I am completely paralyzed from the chest down. On a purely physical level, I have no sensation below my chest. Instead, I experience a resounding silence. But when I go deeper into that silence, into the parts of me that I cannot directly feel or control, I discover that my inward silence is itself a sensation. It is not as tangible as flexing a muscle. But the sensation inherent in the silence within me is affected and refined by the principles of the yoga asanas. Because I have opened to this level of myself, when I lift my chest, I can feel my inner body move through my paralyzed limbs. As I experience this subtle and transcendent level of sensation, the world becomes a bigger and more nourishing place.
By Mathew Sanford, Art Director:Anuja Bagade, Photo Credit: Rubinstein
This article was first published in the print edition of Yoga Journal Singapore, which is now Yogahood Online.
