Most of us want to feel more present and grounded in our lives. You may be implementing practices like yoga, meditation or time in nature to bring more overall awareness to your life. But what practices do you have to bring focus back in the moment, when you don’t have time to roll out a mat and do some deep breathing? What can we do in those stressful social situations, tense meetings or times our patience is tested?

In this month’s newsletter, I’m going to tell you all about a practice that changed my life. After learning it in my craniosacral training 2 years ago, I’ve returned to it time and time again, using it to bring my energy back in both calm and challenging moments. I love this practice because it’s simple, free and accessible at all times.

The practice is…..

Ready….?

….Orienting to the midline!

It’s as simple as noticing where your center is. But it’s not just one static point! Think about the midline as a vertical column through the body around which all movement organizes.

Lucky for us, we have the spine as a visual and somatic representation of where the midline is. The spine is just a starting point, though, as the midline itself is much more than just a collection of bones.

Our midline first forms as an embryo and creates the axis for all of our embryological development.

The midline also creates the core of our bioelectric field (energy emitted by the body).

The midline is our nervous system and the cerebrospinal fluid that cushions, protects and nourishes the brain and spinal cord, from which all impetus and movement arise. The midline is our access point to the formative forces that make life possible. It helps us orient to the deepest parts of ourselves.

Craniosacral isn’t the only lineage that recognizes and honors the midline. In fact, it’s an important factor in many spiritual and healing traditions…

The chakra system, written about in The Vedas and recognized by yogis, hindus, buddhists and in Ayurveda, are energy centers the main 7 of which are located along midline.

Chinese medicine recognizes meridians, 8 of which belong to a group called the “Extraordinary Meridians”. These extraordinary meridians “run deep within our bodies, and supply the 12 regular meridians with qi and blood” and all circulate along the midline.

Tantric traditions practice moving kundalini, the form of primal energy said to be located at the base of the spine. Kundalini is represented as sleeping serpents that, when awakened, coil up the body’s midline in a spiraling pattern.

“Orienting to” the midline means simply bringing your awareness to this physical and energetic space in the body and NOTICING. Noticing how easy or how difficult it is to feel this space, noticing if it is more available in one area of the body vs another, noticing if any part of the midline feels ‘off’ in some way, noticing if you feel energy move up the body or down, and noticing what changes arise as you continue to notice!

Sometimes I sit with the midline, really taking my time to feel that centerline strongly. It’s a wonderful place to guide the mind during meditation or before an event you might feel anxious about. Other times I just briefly touch base with this space, like in a social situation where I need to draw my energy back in for a moment. I use it as a tool as a bodywork practitioner, orienting to my own midline first as a starting point then expanding my awareness to include the midline of my client and working from a place of knowing where center is.

I’ve even found that regularly orienting to my midline has generated more coherence in the energetic field around my body, which in turn has helped me set better boundaries with my personal space and feel more confident about the space that I take up.

I love that the practice or orienting to the midline is simple and sustainable 

Accessible 24/7/365

It’s another way to listen to your body,

To gather information in the present moment ,

And connect to deeper forces.

Try this 15 min meditation below to connect with your own midline

Upcoming Events

Lymph Care for Breast Health

This virtual class will cover basic anatomy, lymph-smart bra choices, breast check review and self massage/lymphatic drainage for the breast. Breast cancer rates are increasing among young women but there’s plenty of action we can take to care for the girls.

Class will be recorded so if you can’t make the exact date or time, you can still sign up and get it sent to you after.

Come see me for a session!

My door is always open for lymph work, craniosacral or massage

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Thanks for reading and hope to see you soon!

-Dana