the movement
honor ancestors, serve descendants, nourish all
Image: K & I tilting our heads to the side for a silly selfie along Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, Washington State, late summer for 2018.
Multiple Perspectives
The freedom of head and neck movement allows us to see in all directions. Can you…
turn your head all the way to one side and the other to take in the widest horizon?
lift your gaze to the stars?
bow your head to check the second button from the top of your shirt is done up?
tilt your head sideways to gain a better viewing angle of something unfamiliar and/or curious to you?
Activities of daily living require us to gather multiple perspectives. Picture yourself walking along a bustling city sidewalk; overhead neon signs pull your attention upward. An occasional downward glance helps to avoid trip hazards. You turn your head to peer down a side alley. On tip toes you try to see over the crowds; are you still going in the right direction? At the last moment ducking your head to dodge a decoration hanging from a shop awning.
We exist in dynamic environments; therefore, we must integrate multiple perspectives and physical movement. What if the ability to draw from diversified views benefits us beyond avoiding trip hazards and head bumps? The roots of yoga teach us that we are pancha kosha, body-breath-mind-intellect-spirit, and each of the five sheaths of our being affect all the other layers.
Yoga asks us to consider that maintaining our physical ability to move freely plays a role in nourishing freedom in our breath, mind, and spirit. If we…
lift our sights to the stars, may we experience awe and humility?
let ourselves take in the widest horizon over the decades of our lives, may we broaden our definition of whom we call neighbors, friends, and family?
are struggling with a puzzle, can you turn it (or yourself) upside down?
Does seeing the situation from a fresh perspective help you navigate the next logical step?
In my heart I hear my teachers remind me that the path can go from ‘gross to subtle’ (body to spirit) and from subtle to gross. The practices of yoga help to remove obstacles in your mind allowing you to receive the clear sight from the more subtle sheaths of wisdom and spirit.
I recognize the paradox that yoga asks you to turn your awareness inward to ultimately realize that it’s not all about you!
The practices of yoga slowly and deliberately scrape away layers of ego that grip tightly to the belief that ‘how I see things is the only way.’ Yoga challenges us to realize that at the very core of our being is the same ‘stuff’ that is in all beings. We are all embodiments of what some may call ‘love,’ what some may recognize as the ‘limitless field of potentiality’, and what some may know as ‘divinity.’ Whatever the name, the invitation is the same: for as long as we get to be embodied, the greatest gift we receive is to be of service to others.
Image: Mobility in our neck lets us rotate our heads to share a smile with the ones we love.
Image: lifting my gaze to the Giant Ficus Tree in the middle of a hike, taken in 2019 in Rincon de la Vieja National Park in Costa Rica.
During two careers (theatre arts and yoga), I have observed that to be of service requires a few vital ingredients, the ability to ‘see’ from multiple perspectives and community.
Members of this community requested a series of practices to nourish your neck.
Paying attention to our neck invites us to consider:
Postural alignment. Where are your neck and head in relationship to the rest of your spine?
Stretches for to ease tension in overly tight muscles
Mobility and strength so we may stabilize when we wish and move freely when we want.
Deep bow of gratitude to you for inspiring me to take in the widest horizon on this wild and wonderful journey of life.
May 2026