𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐲

The Psychology of the Architecture of the Body

“Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment.  Those over forty may call it old age.  And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, it has been ignored: they are off balance, they are at war with gravity.” — Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D.

To begin, what is the architecture of the body? The answer can be framed on many different levels. From the cellular to gross anatomy. Here we're referring to the basic what-you-see with your everyday eyes level.

There's a head, a neck, shoulders, arms and hands, torso with chest/rib cage and abdomen, the pelvis, legs and feet. We all know where all of it goes. You know ... "The foot bone is connected to the leg bone". The nose isn't twelve inches long for good reason; otherwise, it would be a foot. 

Okay now that we're all on the same page on the basic anatomy point of view being used, let's talk "architecture".

The Architecture of the Body 

There's a lot more to the architecture of the body than the basic the head goes on the neck, goes on the shoulders, goes on the torso, and so forth. Those are the obvious basic connections.

Fit ...

The architecture of the body also has to do with just how those parts get to go together. The fit. 

How the segments of the body are actually connected and working is developmental. The patterns of our bodies get set over time with use. See for yourself: at a busy pedestrian scene, notice how people move, how they walk. All with the same essential parts, right? But look at all the variations. Notice how those parts are connected so differently. And, obviously, how those connected relationships affect their movement patterns. How come?

Genetics ...

Basically genetics determines the arms are connected to the shoulders; the knees go in between the upper and lower legs. Like that. And, the size and shape of all those parts too. Lots of variety based solely on God-given inheritances. 

You get born, then things start to get complicated. We naturally get bigger and stronger as we grow older and mature. How those parts actually come to fit and work in relation to one another, there's a lot of learning that goes into it. Crawling, standing, climbing, walking, running, using a fork, brushing your teeth ... and all the rest, numerous enough in each individual's life to fill volumes.

Shaped by Experience ...

So why all the differences? Aside from inherited characteristics there are a handful of contributors. Just in living day to day we are shaped by our experiences. 

We develop habits. We need habits. You don't have to figure out which way to turn the knob to open the door like every time it's your first time; like you were born yesterday. What side of the road to drive on. The slice of Pizza goes into your mouth. Etcetera ... etcetera ... etcetera.

Body Imbalances ...

But, there are bad habits too. 

At this juncture it's important to once again underscore we are indeed shaped by our experience(s). Notice the ballerinas from the Julliard School at Lincoln Center in New York City. That dance turnout they so assiduously practice, they take it to the street with them as well. Even though everyone knows well enough that feet go straight ahead to walk. But those lovely dancers have that turnout pattern set into the fabric of their flesh. Literally. That's some sacrifice for their art.  Or, take the example of my Uncle Stash. Not too bright a boy; he also has round shoulders and a flat forehead. Ask him a question, he invariably shrugs his shoulders. Give him the answer, he slaps his forehead. You get the idea. Over time repeated patterns get set in. Muscle memory combined with set patterns in the soft connective tissues. Think in nature the Grand Canyon: years upon years upon years of being shaped by nothing but flowing water. 

There are good, useful, efficient, effective patterns. And, in the average individual, mixed together with imbalanced patterns which limit performance, expression, sap energy, color perception. 

Simply stated, the unresolved imbalances accrued from incomplete unresolved past experiences are putting you in default of living under their influence; whether you want to call it karma, or just dragging the past around. And, operating, sub rosa to your waking consciousness. Also, having a locked-away vault of unconscious patterns in the body/mind makes us susceptible to being manipulated. 

Body Imbalances — How Come? ...

The usual suspects for body imbalances are many: those bad habits, unresolved accidents and insults, insufficient or incorrect training, modeling significant others who themselves may have not been adequate examples of correct aligned balance.

Body/Mind ...

It's important to know that there's a body and there's a mind.  Words tend to frame things singularly, one thing at a time. The body and the mind are not separate. They exist in a unity. What's in the body is reflected in the mind. It works the other way too. Watch a scary movie and notice how your body tenses up. If there is tension in the body your view is filtered to see the world as a source of tension. Entertain a harrowing thought and watch how your body tenses up.

Psychological ... 

How you see the world is a projection of your inner state. Is this a new idea to you? It's axiomatic in psychological understanding. "The world is as you see it." The good news is if you don't like how you see it you can change how you're seeing it. After all, who's responsible for how you see it? 

It does, however, take some courage since you have to at very least entertain the possibility your present view may be in error. God's Creation is Peaceful. If you don't see Peace then there's something amiss. Take responsibility for your seeing. Jump out of the praise and blame way of living. Attraction and aversion is another way to describe it. 

When the inner side goes unexamined whatever complications go unaddressed and unresolved are unconscious operators ruling our lives. 

So, now you want to purify your heart? Now what?

The Message of Feelings ...

Feelings have a message. They have a say. It behooves us to let feelings have their say. How? I feel my feeling, you say. The key to this practice involves disconnecting feelings from the interpretations and meanings we've attached to them. This is not to deny or negate the meaning(s) carried by feelings. At the moment of the original experience we made sense of things and the associated feeling with what we had in our store of understanding about what's what. Now, however, those feeling come up and we may still be carrying the load of the original associated thoughts. And, besides, especially at a young age, what we may have made of things back then wasn't probably based on too much understanding, much less wisdom. Now, the wisdom is in disconnecting the thoughts from feelings. Clarifying and healing the soul, if you will.

The Practice ... 

The practice is to abide in  "Choiceless Awareness", as advised by J. Krishnamurti. The Buddhists' version of the same practice is "Presence Awareness". In other words, abide quietly letting what shows up to show up. That is, without any attempt to analyze or manage whatever feelings and thoughts may arise. This is a healing practice. It's worth doing. It's realistic. Practical. It's the essence of forgiveness. Letting go of what you haven't got. Consider, as The Course In Miracles states: "Nothing real can be threatened. And, nothing unreal exists." Adding, "Herein lies the Peace of God".

Disclaimer ...

Don't take this as gospel. Just an invitation to discover those truths yourself. The suggestion offered in this article is this: take some time aside regularly, daily, and sit without judgement and let what shows up, show up. At first expect a flood of thoughts, and a flood of feelings. But the Dude would also advise ... abide. He does. The Dude abides. Simply sit in awareness of those thoughts and feelings. Don't wrestle with your thoughts. That's just some more thinking. Let the river flow. Soon you'll discover yourself on the bank of the river of thoughts and feelings. That's where you belong. That's home. The Witness.

Again, the key is to unlock the hold we've created in the associations of feelings and thoughts. Repeating, feelings have their say. Let them. It's a path to freedom and wisdom and mastery.

𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 ... 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.

Straight Talk About Gravity ...

Everything you should want to know, 

but may not have been asking

This is a long read. So, let's cut to the chase so you can have an idea of where we're going.

About Gravity. There's an aspect to that Universal force which is unrecognized and underappreciated. Specifically, Gravity can easily be enlisted on an individual Human level as a ready at hand, ever present, and sustainable resource for health, well being, top performance, full creativity, and healing. "Healing", being not just about clearing up an owie, but in the larger sense of getting right with things, with reality. Gravity as a guide in this is reliably real. And we now know how to enlist and utilize Gravity for, as Dr. Ida P. Rolf said it, "for a more Human use of our Human being".

[Speculating that perhaps how come it hasn't been promoted widely already is that there's no money in Gravity. It's for free! Like Chris Rock said, "There's no money in the cure. The money's in the drugs."]

If that preamble rings your chimes, read on. If not, read on. For sure. Maybe also in that latter case, read it twice.

Now for that straight talk about Gravity ...

First thing. Gravity scribes a straight line. It goes vertical. Well yah! Who doesn't know that? You drop a ball and it goes straight down. Everybody knows that! As children on a preverbal level we get how Gravity works when we're playing at stacking blocks. 

The interesting thing though it's everywhere. It goes straight vertical here, there, there, and there. Missoula to Moscow. Dubuque to Djibouti. Consistent. Reliable. True. At least true enough for whatever you have a mind to do.

And, so ... ?

But, it is also said there are no straight lines in Nature. So, what is this “line” of Gravity? And, saying that it’s a straight vertical line? Can we see it from both sides? Of course you can. Stay with.

Let’s discuss ...

When we trace the action of Gravity we see it goes from being anchored at the center of planet Earth and extends out to the center of the Universe. [Of course, not just Earth; this is true for any rock you may find yourself on in God’s Great Creation. Elon Musk, take that to Mars with you!] Gravity as Mr. Einstein has pointed out has all to do with the attraction of mass. Like a lot of things, the bigger they are the more attractive. To the eye anyway. To me they're all lovely. But, did I just digress? Oh, yes, Gravity. And, then it comes back again. From the center of Creation back to wherever you may be standing right now. Gravity, that is, does that. Mr. Musk too, we pray will come back. If he ever gets there in the first place anyway.

Gravity doesn’t really travel; we speak of it that way for explanation purposes. You can’t see Gravity. Just its effects. But, you can put your finger on it. We’ll get to that a bit later. It's about a firm grasp of the obvious. Hint: your felt sense is a kind of seeing.

Gravity is really a cyclic constant. That would seem to make it a circle, right. Conceptually, maybe even actually so. Regarding the latter, it does have a sustaining quality; like how it tends to keep things together. On this circle concept, it helps us to understand how it keeps recycling so to speak. Keeps things rolling. 

But let’s augment that and add that the active path of Gravity is indeed a straight line, whether from the center of the Earth to the center of your body, or to the center of the Universe. You can hold two differing ideas in mind at the same time? The world is a duality, why waste your time fighting and promoting just one view. I was once on an airplane flight at sunset time traveling south from New York City. On one side of the plane out the window it was a stunning solid block of azure blue; on the other side, a brilliant glowing orange. Both. Get it? Give the devil his due. In my book that bugger represents the full-on down side of things. Just about stuff. No heart and soul. But, when you think about it, maybe letting that devil do what he do, maybe that’s a necessary part of getting behind the Pearly Gates. Just sayin’. Like no soul got to Heaven still grappling with that unrelentingly persuing and never-giving-in trickster. But, I digress. [The devil made me do it.]

Dig this. Quoting Scott Russell Sanders from his novel The Paradise of Bombs ...

“There is a mystical virtue in right angles. There is an unspoken morality in seeking the level and the plumb. A house will stand, a table will bear weight, the sides of a box will hold together only if the joints are square and the members upright. When the bubble is lined up between two marks etched in the glass tube of the level, you have aligned yourself with the forces that hold the universe together."

Net, net, for all practical purposes, on Terra Firma Gravity’s a line straight enough to call it vertical. This way of modeling our understanding of Gravity is important, and useful. In more that a few ways. Read on. And, that no-straight-lines-in-nature quip while it is true to a point, consider how it's on account of that straight vertical line that we appreciate nature's beauty.

There’s some really good news in that for all us God’s Children.

Let’s explain ...

That line of Gravity isn’t just a marked static line, like one drawn on a piece of paper. Or even that chalk line snapped on the wall with a weighted string to keep wallpaper going on straight. It’s dynamic. It’s alive really.

As a line, looked at on Earth there are two actions. The one pulling down/inward; i.e., centripetal. The other pushing upward/outward; i.e., centrifugal. So what, you may ask. The thing is we all get the pulling down part. Like when you drop Auntie’s fine bone china handed-down-the-generations Rosenthal tea cup and it falls and cracks into a million pieces to the floor breaking what otherwise was a proper afternoon tea time. And, smart-ass that you are you offer her the excuse that it was Gravity what done it.

The underappreciated aspect of Gravity is how it exerts that upward lifting action. I know, like nobody’s let go the ball and it goes up. Not without a push anyway. So how do we grok this upward thing?

We need to talk centrifugal some more. Okay?

My professional interest is in the process of balancing of the Human body with the Gravitational field of the Earth. Dr. Ida P. Rolf’s brilliant observation is that, “When the body gets working appropriately, the force of Gravity can flow through”. She goes on to say, “Then, spontaneously, the body heals itself.” If that is a new idea to you, pause and give it a thought. That’s for real, for real! The approach she developed and handed down is called Structural Integration. Some may be familiar with the nickname “Rolfing”.* There are other brand flavors also. The one common factor is that balancing the body in respect to the demands of Gravity is the main goal.

The core idea with that definitive and peerless approach is in how we already know the body is designed to be arranged in an architectural balance. This is well known science. Both Anatomy and Physics. Architects and builders know this as a central point. In architectural terms the body is just like any other physical structure on Earth. And, since imbalances can creep in and — importantly — since the body is plastic, individuals can learn this simple, basic normal balance and/or be restored to such a healthy balance. 

The standard of balance? Not some smarty-pants cooked up notion. No. You probably know the answer: Verticality. "Balanced" in the Structural Integration view is with the centers of Gravity lined up along the body’s central vertical line; with corresponding symmetries/side to side and everything level/on the horizontal front to back.

So now we have a Human being with a body in balance to match the vertical action line of Gravity. That result is structural integration. The vision and goal of the Rolf process called Structrural Integration.

What then?

Let’s get back to “centrifugal”. Just like a tree, roots go down and the branches go up. Humans too. We don’t have physical roots, but the pull of Gravity confirms our rootedness. We feel that. Especially after a long day of work. Or, that triathalon. Or, a pub crawl. You know what I'm talking about. Right?

As for the up — the centrifugal action of Gravity — some good news! But you gotta be in balance to appreciate that. Some semblance of balance anyway. Otherwise, out of balance, Gravity is entropic; it pulls you down, tears you apart. We live in default of having chronic aches and pains and stress for not recognizing that body imbalances as such are the culprit, in whole or in part. And, that those imbalances exacerbate other health problems. And, we take it for granted that there's nothing to do about it but to take pills. Or, get all cut away or propped and stoked up with some fancy procedure. 

Balancing the body is the natural way. So get in balance!

Here’s the benefit. Here we introduce The Line. Not the line of Gravity, or the center line of the body. When we refer to "The Line" we’re talking about the congruence of those two lines. And, not just as an idea, but as a lived experience. It’s a sound scientifically-based concept. And, it's a sound percept. An unambiguous experience. You feel it. Plain as day.

Gravity, however, is so there there we don’t give it much attention. We do things that involve learning to keep balance, of course. 

But, as an ongoing daily inner event, and how the body stacks up, Gravity is mostly ignored as significant. And, it takes some doing to get into that. That may be why I'm writing going on and on like this. It's a new idea really. And, new ideas don't just get saluted just because you hoist them up the flag pole. And, especially new ideas that involve some real change, and skin in the game. Like becoming sane in an insane world. Takes some courage. Like taking the Red Pill. Pilgrim, Gravity is the Red Pill.

To be clear, it's a non-doing really. It’s subtle, so you have to give it some quiet attention to notice what’s going on. That's all the doing necessary. Believe me, once you get a taste of that elixer, you’ll make a habit of taking your medicine regularly, daily. I know. I do.

When you are living The Line you get the benefit of that other side of Gravity. Centrifugal. It’s uplifting, energizing, supportive, nurturing. It feels good. It feels really alive. It’s not just a concept. It’s alive. You feel it. Unambiguously. It feels right. Right at home.

You can even say that the direction of Human evolution has that vertical component to it. Elon Musk is a smart one for sure. Smart. And his rockets go straight up on a vertical path. There’s a "rocket" in a body in balance tangibly working and connected to one’s very sense of being embodied. It's also smart alright, but it is also in the province of wisdom. And, Lord knows, we can use a good dose of that in our times. In balance you can simply be. And, out of that simple sense of simply being, wisdom arises. Yes? Yes! 

As an inner event within your own experience you will see Gravity also goes up straight on the vertical. How far up it goes, that’s for you to find out. And, where you will go. The self-guided approach to life has it's finality; a dead end. Living connected to the "forces that hold the Universe together", that's really living.

In other words “The Line” is dynamic. Alive. Life. Not just a concept, but a percept. It’s way subtle, but way powerful. Like Gravity, it’s so there there and always and everywhere we’re inured to it. Subtle. Yet, it holds the Universe together. Powerful. What, Pilgrim, are you trying to hold together? Maybe Gravity can give you a hand? A lift? Word!

To recap ... when you’re out of structural body balance Gravity is a downer. In balance, now you’re ALIVE.

Dr. Rolf also observed: “Some individuals may perceive their losing fight with gravity as a sharp pain in their back, others as the unflattering contour of their body, others as constant fatigue, yet others as an unrelentingly threatening environment. Those over forty may call it old age. And yet all these signals may be pointing to a single problem so prominent in their own structure, as well as others, that it has been ignored: they are off balance, they are at war with Gravity.”

Now you get it that out of balance, it’s only a downer. A lot of what ails us is due to imbalances in the makeup of our body. These have been accrued inadvertently over time. Like the Grand Canyon. Years upon years of slow erosion of flowing water. If you’ve ever been there and taken in the Grand Canyon you’ll know the awe inspiring presence of something so vast and ancient. Profound. You might not be ancient, but being out of bodily balance sure feels that way. Causative factors: repeated bad habits, unresolved accidents and traumas, inadequate or improper training, modeling significant others who themselves may not have been good examples of correct balance.

With the method of Structural Integration the whole thing is about establishing the center line of the body and integrating it into closer alignment with the line of Gravity. This is understood scientifically about the design of the body, both Anatomically and in Physics in respect to the demands of Gravity. Balance. Balance in the three planes. Vertical, level, symmetrical.

That we can learn such balance is due to the natural plasticity of the body. We are shaped by our experience. Some of it misshaped. At any age and with any life experience one can learn the simple balance of the body in respect to the dictates of the force of Gravity. And, undo imbalances accumulated over time due to those contributing factors. Here again, the culprits: bad habits, unresolved accidents and traumas, insufficient or improper training, modeling significant others who themselves may not have been good examples of such bodily balance.

DISCLAIMER: Understand, professionally I practice Structural Integration. Personally, I practice structural integration. My purpose is first to get you engaged with the idea that balance of the body is a good thing. And to engage you in the prospect that this is something you want for yourself. As for getting professional assistance, that's available. But, you can simply start doing things that contribute to a more balanced stance on your own. The choice in the first place is to decide to get things in order. Step by step. And, to get started doing it. Okay?

As my Go-To Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj succinctly puts it, "The entire purpose of a clean and well-ordered life is to liberate man from the thralldom of chaos and the burden of sorrow."

Understand the line of Gravity is not just a scribed line. Like in the building trades using a string and a weighted-mass plumb bob to confirm the vertical. That’s an applied, static method. There’s another method that individuals can take advantage of in their own life. In their own time. Balancing the body with the Gravitational field of the Earth. Be an "Easy Rider", doin' your own thing, in you're own time.

Consider the designers’ and builders’ use of the plumb line. Three things. 1.The plumb bob itself — that weighted-mass which Gravity pulls down. 2.The string. 3.The hand — what holds it in place, and what holds it up, and what decides where to put it to begin with. Notice that it’s the string that connects the two. That string is under tension. That’s dynamic. Same with the weighted mass of the body. It’s like a plumb bob. Gravity wants to pull down on it. Normally we struggle to keep up. That downward pull is a good thing. Metaphysically you can say it is literally pulling down and away what you don't have in the first place. Karma, baby.

But, in balance, the “up” is automatic, built into the systematic reciprocal relationship with Gravity and the living organism. Centered on The Line. In the building trades that line has the intention of making sure things are plumb and square. As regards the Human being, The Line also has a healthy intention. If you look it's there. You feel it. What it's like. Sit down and look within. What you are feeling, that's it. Any imbalances in the body will show themselves. At first discomforting maybe. And, early in this practice with a bunch also of discomforting thoughts. Stick with it! Sit in what J. Krishnamurti advises: "Choiceless awareness". Or, as the Buddhist Masters put it: "Presence Awareness". The thing about doing that in a good balanced posture is that things clear up naturally, spontaneously. Like Dr. Rolf said, "Spontaneously the body heals itself". Let the grass grow by itself. You'll see.

It’s a big subject. Intention. In terms of daily living on Earth let’s understand that The Line has two intentions. One is horizontal. In other words, daily living on planet Earth. Doing this and that, going here and there, getting what have you ... like that. Even Elon Musk and his sending rockets up, that’s really in the domain of the horizontal physical reality. Doing stuff.

The other intention is vertical. In one way, moving down. Oriented, if you will, grounded to the Earth. And ... and, moving up, up toward the Center of the Universe. Which, we might want to refer to as Source, the Creator. It’s that upward movement of the force of Gravity that has the intention to keep you centered and in the moment. Keeping it Real. Connected for life ...

Perhaps with the talking about spiritual matters you're getting that The Line is not just about a better body. We talk about the body because we can get our hands on it. The entire enterprise is what's called "somatic". Entering within yourself at the felt sense bodily level, but understanding that it's a wholistic event. Body, mind, psychology, soul, spirit. We separate these for speaking purposes only. Words will do that. The reality is that it's a unity. In other words, you can think of The Line as the Shepherd's Staff. Guiding a good life. What's a "good life"? Well, having a sense of simple basic bodily balance is a help. You do you. But, be righteous. Righteous? Now with all these words surely you have a sense that it involves simple geometry. As for ultimate matters, when the student is ready the Teacher will appear. Gravity is a teacher. In the Teacher's Hand.

You could say that the thrust of Human evolution is in living in an equipoise balance between those two movements. Up and down. The breath and its action is a good metaphor for that same dynamic. In and out if you're into that tantric Yin Yang thing. 

In other words Gravity has its material side, and its metaphysical side. In the world, but not of the world. Just like it has its downside [centripetal] and its upside [centrifugal]. Yin and Yang if you want to get all Eastern with it.

So, what do we want to take away from all these words. This: Gravity is a sustainable and most readily available resource for living well. For health, performance, creativity.

Get with it!

* "Rolfing" and "Rolfer" are service marks of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute.