The Early Prevertebrate Patterns: Creating the Ground of Movement for Asana Practice
The Basic Neurocellular Patterns (BNP) establish a foundation on which we build our movement, physical, perceptual, emotional and cognitive process. They guide our interaction with gravity and space, our sense of self, and our relationship with others and the environment.
Each movement pattern is a reference point to experientially explore and gain insights into your practice. Once fully embodied they allow us to enter with more ease into the fullness of our being, and to live our lives with greater confidence, flexibility, and presence.
The Early Prevertebrate Patterns – Vibration, Cellular Breathing, Sponging, Pulsation, and Navel Radiation – establish a foundation for the consciousness of yoga and the ground of movement for asana practice. These patterns occur as a continuum of internal fluid movements that create the baseline for the flow of Prana and life force throughout the body, eventually expressing as external movement, sequencing, and flow.
Vibration is the underlying phenomenon of rhythmic condensing and expanding waves that create our universe.
Cellular Breathing is the condensing and expanding rhythm of Vibration as it transforms into the being and breathing of our cells within the fluid environment of the body, and the taking in and sending out of nutrition through the cell membranes.
Sponging is the initial impulse to move as fluids transition between the cell membranes, it is the transition between being and doing.
Pulsation is the wavelike ebb and flow of our inner sea, creating movement throughout our cellular matrix and tissues.
Navel Radiation carries these inner movements into external movement, establishing a radial symmetry of our six limbs (head, tail, arms, legs) around our deep navel core.
Embryological Foundations
To deepen our embodiment of the early prevertebrate patterns we will explore the early embryological development that informs each of the patterns. Beginning with the inner quietude of our egg and the dynamic motility of our sperm, we will explore how we created our own nourishment and protection as a foundation for self being.