How the Mind, Body, and Soul co-ordinate
We are not merely physical beings; we are Souls. Everything in our lives, including our bodily state, initiates within the mental realm first. The soul infuses energy into the mind; the mind, in turn, controls the senses, breath, and body, orchestrating a complex symphony of life processes. A comprehensive discussion on the coordination of the soul, mind, and body encompasses a vast array of systems, from the spiritual and energetic to the physical, including celestial influences and physical anatomy. This includes understanding the interplay between energetic structures like the Five Sheaths, Chakras, Nadis, Pranic energy and Meridians, and their physical counterparts, such as the Fascia, Endocrine system, and Nervous system. Although this network is intricate and its full complexity is best understood through in-depth exploration with experts, for the purposes of this article, we will focus on the most significant physical contributors: Fascia, Hypothalamus, Endocrine System, and Nervous System.
Fascia
Fascia is the conduit through which energy flows. Fascia is an extensive, dynamic, and multifunctional connective tissue system that permeates the entire body, forming a three-dimensional matrix of structural support. It envelops and infuses every muscle, bone, nerve, blood vessel, and organ down to the cellular level. This intricate web serves not just as a mere sheath but also as an essential component in the support and function of our bodies’ structures and systems. Fascia has a direct relationship with the nervous system, including both the autonomic and central nervous systems, indicating its role in influencing systemic functions and contributing to the body's homeostatic regulation. Fascia does have 4 major functions:
- Shape: Every structure within the body is wrapped in fascia, much like the segments and the whole of a grapefruit are encapsulated by its pith. This continuous sheath provides a structural framework that maintains the shape and supports the function of these bodily components.
- Movement: Functions as an energy storage system, capturing and transferring kinetic energy to aid movement and reduce muscle load. e.g biological slingshot, catapult. It maintains tension and provides a stretch-response that is fundamental for the elasticity and resilience of the musculoskeletal system.
- Supply: Fascia is key to energy use, fluid movement, and nutrient distribution in the body. It not only supports metabolic processes, enabling tissues to access and utilize energy but also facilitates the flow of blood and lymph, critical for delivering nutrients and clearing waste. Its enveloping structures ensure all cells receive essential sustenance, highlighting its dynamic role in bodily health and function.
- Communication: The body's largest sensory organ, is densely populated with sensory receptors that relay an extensive range of stimuli and information directly to the brain. This intricate communication network is crucial for proprioception and kinesthetic awareness, allowing us to perceive our body's placement in space, sense internal conditions, and coordinate movements, thus deeply involving the brain in interpreting and responding to these sensory inputs.
Hypothalamus
It regulates all life-sustaining bodily functions, the autonomic nervous system, the endocrine system, and the pituitary (the body’s master gland). The hypothalamus is also responsible for our body’s biological clock. It receives information from all sense organs and sends it to the pineal through light. The pineal is accountable for releasing one of the most important hormones, Melatonin, and the Pineal instructs the hypothalamus, which in turn uses the autonomic nervous system and endocrine glands to affect the behavior of all of the major organs.
Endocrine System
It uses the blood circulatory system to accomplish the same thing as the nervous system. However, the nervous system operates at lightning speed, while the endocrine system generally works more slowly to create changes in biochemistry. The endocrine system regulates physical and chemical processes involved in the overall maintenance of life (metabolism) and the varying rates of chemical reactions with each of our cells. It does this by secreting chemical messengers called hormones directly into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, these chemical messengers circulate to all body parts and affect specific target cells capable of decoding their messages. The endocrine system consists of 7 glands (corresponding to 7 Chakras): the Pineal (Seat of Soul), Pituitary (Seat of Mind), Thyroid, Parathyroid, Thymus, Adrenals, Pancreas, and Gonads.
Pineal Gland
It is part of the endocrine system but is listed separately because of its importance. The pineal gland, integral to the endocrine system and functioning as the "regulator of regulators," synchronizes our body's master biological clock with the solar cycle through light signals from the eyes and skin to cue the secretion of melatonin. This hormone, peaking at night, regulates our sleep-wake patterns and affects all bodily functions. While the pineal's activity changes over the lifespan, with the highest nighttime melatonin levels in early childhood and a decline in old age, it remains vital in balancing our internal rhythms with the broader cosmic and terrestrial electromagnetic fields, thus influencing our overall health and harmony with the environment.
Nervous System
The nervous system uses sensory receptors, nerves, and the brain to monitor and control the well-being of all cells. It is composed of 2 parts:
- Central nervous system: It is the command center of the body, comprising the brain and spinal cord. It processes information from all parts of the body and coordinates activity across the entire organism.
- Peripheral nervous system: It consists of the nerves and ganglia outside of the brain and spinal cord. It connects the Central nervous system to the limbs and organs, essentially serving as a communication relay going back and forth between the brain and the extremities. The peripheral nervous system can be sub-divided into:
- Somatic nervous system: It is responsible for voluntary movement, relaying motor and sensory information from the central nervous system to the body's skeletal muscles. It also processes sensory information that allows for tactile sensations like touch, pain, and temperature.
- Autonomic nervous system: It governs involuntary physiological functions, including heartbeat, digestion, and respiratory rate. It works subconsciously to regulate bodily functions that maintain homeostasis. It can be sub-divided into:
- Sympathetic nervous system: It prepares the body for intense physical activity and is often referred to as the fight-or-flight response. It increases heart rate, releases adrenaline, and diverts blood flow toward skeletal muscles, among other functions, when reacting to stress or danger.
- Parasympathetic nervous system: It acts as a counterbalance to the sympathetic system, promoting the rest-and-digest response that conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract.
A diagram of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic division is shown on the left, and the sympathetic is on the right. Roman numerals refer to cranial nerves.
Overall Body Systems
It will be easier to understand the body's workings if we are at least familiar with its physical systems. Therefore, all the significant systems of the body are shown below:
|
System |
Main role |
Major Organs |
|
Skeletal System |
Provide support for the body, protects delicate internal organs, and provides attachment sites for the organs. It acts as a lever for movement. |
Bones, cartilage, tendons, and ligaments. |
|
Muscular System |
Provide activity; Muscles work in pairs to move limbs and provide the organism with mobility. Muscles also control the movement of materials through some organs, such as the stomach, intestine, heart, and circulatory system. |
Skeletal muscles and smooth muscles throughout the body. |
|
Circulatory System |
Transport nutrients, gases (such as oxygen and CO2), hormones, and wastes from all body parts. |
Heart, Blood, Blood Vessels, Arteries, Veins, and Capillaries. |
|
Nervous System |
Relay electrical signals through the body; it directs behavior and movement and, along with the endocrine system, controls physiological processes such as digestion, circulation, the |
Brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, and organs of sensation. |
|
Respiratory System |
Provide gas exchange between the blood and the environment. Primarily, oxygen is absorbed from the atmosphere into the body, and carbon dioxide is expelled from the body. Acid-base regulation. |
Nose, Naval cavities, Larynx, Trachea, and Lungs. |
|
Digestive System |
Breakdown and absorbs nutrients that are necessary for growth and maintenance. |
Mouth, Mouth cavity, Pharynx, Esophagus, Stomach, Small and Large intestines, Anus, Liver, Pancreas, and Salivary glands. |
|
Excretory System |
Filter out cellular wastes, toxins, and excess water or nutrients from the circulatory system. |
Kidneys, Ureters, Bladder, and Urethra. |
|
Endocrine System |
Relays chemical messages through the body in conjunction with the nervous system; these chemical messages help control physiological processes such as nutrient absorption, growth, etc. |
Many glands exist in the body that secret endocrine hormones. e.g., the hypothalamus, pituitary, thyroid, pancreas, and adrenal glands. |
|
Reproductive System |
To manufacture cells that allow reproduction. In the male, sperm are created to inseminate egg cells produced in the female. |
Testes, Seminal vesicles, Penis, Prostate and External genitalia, Ovaries, Fallopian tubes, Uterus, Vagina, External genitalia, and Mammary glands. |
|
Integumentary System |
Protection against invasion from outside, dehydration, injury, and temperature regulation. |
Skin and appendages (Skin, Hair, Nails, Glands). |
|
Immune System |
Defence against foreign cells, micro-organisms, parasites, and viruses. The lymphatic system also returns fluid to circulation, clearing dead cells from the body. |
Lymph nodes and Vessels, White blood cells, T- and B- cells, Thymus and Spleen. |
Further Reading:
- Fascial Fitness, Second Edition: Practical Exercises to Stay Flexible, Active and Pain Free in Just 20 Minutes a Week By Robert Schleip
- Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual Therapists and Movement Professionals Paperback By Thomas W. Myers
- The Wonders of The Human Body By Dr George W Carey
- An Occult Physiology Human Body By Rudolf Steiner
- Man A System of Energies And Forms By Master Peter Deunov
- Your Sacred Anatomy: An Owner Guide To The Human Energy Structure By Desda Zuckerman
- The Complete Human Body By Dr. Alice Roberts
- Human Body: An Illustrated Guide to Every Part of the Human Body and How It Works By Martyn Page