When it comes to consciousness awareness, people usually find the principles I speak about make sense and are applicable in their lives. In terms of working with their spines to release tension and improve posture, they can usually understand how it relieves physical pain and not much more. There is however a strong correlation between the posture and tension of people's spines and their ability to enjoy emotional, mental and spiritual well-being, in addition to the physical benefits.
Simply put, as we develop increasingly complex properties within our spine and its behaviour (e.g. it's flexibility, range of motion, alignment, sensitivity and functionality), we also experience a corresponding progression in our level of consciousness and awareness. This direct correlation between our spine and level of consciousness is something that Network Spinal Analysis (NSA) practitioners have known but have had difficulty communicating to the public.
Dr. Donald Epstein created "The Five Gifts of the Spine" as an attempt to clarify the relationship between the spine and levels of conscious awareness. While it is a very clever and complex model, it still does not make the relationship all that clear. I've listened to him speak about them live, on audio and on video. I've read about them. I even had a two hour movie night where over 20 practice members watched in awe as Dr. Epstein discussed the gifts, but people still don't get why working on their backs changes their lives. In the hopes of showing you the gifts that truly do reside in your spine, I will attempt to explain the indispensable link between your spine and the level of consciousness you enjoy in your life.
According to Dr. Epstein, The Five Gifts of the Spine are:
Function
Emotion
Sense of Self
Behaviour
Consciousness
After thousands of dollars, hours and hours of study and countless more spent pondering, this is my take on it.
The Five Gifts of the Spine-The Indispensable Role of the Spine in Human Conscious Development
Function-I'm alive and all my parts work
Emotion-I like these feelings but not those ones
Sense of self-What does it take to be who I think I am?
Behaviour-I'm way more than I thought I was. What else can I do?
Consciousness-I've focused on me long enough. How can I serve others more?
When a baby is born, the most important thing is that everything works. The spine and spinal cord provide the vital connection that ensures that everything is functioning so the baby can survive.
The baby begins to express emotions at a basic level. She's happy when she is fed or receives attention. She's upset when she does not have what she needs or wants. The range of emotions grows and the way she moves to express these emotions develops in the spine. If the spine does not move through a full range, only the concept of the emotion will be known. The feeling will not be embodied.
As she grows, she gets introduced to her family's and society's culture. She learns that it is okay for little girls to feel some emotions but not others. She learns that there are things she can do and things she cannot. We can start to observe who she is by how she holds herself. Her posture and body language tell us all about the person she is becoming. Will her sense of self be flexible enough to adapt and grow with confidence and passion through her teen years into adulthood, or will some traumas get locked in and cause her psychological distress later in life? The flexibility of the spine correlates directly to this.
As this person continues through life and does all the things she is supposed to in order to be a good member of the culture, she may ask, "Is there more than this? Is this all I'm meant to be?" As she explores who she thought she was, she may see that if she takes on new behaviours, i.e. things that she would never have done previously, she will start to become someone new. She may even realize that she can be anyone or anything she wants. She only has to take action and develop the behaviours of the person she would like to be. For this evolution in awareness to occur, the spine must be totally free of the tension that locks us into our "this is all I am" mentality.
She may continue her exploration and find that there is no longer a need to focus on herself, rather, her life becomes more about service and contribution to others. She finds that she considers the impact of every thought, action and feeling she has on the whole world. She may feel her connection to everyone and everything at times. This level of consciousness requires a spine that is flexible enough to handle a high level of energy. It almost seems as though it is not solid.
This progression of gifts that people receive as they grow and evolve are not accessed by everyone. Sadly, some people only experience the first two, remaining focused on and locked into a reactive response to their perception of the world. The spine, its flexibility and movement plays a critical role in how easily a person accesses the energy of each level of consciousness. It is also the vital link to the experience being embodied and lived rather than just thought about. This is the reason why creating flexibility and complex strategies in someone's spine can have such a positive and profound impact on the life they live. How well are you receiving these gifts?
Dr. Paul Newton is a chiropractor, Network Spinal Analysis practitioner, professional speaker, author and coach. He helps people achieve physical health and wellness through their connection to their purpose and meaning in life. He is an expert in the area of happiness and the role of the body in emotional, mental and spiritual well-being.
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