must support the knowledge from above. Being grounded is only an aspect of a bigger picture.
Stem – Trunk – Centre- Heart- Core – Pilates
So going back to our opening paragraphs, where does the trunk start, above the root or is it the same thing adapted for a different environment- As above so below, so below as above. Our articles are to stimulate thought, think about it. We must also consider what animates or gives life to a tree, is it not the same energy that runs through the Roots, Trunk and Limbs. Let us change the word energy to spirit.
The Heart is the doorway to Spirit. The Heart is the doorway to the Physical
We may now be moving to a different understanding of the trunk and the importance of the trunk in our yoga or spiritual development. Do not forget yoga is spiritual development through pose. A pose is a materialised thought to bring around improvement and connection to the spirit within.
It may be useful to consider the symbology. We are all trees (humans) who come from a Mother, trees come from Mother Earth. Both come from the feminine before living a life in the physical world, both are nurtured, both are protected. Maybe when we asked to be grounded it would be better to ask to be protected, roots, trunk and limbs.
Why do we need to be protected in yoga?
We expect many will never have considered that we need to protect ourselves in a yoga class. If we use the word grounded then it narrows and hides the potential adverse effects that regularly happen.
If a tree is pressed by an outside force, lets consider wind. Like spirit it is invisible although we can feel it. The trunk must be strong enough to withstand this force or flexible enough to bend and recover.
Like humans, trees can moan and groan if pressed by invisible forces, they can snap or become uprooted. We can see similar in our studios, emotions, emotional, upset, crying. Our balance has been upset we have no harmony.
We cannot find Peace without harmony.
In other words, our sister leads us to our brother,
But without our brother we will not find our sister!
A tree root system is in balance with the canopy, they work together. If a tree becomes top heavy (think of knowledge) then it can overwhelm the trunk, bend, break or snap. This can be the same with certain poses, yogic practices, breathwork and so called, forest medicine.
There is more understanding in the expression “The body of Christ” if one chooses to look from a yoga perspective. Poses create energy, energy will create an attraction. What it attracts is for another time. Working on the trunk, body, core or centre is essential in yogic and spiritual development, but it does need serious attention.
We need to attract the right vibrations and repel and rebuke the negative vibrations which will not only protect but feed our root system and allow us to
Bare good fruit, by growing in balance and harmony.
We cannot bare good fruit if our trunk is weak.
To close, there are missing teachings which would protect us (ground us). When we say protect, we also mean grow and develop in Harmony. There is that word again, Harmony! We would like our readers to consider the following. Hip openers! If we are just doing it to stretch, this is fine. If we are doing them to mess with chakras or open some type of spiritual development, this is dangerous unless properly understood and in the presence of the teacher.
A Trunk or stalk helps in movement, transport, storage and survival for any plant. As well as growing upwards it grows outwards, this outwards growth, ensures the trunk can support what is above. As above so below! Therefore, if our roots demand more that what the trunk can support or ready for, then our plant/ tree is out of balance. There is that word again, Harmony!
There are so many lessons that can be taken, understandings that can help us grow. Warnings to prevent chaos and upset. A release is not a release if it is stimulated, if you poke the hornets nest, expect to be stung, no different from hip openers. It is now useful to mention how leaves control growth of a plant. Tree poses when understood in a different way, the yoga way, the way of union or spiritual development has the ability to change much for us. Change for a better way.
We will leave our readers with this to ponder. Why does yoga have limbs or branches?
We wish you all unity with your Breath.
LB
If you wish to know more about these topic you can join Lisa for a class at Absolute Yoga or come and speak with us on our next Day of Healing at Crosby library. Saturday the 20th of July 10am-1.30pm. All help, treatments and refreshments are free of charge. Pop in for a cuppa and piece of homemade cake and meet the team!