Your spine has an indispensable role in keeping you are alive and making sure that all your systems are functioning properly.
It is basic survival.
We all know that spinal injuries are potentially lethal.
That's why we strap people to boards and immobilize them when we even suspect one.
There is a vital flow of energy and information in the spine that keeps the body working properly.
The gift of function is the first of the Five Gifts of the Spine as described by Dr.
Donald Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis.
Function is a gift we often take for granted when everything is okay but as soon as something goes wrong, life gets more difficult.
We have trouble carrying out our daily activities, feeling comfortable or being well.
Normally, all the biochemical reactions that keep our different systems working happen effortlessly.
When cells die or get too old, they are replaced and if there is a high demand on us and we undergo some wear and tear, we heal.
When all communications in the body are happening properly through the nervous system and the spine, no thought is necessary and we can focus on more important things, like our lives.
Healing is something our bodies were designed to do.
Our bio-energy, the energy which keeps us alive, normally flows through every cell of the body.
When it does, all the biochemical reactions necessary for life occur normally.
When the flow gets sluggish, we feel lethargic and when it speeds up, we feel energized.
This is the reason why movement and exercise feels so good.
Moving the body and the spine stimulates the flow of vital energy to all cells and tissues.
That's why yoga is so good for you.
Improving the movement of the spine improves the function of the body.
If there is a problem in an organ or tissue, then there is a disruption of the flow of this energy.
The body is holographic, meaning every part of the body is represented in every smaller part of the body.
Therefore, the whole body is represented in the spine as it is in the ear (auriculotherapy), the eye (iridology) and the foot (reflexology).
Aside for housing the spinal cord and nerves that actually go to those tissues, the spine will also show a distortion equivalent to the energetic distortion of bio-energy in the tissues.
That's why people find their overall health improves as their spinal health increases.
Proper function is a matter of making sure we have enough energy to survive.
When we are having a challenge with the function of our bodies, we need to be diligent in making sure that we will have the energy we need to stay alive.
People challenged with function need to take on extra rituals and routines that others do not need to do just to be able to exist.
Oddly enough, focus on these routines can result in a level of mastery of managing our bio-energy.
Athletes, work out fanatics and health food enthusiasts are usually the most challenged in the area of function.
Don't you always hear them complaining when they don't get all their workouts about how sluggish they feel? And heaven forbid they should eat something unhealthy! You'd think they ate poison! But they do end up with the energy they need and they become very skilled in ways of doing so.
The worst thing for your bio-energy and the function of your body is immobility.
Muscles and organs deteriorate and the system becomes more prone to disease.
If you want to improve the function of your body, you need to move.
The spine is vital to movement and indispensable in maintaining the proper flow of life force.
Making sure your spine moves properly will have a huge impact on the flow of your vital energy.
Moving it a lot will energize your body.
For most people, the concern is not receiving this first gift of the Five Gifts of the Spine, it is making sure they do not lose it.