Logic and the principles of health XXI –
Healing the musculoskeletal system

For a number of decades now, yoga exercises have been regarded as an ideal way of helping stop a wide variety of back complaints or degeneration that occurs in the musculoskeletal system. Many yoga books have been printed with subtitles like, ‘Anatomically correct yoga practice’, and exact body postures are described, that support both the static form of the body as well as the muscular system and a harmonious overall posture. Compared to this kind of title, the art of healing described here gains a different nuance and it could be described with the words: Etherically correct yoga practice. The way in which the yoga exercises are described in this article, means that it is not the physical body with its visible relationships that takes first place and therefore the movement is not derived directly from the anatomy, but the healing therapy of the musculoskeletal system is explained by prana, the stream of life forces, the etheric coordinating force-impulses. The body forms, therefore, not the direct starting point for healing the musculoskeletal system, it is rather the final limb of the work with the consciousness and takes in the last instance the healing impulse of certain thought content that becomes etheric forces.

With this simple twist in a normal sitting position, those practicing train in a natural way the ability to straighten up and rotate the thoracic spine, which by its very nature is capable of extraordinary rotations. In the sense of training the etheric body and a movement-dynamic that goes beyond the anatomical form, it is essential that expanded thoughts accompany this simple form of movement, as these introduce a kind of new dynamic into the whole musculoskeletal system. The following thoughts are suitable for this: The head with the sense organs sensitively receives the observations concerning both its own body as well as its surroundings. Out of the middle, from the lower to the middle thoracic spine, even including the lumbar region, and starting from the sacral area, a dynamic is carried continuously upwards into the vertical line. The seat remains calm and stable as the third element for observation.

When the practice takes place with this consciousness-expanding content, this sensitive activity creates new life forces that flow towards the body, permeating it, forming it aesthetically and healing it at the same time. A light at the periphery ignites, like the touch of an eye, the light transports and encourages a structuring, so that the skin becomes pleasantly attractive. Uprightness in the body is then no longer so much from will having to intentionally lifting up against gravity but out of a subtle action of forces of lightness, of the light and lifting thought-impulse. It is like when the sun touches the plants in the morning and lifts the leaves out of the heavy dew into the air. Soul-feelings gain a natural order and the body is lifted for moments out of the physical density by the etheric streams.

For healing the musculoskeletal system, it makes sense to turn attention to the connective tissue. This is made up of collagenous elastic fibres and the coat-forming interstitial reticular cell clusters, which are involved in immune defence. These reticular immune cells constitute a large proportion of the body tissue and can play an important role in the inflammatory processes.

With tendonitis, muscle tension, prolapsed discs and general degenerative restrictions, muscle movement induces pain and further limitations. Nerves at the exit points of the spine may be irritated and cause peripheral piercing pain which in turn causes the muscles to spasm. However, the cause of these complaints, which can be perceived muscularly, primarily arises from the different parts of the connective tissue, because this reacts particularly sensitively to the various influences of the autonomic nervous system. The disease therefore does not begin in the muscles, but in specific influences that the human musculoskeletal system receives more in its connective and deeper lying layers.

What is the meaning of the movement that takes place in the elastic collagen, in the muscles and finally in the skeleton? Movement is a great phenomenon in the entire creation of the world. A wanting is expressed for a next stage of development.

Healing the musculoskeletal system that is repeatedly prone to pathology, requires a well-directed, aim-oriented will. All human movement is an activity of the will. Those practicing should witness the body in a meaningful way through the aesthetic and graceful play of movement and experience the sensitive perception in the greatest freedom and awareness. This aim-oriented will should unfold as actively as possible in the various areas of life so that the musculoskeletal system receives a consistent etherising energy and, on this basis, remains young, dynamic and soft.

As a rule, it is not primarily the muscles that have the problem, but the mesenchyme, the connective tissue. The interstitial, coat-forming reticular tissue that in particular very often takes up the vegetative influences of the environment and the various emotions that prevail subjectively and generally, and begins to project inflammatory, irritant, disruptive reactions onto the whole musculoskeletal system and therefore causes pathological conditions. The fascia in its various forms, both the elastic-collagenous component and the filling tissue, can be seen as a communication system. Together with the lymph, it is often watery and therefore very receptive. The connective tissue is susceptible if people are too sedentary and generally do too little exercise. The intervertebral discs, for example, step out of context, when the autochthonous muscle becomes weak and the strength of the aim-oriented will is lost. The musculoskeletal system constantly needs meaningful and simulating movement-dynamic in order to remain healthy.

In order to sensitively activate the connective tissue from the consciousness and not leave it to the vegetative, unconscious impulses that rise up, the use of a clear mental picturing and the guided development of the senses with pictured aims plays an important role. A slipped disc often occurs with severe pain if people give themselves up unto the suggestive influences of the times and do not implement aims they have developed themselves.

The following steps for healing the musculoskeletal system seem meaningful:

• Many parts of the body are relieved not only through movement, but also through a silica rich diet. For this reason, nutrition should never be neglected in musculoskeletal pathologies.
• When there is pain in the musculoskeletal system, too much attention should never be paid to the painful areas. If there are slipped discs in the lower back, it makes sense to dynamise and strengthen the middle sections of the thoracic spine in order to relieve the lower back.
• Protective postures, which inevitably occur and lead people to avoid certain movements, are extremely detrimental. It is beneficial if practitioners set themselves very clear pictures and aims so that they do not allow themselves to be forced into avoidance behaviour and a withdrawal from life as a result of the pain but instead gradually develop anew their potential for movement.
• The limits of the restrictions should gradually be overcome and ultimately become realised with the help of the various exercises, beginning with a mental picture, then observing their application and finally implementing them practically.
• A healthy, aim-oriented ability to form mental pictures activates etheric forces, which in a first instance, are carried over in a positive sense to the entire connective tissue and thus counteract the unconscious tendencies. Basically, the connective tissue needs a lot of this silica-dynamic, which arises from the thoughts and aim-oriented mental pictures.
• When people set themselves the aim of doing beautiful exercises with the motive of forming them aesthetically with the body, it has a very health-promoting effect on the musculoskeletal system. Exercises that are only practiced for the sake of getting healthy is a motivation that is still very inadequate.