The Subtle Energy System and Anatomy and Physiology

Maureen Spencer, RN, M.Ed.Finding Inner Peace Yoga School

Waves and Particles = Matter E=MC2

Platonic Solids Sacred Geometry

Cymatics

Sound Table with Sacred Geometry (dodecahedron) and Tuning Forks

Complementary TherapiesBody Centered:Body work: massage, foot reflexology, acupressureMusic TherapyYoga, Tai ChiMind Centered:Guided Imagery/MeditationHypnotherapyEnergy Centered:Reiki, therapeutic touch, healing touch, polarity,johrei, integrated energy therapy, acupuncture

Subtle Energy SystemAura – field around the body –several layersMeridians – pathways that run energy (chi) close to the skin (described in ancient chinesetexts)Chakras – spinning wheels of light – life batteriesNadis – tubular like structures running along the circulatory system moving life force in and out – separate from the gas exchange in our heart and lungs (described in ancient yogic texts)

ChakrasChakra is a Sanskrit word meaning wheel, or vortexSeven major energy centers (21 minor)These chakras, or energy centers, function as pumps or valves, regulating the flow of energy through our energy system. The functioning of the chakras reflects decisions we make concerning how we choose to respond to conditions in our life. We open and close these valves when we decide what to think, and what to feel, and through which perceptual filter we choose to experience the world around us.

Positive Emotional StatesWhen we experience heart-felt emotions like love, care, appreciation and compassion the heart produces coherent or smooth rhythms that enhance communication between the heart and brain. Heart chakra would be fully open and moving energy in and outEnergy work facilitates this effectWhen we experience grief, loss anger -such a person may be described as being cold-hearted, protected, shut-down – they may not be open to energy work

Energy MedicineThe more control and balance you have over your subtle energy system and emotions –the greater the protection from others who are negative, manipulative, destructive, angry, hostile or violent.

Energy MedicineResonance and coherence – when you are in a loving relationship –you are balanced, coherent and healthy – research proves this –couples in marriage live longer than those who are single.Energy enhancing techniques and therapies during patient care can have a positive impact on a persons life and outcome – even if that outcome is death

Central Nervous System

Crown Chakra

Central Nervous System12 Cranial bonesBrain and Spinal Cord are the organs7 Cervical vertebrae12 Thoracic vertebrae5 Lumbar vertebrae4 fused bones in sacrum

Central Nervous System

The central nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord.The brain functions to receive nerve impulses from the spinal cord and cranial nerves. The spinal cord contains the nerves that carry messages between the brain and the body.

The human brain is composed of up to one trillion nerve cells. One hundred billion of these are neurons, and the remainder are the supporting neuroglia. The brain consists of gray and white matter. Gray matter is nerve tissue in the CNS composed of neuron cell bodies, neuroglia, and unmyelinated axons; white matter is nerve tissue in the CNS composed chiefly of bundles of myelinated axons.The brain is protected by the skull and by three membranes called the meninges. The outermost membrane is known as the dura mater, the middle as the arachnoid, and the innermost as the pia mater. Also protecting the brain is cerebrospinal fluid, a liquid that circulates between the arachnoid

The Human BrainThe human brain is a soft, shiny, grayish white, mushroom-shaped structure encased within the skull. At birth, a typical human brain weighs between 12 and 14 ounces (350 and 400 grams). By the time an average person reaches adulthood, the brain weighs about 3 pounds (1.36 kilograms). Because of greater average body size, the brains of male are generally about 10 percent larger than those of females. Although brain size varies considerably among humans, there is no correlation or link between brain size and intelligence.

Central Nervous SystemAutonomic nervous system

Sympathetic nervous systemParasympathetic nervous system

Peripheral nervous system

Afferent nervesEfferent nerves

Central Nervous SystemThe nervous system is the master controller of the body. Each thought, each emotion, each action—all result from the activity of this system. Through its many paths, the nervous system monitors conditions both within and outside the body. It then processes that information and decides how the body should respond, if at all. Finally, if a response is needed, the system sends out electrical signals that spur the body into immediate action. Although one of the smallest of the body's systems in terms of weight, the nervous system is the most complex and versatile.

The nervous system is a collection of cells, tissues, and organs: the central nervous system and the peripheral nervous system.The central nervous system (CNS) acts as the command center of the body. It interprets incoming sensory information, then sends out instructions on how the body should react. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is the part of the nervous system outside of the CNS. It consists mainly of nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord to areas in the rest of the body. Cranial nerves carry impulses to and from the brain while spinal nerves carry impulses to and from the spinal cord. The PNS can be divided into two systems: the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The somatic nervous system controls the voluntary movements of the skeletal muscles. The autonomic nervous system control activities in the body that are involuntary or automatic. These include the actions of the heart, glands, and digestive organs and associated parts.The autonomic nervous system can be divided further into two subdivisions: the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. These two subdivisions work against each other. The parasympathetic nervous system regulates involuntary activities that keep the body running smoothly under normal, everyday conditions. The sympathetic nervous system controls involuntary activities that help the body respond to stressful situations.

The Shushumna – Sheath Around Spinal Cord where Kundalini Flows

A Nadi (plural: Nadis) is an energy channel in which prana energy flows and may connect chakras

Subtle EnergyThe three channels of

the subtle system are known in sanskritlanguage as

Ida Nadi (moon side, female, yin)Pingala Nadi (sun side, male, yang)and ShushumnaNadi. the balance of the other two channels

Crown Chakra - CNSPineal Gland – connects to PituitarySelf-RealizationConnection to the Universe, GOD1000 petal lotus – 976 vorticesChakra of consciousness, the master chakra that controls all the others. Secretes hormones to control the rest of the endocrine system, and also connects to the central nervous system via the hypothalamus.

6th Chakra – Third Eye - CNSPituitary and Hypothalamus Glands84 Vortices of energyHigher SelfWisdom/IntuitionGoverns our sensesHigher Sense Perceptions are developed with yoga and meditation practices

Yoga Poses Beneficial to CNS

Respiratory System

Fifth Chakra (Throat)

Respiratory System

The respiratory system allows gas exchange between air and blood, enables speech, provides the first line of defense against infection, and helps regulate the pH of blood.Components of the Respiratory SystemThe respiratory tract consists of the nose, nasal cavity, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, bronchioles, and alveoli. The nose andpharynx make up the upper respiratory system, and the larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs comprise the lower respiratory system.How Does the Respiratory System Work?The respiratory tract can be divided into a conducting portion that conducts air into the lungs, and a respiratory portion where gas exchange occurs. As air travels through the conducting portion—the nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and bronchioles—air is filtered, warmed, and humidified.

When you breathe in through your nose or mouth, the air is "filtered" through natural lines of defense that protect against illness and irritation of the respiratory tract. Nasal hairs at the opening of the nostrils trap large particles of dust that might otherwise be inhaled. The entire respiratory system, as with the reproductive, digestive, and urinary systems, is lined with a mucous membrane that secretes mucus. The mucus traps smaller particles like pollen or smoke.Hairlike structures called cilia line the mucous membrane and move the particles trapped in the mucus out of the nose.

Inhaled air is moistened, warmed, and cleansed by the nasal epithelium (the tissue that lines the nasal cavity).The nasal epithelium has increased blood flow that helps to warm the inhaled air, but also facilitates nosebleeds in some peopleAfter the inhaled air moves through the larynx, it reaches the trachea. The trachea is a rigid, muscular tube about 4.5 inches long and 1 inch wide. Embedded in the walls of the trachea, C-shaped cartilage rings give the trachea rigidity and allow it to stay open all the time.

Deeper in the lungs, each bronchus divides into bronchi, which continue to branch to smaller airways called the bronchioles. There is no cartilage in the bronchioles, and therefore they are subject to constriction and obstruction, as during an asthma attack. The bronchioles end in air sacs called the alveoli. Alveoli are bunched together into clusters to form alveolar sacs. On the surface of each alveolus, there is a network of capillaries carrying blood that has come through veins from other parts of the body. Here gas exchange occurs --carbon dioxide from the blood is exchanged for oxygen from the alveoli. After the blood is oxygenated, it goes to the heart (between the two lungs), where it is pumped out to all of the body tissues and extremities.

The respiratory portion is composed of the smallest bronchioles and alveoli. It is in the alveoli that gas exchange takes place.There are approximately 150 million alveoli in each lung. The respiratory membrane of the alveoli is very thin and covers a large surface area – about the size of a tennis court. This large thin membrane allows oxygen and carbon dioxide to diffuse rapidly and efficiently.

The diaphragm, located below the lungs, is the major muscle of respiration. It is a large, dome-shaped muscle that contracts rhythmically and continually, and most of the time, involuntarily. Upon inhalation, the diaphragm contracts and flattens and the chest cavity enlarges. This contraction creates a vacuum, which pulls air into the lungs. Upon exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes and returns to its domelike shape, and air is forced out of the lungs.

Yoga Poses and Practices - Respiratory Tract

Pranayama

Complete Breath9 Point BreathingUjjayiAlternate Nostril BreathingKumbhakaKapalabhati

Mudra –Finger positions

Mudras – Finger Positions that Effect Breathing

Cardiac System

4th Chakra – Heart Chakra

Cardiovascular – Circulatory SystemThe cardiovascular system, also called the circulatory system, consists of the heart and a closed system of vessels - the arteries, veins, and capillaries.

The heart is the muscular device that pumps the blood around the circuit of vessels.

FunctionThe most important functions of the system are to maintain homeostasis and a favorable cellular environment. These functions depend on the continuous and controlled flow of blood through the thousands of miles of capillaries that reach every cell in the body. Blood performs its ultimate transport function (the purpose of circulation) with the help of these microscopic capillaries: oxygen and nutrients pass from capillary blood into fluids surrounding the cells and waste products are removed in the same manner, being taken into the capillary blood flow.

The Heart

The heart is a hollow, muscular organ in vertebrates responsible for pumping blood through the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions, or a similar structure in annelids, mollusks, and arthropods.The term cardiac (as in cardiology) means "related to the heart" and comes from the Greek 'kardia,' for "heart."

Structure

In the human body, the heart is normally situated slightly to the left of the middle of the thorax, underneath the sternum (breastbone). The heart is usually felt to be on the left side because the left heart (the left part of the heart) is stronger (it pumps the blood out). The heart is enclosed by a sac known as the pericardium and is surrounded by the lungs.

A septum divides the right atrium and ventricle from the left atrium and ventricle, preventing blood from passing between them. Valves between the atria and ventricles (atrioventricular valves) maintain coordinated unidirectional flow of blood from the atria to the ventricles. The ventricular systole consists of the contraction of the ventricles and flow of blood into the circulatory system. Again, once all the blood empties from the ventricles, the pulmonary and aortic semilunarvalves close. Finally complete cardiac diastole involves relaxation of the atria and ventricles in preparation for refilling with circulating blood.

Cardiopulmonary In the lungs, oxygen travels from the tiny air sacs through the walls of the capillaries, into the blood and, at the same time, carbon dioxide passes from blood into the air sacs in the same manner. Carbon dioxide is exhaled, and the oxygenated blood travels back to the left atrium of the heart through the pulmonary veins.

CirculationDeoxygenated blood comes into the right side of the heart – atrium – and is pumped into the ventricle then the pulmonary artery.Oxygenated blood comes from the left atrium – then ventricile – then into the aorta on the left side.Coronary arteries feed blood to the heart muscle

4th ChakraThymus – master gland of immune systemHeart chakra – 12 vortices of energyLove, compassion, forgiveness vsAnger, hostility, hate, resentment, etc.

Yoga Poses for the Cardiopulmonary System

Gastrointestinal System

3rd Chakra – Solar Plexus

GI Tract

The gastrointestinal tract starts at the mouth, which leads to the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, colon, and finally, the rectum and anus. The GI tract is a long, hollow, muscular tube through which food passes and nutrients are absorbed.

Your tastebuds

You have roughly 10,000 tastebuds on your tongue, which come alive the moment you put food in your mouth. As nerve endings, they're responsible for sussingout the chemicals in the food you've eaten and transmitting messages to your brain. Without them you wouldn't be able to experience salty, bitter, sweet or sour sensations.

While your tastebuds are busy at work, your teeth grind the food into easily digestible pieces and your saliva moistens everything, so it doesn't scrape your digestive (gastrointestinal) tract on the way down.

Stomach

Once you've swallowed your food, it's carried down the esophagus to your stomach. Here, your stomach walls churn the food up to make sure it's mixed with your acidic digestive juices. By the time your tummy has finished (about 2 hrs later), the food is a creamy mixture called chyme(pronounced kime). Once it's liquefied it can be squirted through a small hole into your small intestine

Small intestine

This is where most of the nutrient-digesting action happens. To help your small intestine cope with the acidity of the chyme, your pancreas releases an alkaline and lots of enzymes, which break down the food's carbohydrates, fat and protein. Meanwhile, your gall bladder donates some bile to ensure any fat is melted down thoroughly.

Large intestine

Any nutrients that can't be digested end up here, including fiber, which has certain components that can't be absorbed by the human body. Your large intestine begins at the colon, where some of the remaining nutrients can be mopped up. After this point, anything that's left over is waste matter and is stored in the rectum, waiting for the journey's end.

Large Intestines

The large intestine takes 12 to 25 hours to finish up the remaining processes of the digestive system. Food is not broken down any further in this stage of digestion. The large intestine simply absorbs vitamins that are created by the bacteria inhabiting the colon.It is also very important in absorbing water and compacting the feces. It also is responsible to get rid of the solid waste.

Water Consumption is ImportantIt's essential for the growth and maintenance of our bodies, as it's involved in a number of biological processes. But most of us don't get nearly enough.Water comprises 50 to 70 per cent of an adult's total body weight, and without regular top-ups, our body's survival time is limited to a matter of hours or days. Water is lost from the body through urine and sweat, and must be replaced through our diets. Many people, though, don't consume enough and as a result may become dehydrated, causing symptoms such as headaches, tiredness and loss of concentration. Chronic dehydration can contribute to a number of health problems, such as constipation and kidney stones.

Third Chakra – Solar PlexusGoverns Gastrointestinal Tract8 Vortices of energyClockwise movementPower, Loyalty and Self-Confidence vs.Shame and Betrayal, dishonestyColor is Yellow = Sun

Yoga Poses for GI Tract

Reproductive System

2nd Chakra – Sacral Chakra

Female Reproductive System

Ovaries. Produce eggs, release one each month in the process of ovulation. Produce the female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. One ovary on each side, about the size of a walnut.Fallopian tubes. These tubes link the ovaries with the uterus. When an egg is released from the ovaries it is captured by the fimbriae, which project from the end of the tubes. The egg is then moved towards the uterus by the beating movement of tiny hairs called cilia. If an egg is fertilized by sperm this usually occurs within the fallopian tubes. The lining of the tube is specially developed to prevent the fertilized egg from implanting, and it is carried by the cilia towards the uterus where it can safely implant.

UterusUterus, or womb. Allow implantation of a fertilized egg and the subsequent growth, development and birth of a baby. Two main layers, the endometrium(lining) and myometrium(muscle layer). The endometrium is the lining of the womb, which allows a fertilized egg to implant. Each month the endometrium becomes thickened and ready to receive a fertilized egg. If the egg is not fertilized and does not implant, the endometrium is shed and lost through the vagina. This is called menstruation, or the period.

Follicle Stimulating Hormones and Luteinizing Hormones

FSH and LH causes follicles in the ovaries to mature, and estrogen to be produced.

On days 12-14 of the cycle estrogen actually stimulates the hypothalamus to release more FSH and LH from the pituitary.

The surge of LH causes and egg to be released, a process called ovulation.

•A woman is born with all her eggs and does not produce any more during her lifetime. •Every month from when periods start follicles mature during the menstrual cycle and normally only one will become dominant and release an egg. The others all degenerate. The result is that follicles are continuously being lost. •When only a few follicles remain, they can no longer produce enough estrogen to stimulate the release of FSH and LH to cause ovulation. •Menopause occurs when the ovaries no longer respond to FSH and LH. This usually there is a period called the climacteric which leads up to the menopause. During this time, the menstrual cyclebecomes less regular and frequent.•Menopause can cause symptoms due to a lack of estrogen. These include hot flushes, mood changes, vaginal dryness and pain during intercourse.

Male Reproductive System

During puberty, a man's body begins to produce millions of sperm on a daily basis. The male's reproductive system is also dependent upon correct hormone levels to maintain sperm production.

Highly dependent upon cues from the pituitary gland to stimulate the production of certain hormones.

Testes are the organs responsible for producing both sperm and testosterone, a hormone that maintains male sexual characteristics. It takes up to three months for sperm to become fully developed.

Once the sperm leave the testes, they move through a coiled tube called the epididymis, an organ that stores and nourishes them until they become motile. Mature sperm then move into a tube known as the vas deferens which carries them to the seminal vesicles and prostate gland where fluid is added to form semen. The semen is then expelled into the woman's vagina during intercourse. Sperm can survive within the woman's reproductive tract between 48 and 72 hours after intercourse.

The pituitary gland secretes FSH and LH. FSH stimulates sperm production in the testes while LH stimulates testosterone production.

2nd Chakra – Sacral PlexusOrange

The second energy center located just below the navel concerns aspects of emotional balance, sexuality and creativity. This energy center radiates powerful emotional and creative forces. All who desire to create more in the physical world must developa relationship with this energy center.

What are the issues of my sacral chakra?

1. Movement 5. Desire

2. Sensation 6. Need

3. Emotions 7. Pleasure

4. Sexuality

Yoga Poses for Second Chakra

Musculoskeletal System

1st Chakra – Root

SkeletonThe musculoskeletal system includes bones, joints, skeletal muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Muscles generate force; tendons transfer it to bones; and the bones move if enough force is transmitted. The force must be enough to overcome the weight of the moving body part, gravity, and other external resistance. Motion occurs at joints associated with one or both ends of the bone.

Root ChakraStabilityCourage – Stand up under the pressureFeeling safe, securevs unsafe, unstable, having the root pulled out from under youGoverns the musculoskeletal system

Genitourinary System

Root Chakra and Second Chakra

Urinary SystemThe body takes nutrients from food and converts them to energy. After the body has taken the food that it needs, waste products are left behind in the bowel and in the blood.The urinary system keeps chemicals, such as potassium and sodium, and water in balance by removing a type of waste called urea from the blood. Urea is produced when protein, found in meat products, is broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys.Other important functions of the kidneys include blood pressure regulation, and the production of erythropoietin, which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow.

KidneysPair of purplish-brown organs located below the ribs toward the middle of the back. Their function is to:Remove liquid waste from the blood in the form of urine.Keep a stable balance of salts and other substances in the blood.produce erythropoietin, a hormone that aids the formation of red blood cells.

The adrenal glands are a pair of triangular-shaped organs that rest on top of the kidneys. The cortex, or outer section, is responsible for the production of cortisone, cortisol, aldosterone, androstenedione, and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). The adrenal cortex helps to maintain the salt and water balance in the body. It is also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of blood sugar.. The medulla, or central section, secretes another hormone,

adrenaline (also called epinephrine) and norepinephrine, which functions as both a hormone and a neurotransmitter. This hormone speeds up the rate of metabolism and produces other physiologic changes designed to help the body cope with danger ("Fight or Flight Response").

STRESS HORMONES

Adrenaline, cortisol, DHEA, and norepinephrine are the body's four major stress hormones. The highest levels of these hormones are released in the morning and the lowest at night. Cortisol is also involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates and the regulation of blood sugar. Aldosterone helps to maintain electrolyte (salt) and water balance in the body.

Yoga for Stress Reduction

Meditation TechniquesSIMPLE COUNTINGWALKING MEDITATIONEXACTLY WHERE YOU ARE MEANT TO BE STILLING THE MIND –COUNTING EXHALESDAILY GRATITUDE –JOURNELINGFOCUS ON THE THIRDEYE VIPASSANA – IN THE MOMENTCANDLE GAZING

Connective Tissue and Fascia

Fascia – Connective Tissue – Subtle Energy

Fascia

Connective TissueTissue arising chiefly from the embryonic mesoderm that is characterized by a highly vascular matrix and includes collagenous, elastic, and reticular fibers, adipose tissue, cartilage, and bone. It forms the supporting and connecting structures of the body.

FasciaFascia is essentially all of the connective tissue in the body.It is a tough covering, much like a sausage casing, that surrounds every muscle. It forms a vast supporting network found throughout the body and is continuous from head to toe.The tendons that join the muscle to the bone, the joint capsules and the ligaments are all fascia. Scar tissue and adhesions occur within the fascia; these areas are typically more restricted and disorganized

Structural IntegrationFascia thickens and hardens where there is chronic tension. Structural Integration practitioners consider fascia the "organ of form." Like a coiled telephone cord, fascia holds imprints of our posture and old injuriesFascia is composed mainly of collagen fibers, together with water and other proteins which provide a glue-like qualityComposition is like sea salt

Subtle Energy Runs Through Fascia

Thomas Myers, author of Anatomy Trains, states that there is only one muscle in the body - it simply hangs around 600 or more fascialpockets (p. 40). Consider then, that as yoga instructors and students, you are interacting with and affecting these 600-plus fascialpockets during your asana practice.www.anatomytrains.com/

The End