The upper and lower balance point

The upper lumbar vertebrae, L1, L2 and L3, are a small, discrete area of the body, but fundamental to our righting. The whole family of archetypes linked to the sovereign, that is to say to our legitimacy, starts here. Our legitimacy, globally, is the right to stand upright in the vertical, to show ourselves in the midst of others, to be able to vibrate and to be accepted as a vibrant being. In the symbolism of the « Nine Breaths » this begins at L3 because this is where the diaphragm attaches, marking the separation between the instinctive centre below and the emotional centre above. The emotional centre concerns all our ability to relate.

This area of the upper lumbar vertebrae is therefore also the entry point, the support, of our relational sphere.

A small area of solid vertebrae that anchors our relationality in something discrete and stable that also speaks of balance, because L3 is not only the point of attachment of the diaphragm, but also the point of balance of the upward and downward muscular forces. Dancers who seek to develop a movement that is strongly grounded and graceful towards the floor are familiar with this sensation in the hollow of the lumbar region, this mobile presence that is acquired through commitment, relaxation and attention, which brings an awareness of being whole from head to toe.

All this to say that with these high lumbar vertebrae we are balanced between Heaven and Earth and that from there, all the richness of relational interactions will unfold.

The legitimacy of basic needs

These lumbar vertebrae are the lowest segment and the one most connected to the energy of the Earth of this whole axis of the sovereignty which includes the lower lumbar vertebrae, the dorsal vertebrae and the cervical vertebrae… for this reason we have named it « Regent »: the part of the sovereignty which watches over the material needs of the body… …. notion which completely prolongs the notion of balance

With the Regent, we have the ability to feel legitimate that our basic needs are assured: food, security. Everything that makes us not in survival but in life! The regent provides the solid, almost subterranean foundation like the regent of a kingdom, without which in truth no radiance is possible.

This notion that this archetype teaches us and its place in the cycle of archetypes of the body (as the first of the relational archetypes) restores all its letters of nobility to our material needs that we could be tempted to consider as a « conservative » or « lowly material » tension.

The balance of giving and receiving

To illustrate this need for balance, we represent the Regent with a scale.

« Good accounts make good friends », as the French say…. popular wisdom reminds us that giving and receiving must be balanced… without which something weighs down, something becomes unbalanced at the base.

In this, our sensations are our best allies: evaluating the accuracy of the give and take with a cash register alone is often impossible because these flows exist on several levels… but our body does not lie. When heaviness sets in in a relationship, when the sensation that « something weighs » dominates, it is because one of the plates of the scale is too heavy.

I am giving too much… or not enough.

Symptoms of high back pain

While specific pathologies in the upper lumbar region are less common than on other levels of the spine, the feeling of heaviness, or even « dragging », is common.

Becoming aware of this as a sign that the body is sending us can prevent us from sinking into unbalanced relationships at the base, which can be difficult to get out of if they last: guilt is very strong at this level of our being. We come from a Judeo-Christian society that reinforces the feeling of never giving enough and of not being legitimate to receive. We have to deserve… and again!

Knowing how to count at certain times is a healthy attitude to set the record straight… and a well-done accounting instead of being confining can bring a lot of lightness and the ability to redirect our actions!

Balance and the season

In mid-March we enter the time of the Regent… an interesting teaching which reminds us that engaging in the cycle of the year implies taking stock of what I have, my strengths, my weaknesses, what I have to give and what others can give me… an invitation not to commit oneself headlong to action without a thorough attention to integrity, which is of course valid at any time of the year!

The Regent’s message

Whatever the time of year, the Regent calls us:

« Do you value yourself enough? Do you honour the value of others? »

« Are you at peace with the balance of the exchanges you make with your environment? In your family, your profession, relationships? »

 

Nicolas BERNARD