There is something special about the vertical line that connects head to toes. The physical body is built around it. The bones and sinews of the body are arranged in order to counteract the force of gravity, in an alignment we recognize as proper posture.
This alignment is supremely efficient. We can see that in the images of the African women balancing enormous loads on their heads and seemingly effortlessly walking along. They can do so because they are using the body’s natural structure. We have evolved to be upright and vertical.
The question then becomes: why are we NOT properly aligned? Why is our posture so out of wack? There are many answers; some personal, some cultural. We are surrounded by furniture which encourages us to slouch, to not engage our core when sitting. That’s culture. So maybe sit on the floor from time to time, or scoot to the edge of the chair instead of leaning back into it, so that your core muscles are used.
But posture is also personal. It reveals the mind, the emotions, the traumas and the fears. Hunched forward, we protect our heart. Head jutting out, we lead with the mind and leave the body behind.It is a challenge to stand up straight, shoulder relaxed, head up and over the feet. It can feel weird and scary, but it is fundamental. The person standing straight, head up, heart opened, ..that person is who you are supposed to be.
We are heading into stranger grounds here, but we must. So here goes: the vertical line is not just an expression of the body’s fight against gravity. It is also the axis along which the body’s internal functions are aligned.
The internal organs require an open chest for deep breathing, an upright posture for proper digestion, and…a verticality to the connection between the three dantians, those centers of energy found in the lower belly, the chest and the head.
There is no way to explain it, but when doing a Taoist meditation, there is a noticeable difference when the body aligns properly along the vertical. It is as if something clicks into place. The Earth, the three dantians, the stars above, all are properly aligned, and the meditation works.
When the body is aligned, and the internal energetic centers are aligned, the head becomes full of light.
Open the crown of the head, open the third eye, breathe through those two points, and look ( eyes closed) into your head. Look at the back of your head. You might find that is not dark at all, but full of stars.