Organ Workshop 101

Sunday I spent the afternoon getting in touch with my organs. Let's be serious about this please.

Yes, it was warm and squishy. We began with an anatomy lesson and passing around balloons filled with hot and cold water. If you hold a water-filled balloon and tilt it, you can feel the water shift and roll inside. Much the same for our organs, when we move around, our organs are shifting and rolling all of the time. Funny that this should be taught, but it's true, we lose this innate ability to feel our insides.

We spent time lying on our bellies (downward-facing savasana) and experiencing the sensations inside. It takes a while to bring down the activity of the body, and let the abdomen relax. We were given the image of a baby's belly, how it rolls into whatever position the child takes. I will practise this position, because I think there is so much more to get in touch with. I do know that there is a link between this posture and the sensations I feel in Uddiyana Bandha.

We walked around the room with ears plugged to hear the vibrations our organs hear as we walk. Unbelievable the pounding! You want to walk more softly after that experience, to protect your belly from the sharp vibrations. Poor organs, all of the noise and force they are subject to.

We did partner work to help connect to our organs, each person laying on hands to focus attention and breath. Quite illuminating. When I would breath with intention, drawing breath in with my muscles, the breath was quite hard and tense. By inviting the breath in and allowing the lungs to do the breathing, it became effortless, with no tension. I am quite eager to see how this works in asana.

After spending a great amount of time focusing on moving from our organs, everything slowed down. Voices deeper, steps softer, an appreciation for these vital (!) parts moving three-dimensionally, rotating, moving. Ideally, I will eventually move from inside, from my organs, and they will support me, instead of the musculotual-skeletal systems doing so.

I was deeply impressed by this workshop, no one has ever taught me about my internal organs in this way. This is what is so interesting to me about yoga - how is enables me to know my body and care for it. I look forward to passing these knowledge to my children, and drawing on it to care for my family.