The Body as an Instrument: 5 Steps to Pinpoint Neurotic Holding Patterns

The Symphony Within Us

Have you ever thought about how beautiful and alien instruments look like?

Especially string elements look like they are not from this world.

The way that they are shaped, the ratios they embody,

is not an coincidental design process.

The way they fit together, it's too perfect to be a coincidence. They've been tuned to resonate with something deeper, something universal.

It's not just craftsmanship; it's a kind of communion with the laws of sound themselves. The makers, maybe without even knowing it, were tapping into the rhythms of the cosmos.

I am crazy enough to compare the design of string instruments with the architecture of the human body.

The human body is a masterpiece of using golden ratios,

The spine with the spinal cord, the nerves reaching out into different areas of the body, almost certainly resemble the strings that have been tuned to a certain frequency.

My bold statement here is that these nerves can be compared to strings.

That each nerve string is responsible for playing a certain frequency band with, playing their part of the symphony we call human existence. The Universe is the One(Uni) Verse. A musical masterpiece.

If you would believe that your soul incarnated into your body to use it as an instrument,

metaphorically and literally speaking.

This would shift your perspective on how to use your body.

Instead of seeing it as a sack of flesh, you would treat it as an medium of expression.

Like movement is for us.

Movement is for us, what the body is for our soul.

A medium of expression.

And an instrument is an extension, our channeled creation to commune with the laws of sound.

So in this context, you may have also heard of the 7 energy centers, called the chakras.

You would then compare one energy center to one string, one frequency bandwith which with you can play music with.

In many spiritual and healing traditions, energy centers, commonly known as chakras, are understood as vital components of our body's subtle anatomy.

They're not physical entities you can touch or see like organs or bones.

Instead, think of them as swirling vortexes of energy, each with its own frequency, situated along the spine.

These centers are like hubs in a wheel, each playing a crucial role in our overall energy flow and wellbeing.

From the base of the spine to the crown of the head, each chakra governs specific aspects of our physical, emotional, and spiritual health.

When the Strings are Out of Tune

When these centers are in balance, energy flows through them, much like a tuned instrument plays harmoniously.

But when they're out of balance, it can lead to physical, emotional, or spiritual discord – similar to how an out-of-tune string can disrupt an entire performance.

Understanding and working with these energy centers can be like learning to play an instrument – your own body.

And if you think about the Word Universe

– break it down.

'Uni' means one, 'verse' is a part of a song.

Think of it this way: each of us is playing our own verse in this vast universe, our own symphony.

But what happens when your instrument, your body, is out of tune? Your verse gets muddled, lost in the grand orchestra of life.

When your energy centers, those chakras, aren't aligned, it's like strings on a guitar that are too loose or too tight.

Your melody can't form right.

You might feel it – something's off, your rhythm's lost.

Maybe you can't hit the notes of what you want, your desires, because your strings aren't tuned to the right pitch.

This shows up in different ways.

Maybe your goals feel out of reach, or you can't find that harmony in relationships.

It's not just about feeling good; it's about being in tune so your verse can blend seamlessly into the universe's song.

When you're in tune, you resonate with what you want.

You are in resonance.

That's the power of being in harmony, not just within yourself, but with the world around you.

Fine-Tuning for Expression & Flow

The Paradigm Shift: From Ornament to Instrument

Think of your body, not as something to be shown off like an ornament, but as an instrument. It's not about how it looks, it's about what it can do, how it feels, the sounds and rhythms it makes.

An ornament sits on a shelf, pretty but passive.

An instrument? That's active.

It creates, it expresses, it communicates.

This shift in thinking changes everything. You start caring for your body because it does something, it is a medium, not because it has to look a certain way.

You tune it, work it, play it. It's not about the mirror anymore.

And thats why superficial incentives for our bodies are toxic. If you do physical exercise just for the sake of looking good, you are constantly watching yourself in the mirror.

“Oh, how does my triceps look in this angle?”

“My belly looks fat today, so I’m sad!”

Your awareness, in this case, is from the outside in,

while the natural state of our whole subtle energy system should be from the inside out first.

You are inverting your perception.

That is the literal definition of a distorted self image, a perversion.

So by shifting the direction,

You’re not obsessed with outside appearance anymore,

and are less likely to get mental disorders like body dismorphia.

We explored these metaphysical energetics in 8 STEPS TO FIX YOUR LACK OF COURAGE

And we also discovered the importance of deeper incentives in INTRODUCING REGENERATIVE FITNESS

Your body becomes a tool, a medium, a way to interact with the world.

It's not just there to be looked at.

It's there to be used, to experience, to create. That's the shift – from ornament to instrument.

The Art of Flow

“When the body awakens, you have consistent vitality and strength. Symptoms of subclinical depression and daily anxieties disappear. The body runs effortlessly with no aches and pains, slowing you down. You are able to fully engage those who you spend time with. The body provides the freedom of expression. When you are able to access the body’s innate intelligence rather than mental illusions, you exuberate a natural confidence that is unhindered by corporate/social hierarchy and is instead appreciated as noble leadership.

This is our natural state. This is where ideas flourish and creativity peaks. This is the Flow State. The state in which we feel alive and our passions thrive. What ultimately happens is, we align with something greater than ourselves. Our self-centric nature dissolves and instead we are fueled by an energy that is more than what we know as our own.”

Written by Kaushik Ram in The human body - an instrument for the state of flow

So in order to access this flow state, your body has to be pain free.

When it’s pain free, it functions like a well oiled engine.

Because when pain is present, it dilutes your focus.

Your Awareness splits.

5 Steps to Pinpoint Neurotic Holding Patterns

Know your pain. Where does it hurt? Why does it hurt? Understand that being pain-free is your body's natural state. Anything else is a signal, a message from the pain teacher.
Be transparent with yourself. Are you clinging to your pain? Sometimes, without realizing it, we get attached to our suffering. It becomes part of who we are. Recognize this.
The Why: Now, dig deep. Why is this pain in your experience? What's in your past that's showing up in your body? It's about the emotional, the psychological.
Break the cycle: Start working on those neurotic holding patterns. These are habits, ways of moving, or not moving, that keep you locked in pain. See where your muscles are tight. Feel if they are chronically in tension or hurt. Where are you feeling immobile? Analyse. Move differently. Stretch. Breathe. Get help if you need it – therapists, bodyworkers, whoever can guide you.
Aknowledge: Know that this is a Process. Gradually gaining awareness of your neurotic holding patterns will help you get rid of your rigidity and trauma stored in your somatic experience.

Embracing the Instrument Within

It's a shift, and a big one.

Moving away from obsessing over how we look, to really understanding our bodies as tools for expression & connection.

It's about seeing from the inside out, not the outside in.

When you start doing this, when you really start seeing your body as a medium, something changes. You stop spending so much energy worrying about your reflection in the mirror.

You start living, really living.

I've felt this change myself.

Looking in the mirror, I'm not picking apart my appearance as much as in the past. Not burning up energy on something so surface-level.

My focus has turned inward, to what my body can do, to how it connects me to everything else. To play music with it. To use it as an instrument for expression and communication and communion.

It's freeing. This the original perspective.

Distortions along the way told you otherwise.