IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP

IT ALL STARTS AT THE TOP

I have been studying some research from a class I completed on Integrated Healing, and have been fascinated with our first two cervical vertebrae.  They are two of the few that have names assigned to them, other than a letter with an accompanying number.  They are the Atlas and the Axis, and are designed primarily to facilitate rotation.  Like we learned in the comedy, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it is the neck that turns the head…of our family, our lives, and our world.

The Atlas is the very top vertebrae, running parallel to the ground and supporting the weight of the head.  It is named after the Greek mythological god whose job it was to support the weight of the world on his shoulders.   The Axis works in tandem with the Atlas and sits right underneath it.  It has a bony protrusion called the Odontoid Process, which fits through a hole in the Atlas and creates the pivot about which the Atlas rotates.  An imbalance, misalignment or blockage here causes dialogue throughout all the dimensions of the body/mind/spirit system via physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and energetic symptoms in an effort to receive relief.

An imbalance in our Atlas and Axis can create physical havoc.  It can cause distortion in the spine with resultant distress to the cranial bones, sphenoid, jaw, and muscles of the neck and shoulders (all subjects for another time), and produce neck pain, headaches and migraines.   An imbalance may also contribute to restricted blood flow to the brain.  Here is the reason.  There is an artery called the Vertebral Artery which runs through these vertebrae.  It is responsible for supplying almost half of the brain’s blood and about 90% of the blood supply to the cranial nerves.   When this supply is restricted it can cause such symptoms as Attention Deficit problems and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  It is widely believed that the whole body can relax when the Atlas and Axis are balanced.

Addressing other dimensions of our being, this joint is also thought to act as a bridge between the body and the mind, and allows abstract thoughts to take form, and that form to find communication.   Our Atlas relates to—and affects—our true inner feelings, such as fear, confusion, feeling “not good enough,” inner chatter and ego-centeredness with its accompanying worry about what others will think of us.  Removing imbalances from this joint can result in a measurable reduction of these interferences if we find that they are in the driver’s seat of our daily lives.  This joint is also all about flexibility and allowing us to see all the angles and aspects of our lives and our world.  When it becomes stiff, it limits our movement and our vision—not just physically, but emotionally, mentally, spiritually and energetically.  Thus, we suffer being cut off from a great source of our inner wisdom.

Now consider this.  It is the Atlas and Axis which provide for moving the head in a “yes” or “no” motion.   The Occipito-Atlantal joint (OA) allows for the up and down “yes” movement, and the Atlantal-Axial joint (AA) facilitates the back and forth “no” motion.  How many times do we have emotional distress caused from saying “yes” when we should be saying “no,” or vice versa?  What sacrifices are we making to say “yes”?  What happens to our being when we say “yes” to someone else’s agenda and they are calling the shots?  How often are we blocked by guilt when we should have said “no” but didn’t?    All these stresses are carried and stored in the Atlas and Axis.  It is easy to see why it can have such an extreme effect on the total being.  And it is no wonder there is profound healing when restored to balance and mobility.

The good news is that balancing the Atlas and Axis joint is very simple and straightforward.  In a matter of just a few steps there is a marked increase in physical function, which naturally results in an increase in emotional, mental, spiritual and energetic functioning.  Call 801.599.2253 and relieve your Atlas from “the weight of the world,” restoring movement and vision to your life.