Day 235 – The spiral line, beginning at the arch of the foot, running up the front of the let, and traveling once around the body, comes to end at the base of the skull behind the ear, on the same side as the arch from which it came.  Rolf explains how the “ability to spiral into a posture like a vine spiraling up a trellis” is within all of us–that this spiraling energy we create in a posture like twisting triangle is “an aspect of nature that our bodies were created to express.”

As teachers and students of yoga, we often discuss the “spiral line” in terms of its sacredness and pertinence to all that is yoga and life.  After all, the spiral line is likened to Nature itself with its opening quote by Thoreau.  Practically and personally, the spiral line may just be the reason why I chose meditation many days over asana practice and why belly dance eludes me.  Man, my spiral line and lateral line tissues are tight!

Just so, in Meditations on Intention and Being, Rolf explains how “yoga offers us a set of actions to take until we are ready to try nonaction.  I fully admit I googled “issues with the spiral line” before this blog/reflection on today’s readings.  What action can I take to ease my stiffness?  What’s wrong with me?  Rolf touches on this:  “The sum total of our actions can create a temporary form of safety, but it rarely, if ever, provides the menal and emotional experience of safety.”  Our bodies are impermanent.  I will grow old.  Even well-intentioned actions may not stop my body’s slow decline.  And I am fearful of this.   And so, “we discover that we must practice being without fear if we are ever going to suceed at living without it.”  Moreover, “eventually…we have to take all the insihts we have derived from our skillful actions and apply them to just sitting and breathing.”  And so (again), I chose a meditation practice over asana this morn.