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The Physical Body - The Annamaya Kosha
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There are three things that we physically do to our bodies in yoga asana practice: we compress tissues,
we stretch tissues, and we twist tissues. Technically these three movements are called compression,
tension, and shear. The drawings show each of these movements. For example, in back bends we compress
the facets of the vertebrae into each other (which, as we will see, is very healthy for the bones);
in forward bends we stretch the fascia, muscles, and ligaments along the back of the spine; and in
twists we provide a shearing force between the vertebrae and the ribs, which both compresses and
stretches the tissues between each pair of ribs.
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These three forces affect the body on many levels. Through twisting, elongating, and compressing of tissues,
our bodies become rejuvenated in the same way an old sponge can be resurrected, by soaking it in warm
water and twisting, squeezing, and stretching it - the old grungy particles trapped in the tissues of
the sponge are released and carried away by the warm water. Similarly our tissues are massaged by asana
practice, releasing toxins and waste products. Even old scar tissue can be broken down and removed.
Yoga promotes the flow of energy in the body through both stimulating energy release (especially in
the active yang practices) and through removing deep blockages to the energy flow (especially in
the more passive yin practices). Our blood and lymphatic systems serve the same function as the
warm water in the example of cleaning a sponge. Another analogy is a garden hose that has been
left unused for years, lying in the grass of an overgrown back yard. Insects and mud (toxins)
eventually clog the hose (which could be called a "meridian" or "nadi"). When the water (which
could be called our energy or "prana") is turned on, it can't flow. These clogs have to be removed,
and we do so by turning on the water and bending and stretching the hose. Once the flow of energy
has been freed or increased, information and nourishment flow throughout the body.
Chapter Five: The Energy Body, describes this in more detail.
Our physical bodies are made up of many types of tissues and these tissues respond differently
to exercise. Yang yoga is excellent at working the muscle tissues. Yin Yoga is especially
effective at working the deeper connective tissues of the body. To fully understand the
benefits of yoga, we need to understand the nature of these tissues. The next several
sections take us further along our journey of exploration by investigating the:
When we have finished this segment of our journey we will take a closer look at our joints.
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