How Yoga Teaches Us That Everything Is Connected by Alison King Tigges
Forgive me for the Pollyanna headline. But I think I am on to something, so bear with me here. I feel like we hear (and might even say!) “everything is connected” but do we really believe it? This includes everything in our bodies, minds, hearts, even other people (ones we know and don’t know). EVERYTHING is connected. I’m not sure I used to actually believe it, but I do now. Why? Because more and more, through my time as a yoga student and teacher, I see it and experience it daily. In a world that keeps showing us division, (Ooof, am I right? So much division!) I am determined to keep finding ways to prove there is more connection than we even realize.
Here are a few examples of connectedness, from the perspective of yoga:
1. Fascia/connective tissue
Join me for a short anatomy lesson. Connective tissue (fasica) is EVERYWHERE in the body. All over. If you were to cut out all the fascia in your body it would be like 30% of you. It literally connects everything to everything in the body. It is what is covering and protecting your muscles, bones, ligaments and tendons. It holds all of your organs in place. It is everywhere. My teacher Tias Little calls it “the internet of the body”. It’s like a spider web. There is no beginning and no end. You get the point,I think! So, the fascia in our body alone proves that everything in our body is connected! This is why you aren’t simply “stretching your hip” in pigeon pose for example, but also addressing areas below and above the pelvis. This is why you can address knee pain by strengthening your glutes and hamstrings. The fascia is what connects it all! A great analogy is to think of your connective tissue like a t-shirt. If you tied a knot to the side, you would have to pull the t-shirt over. The t-shirt’s cotton would stretch and pull and change shape. Same with your fascia! When fascia gets tight, bound, or stuck, it affects everything else.
2. The translation and meaning of yoga
Yoga is a Sanskrit word and translated to English it means ”to yoke” (think of yoke as the wooden beam that joins two oxen together). Because of this, you often hear yoga to mean “union”. Yoga is the discipline that unionizes, or brings together, the body (asana—or poses), breath (pranayama--or breathwork), heart (hryidaya—or spiritual heart), and mind (citta). It is the only physical discipline that exists in which the teachings bring all these elements together. And these teachings have been around thousands of years! These are connections that exist within us as a living, breathing, thinking and feeling humans--and it has stood the test of time.
3. Yoga as a laboratory for the real world
Have you ever heard your yoga teacher talk about using this practice to learn more about yourself? I hope so! And if you learn more about yourself (your body, your thoughts, what makes you tick) then you have more information about how you are in the world. This is why we practice right?! What we learn about ourselves on the mat helps us learn how we can engage most skillfully in the world. Do you clench your jaw while you practice? I bet you do it in real life, too! Do you constantly look for ways to escape a difficult pose? I bet you do that in real life, too! Do you often find stillness difficult and easily feel restless? I bet you do in real life, too! Our yoga mat is like this little laboratory where we can practice mindfulness and connection every single time we are on it. Another connection! Our yoga practice (or meditation, therapy, exercise, time in nature, whatever floats your boat) does not have to happen in a vacuum! How we deal in yoga is how we deal in life.
4. Practicing as a community
Ah, the sangha. Our yoga community. While I know there were probably economical reasons why “group” yoga became so popular in the west (remember traditionally yoga in India was taught 1 teacher to 1 student), I also think there are valid reasons beyond that. Humans like community! Even the most introverted among us still need/want some interaction with others (see the first blog post ever written here on sangha—studies prove this!). I mean, just look to covid and isolation alone as an example of how much we thrive on connection to others. And as much as I am grateful for zoom yoga saving us as a yoga studio, there is just something special about being in a room with others. When we move, breath and learn together, it is just a feeling that is hard to describe. I also think it’s why we all get triggered by what is currently happening in the world today. It can’t just be me, right?! We would rather be connected! Our bodies, hearts and minds actually prefer it.
These are, of course, just a few examples of connection in yoga. Can you think of examples off the mat (real world) where connection exists? The list is endless.
The name of our studio, One Tree Yoga, evolved from the idea of “one tree, many branches”. Yes, we exist separately like the leaves or branches of a tree, but it is not until we are all connected that the tree takes shape. Similarly, when we end a yoga class, we often say “namaste”. Namaste means “the light/good in me, bows to the light/good in you”. May this practice help us experience connectedness in our own bodies, in our own hearts, in our own minds, as well as feel the connectedness we have with all beings. As my teacher Theresa Murphy always says, “may it be so”.
