Self-deception and repressed feelings manifest in our physical body as tension, numbness, and/or disease. Tension, in the form of gripping or holding, is revealed through sensations such as tightness, strain, and pain. A human self-deception is the belief that we need the seven tension bands to hold us together and erect. This lie we tell ourselves masks what is really being held — our fear.
Like armoured protection, these seven myofascial bands form due to our fearful reactions to life events. The constant gripping at these sites cuts off circulation, which further thickens and deadens the affected areas. Our typical activities and movements can no longer stimulate and open these locations. What happens instead is the bands, with a mind of their own and without awareness on our part, continue to harden and disable.
Thus, the sensations emerging from muscle and bone movement are not useful for melting the seven bands. In working with these bands, we need to back off from the distraction of sensation and create ease in the full circumference of the bands. Finding ease may require you to move beyond sensation into vibration to register where numbness exists within each band.
Strap 1 – PUBIC BONE: runs from the tailbone-sacral joint around the outer trochanters and upper thighs and along the sides of the pubic bone.
Strap 2 – INGUINAL: runs from the sacral-lumbar joint along the front edges of the hips to above the centre of the pubic bone.
Strap 3 – NAVEL: runs from the lumbar-thoracic joint around the waist to the navel (above or below).
Strap 4 – DIAPHRAGM: runs from the DORSAL thoracic hinge around the rib cage to the bottom of the sternum (xyphoid process).
Strap 5 – COLLAR BONE: runs from the lumbar-C7 joint along the upper shoulder blades through the shoulder joints to continue along the collar bones.
Strap 6 – JAW: runs from the apex vertebra to below the lower ears and along the jaw line.
Strap 7 – EYE: runs from the occipital joint above the upper ears to around the eyes.
The following subtle Yoga Actions will train the nervous system to allow more ease.
YOGA ACTIONS:
1. With your awareness, find all seven bands.
2. Create ease where there is none in each band.
3. Back away from any sensation to create ease in the nervous system.
NOTE: In the poses below,
- don’t do anything that strengthens the band, that is, increases sensation.
- sensation in the legs is coming from the bottom two or three bands — pubic bone, inguinal, and navel.
- sensation in the arms and shoulders is related to the upper bands — diaphragm, collarbone, jaw, and eye.
KAIUT VIPARITA KARANA 10 minutes
– head on bolster with hands clasped underneath or middle fingers touching or just palms under bolster
CONSTRUCTIVE REST POSE 10 m
– feet on the floor with inner knees touching and outer edges of feet at mat’s edges
– extend arms overhead with bolster on upper arms and/or palms
BADDHA KONASANA 5M
– sit on a bolster
1) UPRIGHT 3M
2) FOLD FORWARD 2M
UPAVISTHA KONASANA 5M
– sit on a bolster
1) UPRIGHT 3M
2) FOLD FORWARD 2M
PASCHIMOTTANASANA 5M
– sit on a bolster
1) CHAIR 3M
2) FOLD FORWARD 2M
SETU BANDHA 5M
– begin with block on LOW height
– if no sensation, move block to MEDIUM height
– if no sensation, move block to HIGHT height
SAVASANA 5-10M
For more yoga actions and teachings, click here. Namaste.
