Fixing Asymmetry

[Jim and His Karma]

It's become clear to me over the past few years that my energy/prana/kundalini is taking a slight detour, resulting in asymmetrical symptoms. For example, I get neck problems; when kundalini roars, my neck vertebrae literally rotate, and I have to pay a chiropractor to fidget them until they snap back into place.

The other symptom is in kechari. I do stage one  (i.e. keep the tip of my tongue planted just behind my front teeth). And I frequently find my tongue involuntarily moving to the right during practices, particularly when they get juicy.

I've tried lots and lots of things. But I gradually came to realize that asymmetry is all about unnecessary complication (i.e. a nice straight line from root to crown is also the simplest route). So trying to fix this by adding on more complication is the wrong way to go.

So here's the crazily simple solution I finally figured out after an awful lot of experimentation:

Sitting cross-legged or in siddhasana, visualize the points just behind each shoulder blade, and the points just beneath each sit-bone. Concentrate on feeling all four points equally.....then work at getting faster and more comfortable in doing this (it takes time/practice, but you can eventually reach a point where this "check in" takes  a second or less).

If you'd been experiencing asymmetry - e.g. if your tongue favors one side in kechari - see if it doesn't resolve damned quickly when you do this! My tongue remains dead center now, and my neck is untouched. It's just a matter of not obsessing over this move. Permit some asymmetry rather than constantly obsess over it; trust your body to gradually accustom itself.

[BlueRaincoat]

Hello Jim & K

Funny you should mention asymmetry and chiropractor in the same post. These have been two dominant themes for me over the last 3 weeks.

Do you feel OK after your chiropractor sessions? I've only recently tried it this month for the first time ever. What I can tell for certain so far is that all my self-pacing in yoga practice has gone out of the window. The chiropractor brought out all my stresses and I have been as good as pack of dynamite this past week. I'm seriously wondering whether to go for my 4th session in the new year.

Re asymmetry, on and off I have had the perception that my right side is bigger/heavier than the left. And here's a funny piece of info I came across a couple of days ago: there is a physical anomaly called Morton's toe (second toe slightly longer than the big toe). I have this on my right foot and funnily enough the tensions the chiropractor released were on my right side. I think there is an imbalance in my gait that puts some stress on the spine. I'm still investigating this, so it was interesting reading your post on the very subject of asymmetry.

[Jim and His Karma]

I was really being glib in saying "I have to pay a chiropractor to fidget them until they snap back into place." The guy I go to is actually a therapeutic massage therapist with a good deal of physical therapy training. But that takes a lot longer to write.

I  don't like chiropractic, except insofar as a chiropractor is being a therapeutic massage therapist with a good deal of training. That is, I don't like having my neck cracked - nor do I think it's a smart thing to do (I also think it's addictive), I don't believe in all that subluxation stuff (manipulating vertebrae can clear up your skin,  and cure disease, etc), and every chiropractor I've ever come across has seemed intent about developing a pattern of dependency on the part of his/her clients, which is a tremendous conflict of interest for a healer. That problem is certainly not restricted to chiropractors, but it's something I've observed to be unashamedly built into chiropractic from the get-go.

Obviously, mileage my vary! That's just my opinion. But it's also my opinion as a lifetime ardent hatha yogi, with pretty good knowledge/understanding/insight into body mechanics.

Re: your situation, everything you write sounds like complex thinking about complex stuff in order to develop complex theories and complex solutions to unwind all the complexity.

As I tried to explain in my posting, I think it's a mistake to try to fix complexity via more complexity. And I offered a simpler alternative. Did you try it?

[BlueRaincoat]

Good to hear your thoughts about chiropractors. I'm happy to note mine doesn't do any cracking either. He does release tense muscles and he did realign my spine but no cracking involved.  As for dependency, of course they'd try to hang on to clients, but I never intended my treatment become a crutch. Just wanted to try to get some help, as I've been hammering at a back pain for over one year and a half and the progress was really slow. I believe there are bad postural habits we get into and I think my chiropractor has been helping to change mine.

Yes, too much complexity is unproductive, but I like going through my own process of reducing complexity. My gut feeling tells me you do too, so I think you will understand

I will try your four points method after I come out of this chiropractor experience. Not just because I'd rather try one new thing at a time, but also because I can't sit comfortably at the moment (have been doing my meditations lying down for the past week ).

[Dogboy]

Sorry to hear, Blue. For a forgiving upright meditation I sit astride a giant bolster like a saddle, with or without a small bean bag at the perineum, a genuine 'seated hero'. It's very gentle on the back; I overcame a thoracic spinal issue that was interfering while in siddahasana.

[BlueRaincoat]

Thank you Dogboy. You are very kind, as always.

Before the chiropractor, I was actually very happy sitting in meditation, as long I supported my lower back. It was sitting on chairs that I had difficulties with. The chiropractor sessions just stirred up a hornets nest.

Glad you've sorted your own problem with the spine. I'm sure mine will go away too, sooner or later.

[Jim and His Karma]

BlueRaincoat, really sorry to hear that. Just some quick thoughts to take/leave:

1. There are people (e.g. my aforementioned massage dude) who fix back problems quickly. It's true that it's smart to not try many solutions in a mad jumble, but (as I'm sure you know) one can go too far the other way. I like what you say about this guy - he's not the sort of chiro I dislike - but I don't like that you're still in this condition. Please consider shopping around. If you do consider massage, find somebody who does "sports" massage. You don't want someone who spend his days making rich people feel a little less stressed (which is what 95% of people in that profession do). You want someone with deep knowledge, training, and intuition about actual body problems. If you ever head to NY, I'd beg you to try my guy, who tends to completely fix everyone in one session (he has a gift for it).

2. If you never try my technique, it certainly wouldn't offend me. But a few points pro and against:

You don't have to sit down. Just make yourself somehow symmetrical.

And it's not something to labor at, or make a practice of. I've spent a grand total of perhaps 8 minutes even thinking of it in the several months since I started using it...and even when you can do it as a quick check-in, as I said, it's not something to obsess over.

And, finally, maybe I wasn't clear on this, but I'm talking about energetic asymmetries due to kundalini flow detours. If your problem's just a standard physical back problem, it won't help. And if your problem is a wayward kundalini flow, a chiropractor (or even a super talented massage therapist) would be treating the effects, not the causes. So if you're just a dude with a backache, this isn't really the thread for you (but happy to chat regardless).

[BlueRaincoat]

Thank you Jim

There is K flow asymmetry all right, but the physical asymmetry probably comes first. I have researched this long toe problem, and its effects tie in perfectly with what the chiropractor found amiss with my spine. So I have cancelled the  next session with the chiropractor and will look for a podiatrist. A couple of small pads in my shoes could solve the imbalance. Seems worth investigating.

quote:Originally posted by Jim and His Karma
I don't like that you're still in this condition.  

With hindsight, I'd say  the sessions were too close together. I think the stresses that were latching onto the joints were set loose and it was too much coming out toot fast. Didn't help that we did a lot of travelling around Christmas, when I actually needed a rest. It's starting to clear up now, so hopefully I'll be back to normal soon, and maybe in a better position to asses the outcomes of the treatment.

I would like to try your massage therapist, but he's a little too far. If he could make me 20 again, then it would be worth the trip across the Atlantic, but that's surely too much to ask from any therapist of any kind

Thank you for your advice and for your concern.

[AYPadmin]

Jim and His Karma
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 Posted - Jul 06 2017 :  02:25:26 AM  Show Profile  Email Poster  Edit Reply  Reply with Quote  View user's IP address  Get a Link to this Reply  Delete Reply

Note: much more effective final solution here.