When You Stop Slouching

When we keep the spine upright in waking hours, energy flows upwards from the muladhara chakra at the base, towards the medulla oblongata, and to the agya chakra between the brows; ultimately it reaches the sahasrara chakra, the crown, also known as the thousand-petalled lotus, the point where it is believed, we become one with divinity. Notice how a person who is sad, slouches, and his spine is curved. His feet, too, are not firmly planted on the ground and he tends to sway; his emotions do a rock-‘n-roll; they are swirling in his spine, sending him not on a rollercoaster fun ride, but down the pit of misery. On the other hand, when the spine is upright, though energy can flow down, in the next instant it rushes upwards to reach a pinnacle of joy. When yogis talk about living in the spine, they are referring to the ‘astral spine’, the primary channel for life-force in the body located in the centre. But you don’t have to be a yogi to live in the spine. Any positive-minded person can do this. Walk the straight path, in thought, word and deed and your spine will take a cue and follow by being upright as you walk. There are many young people who slouch while they sit or walk; and there are much older people who walk straight, without the aid of walking sticks, so long as they are otherwise enjoying good health. Keeping an upright spine is not an age factor, but depends on how you think and view the world positively and joyfully or negatively and sadly!

Source: Economic Times, 22/10/2018