As your limbs grew, so now they move.
Templates of healthy movement in our arms and legs.
Fundamental Prana Flow for Health and Stability in Our Joints
In embryology, the body begins as a single cell that divides and differentiates into various structures. This developmental process mirrors the tantric understanding of energy: just as the undifferentiated flow of prana gradually gives rise to form, the early embryo doesn’t yet have distinct organs or joints. Everything exists as part of a continuous process of growth and differentiation. That seamless, unbroken flow is part of who we are — and who we will become. It is the original undivided consciousness before it becomes manifest.
Prana moved and created our limbs. As it moved then, it moves now… unless we inadvertently obstruct its flow.
In many movement practices, including yoga, we often overthink our movement strategies. We tend to isolate and differentiate our muscles, bones, and joints in the attempt to strengthen our bodies. Differentiation itself isn’t inherently bad, but it’s far from the whole picture. “Contract this, place that here, hinge this, rotate that, and then flex here."
While we might hope to integrate all these actions into a seamless flow, so often, we don’t. And, unfortunately, injuries can arise even when we are trying to improve ourselves.
In our embodied study of embryology, one key aspect we explore is how life-force fluids flow during the early stages of development. In the case of limb formation, we observe a directional flow of prana—our vital life force—that guides both the structure and function of the limbs.
This flow emanates from the core of the body and extends outward to the periphery, as the limbs take shape and refine. This is more than metaphor: this energetic force plays a concrete role in shaping development, directing the growth and differentiation of tissues with remarkable precision.
What we find in the development of our arms, for example, is that they don’t grow separately from the shoulders. The arms originate from the very beginning of the side body. As they arise, they extend into space, building the energetic forms and structures that they will become.
At the deepest level, these tissues remain unified in an energetic flow, which shapes movement and ultimately forms the limbs. This initial growth sets the foundation for the arms, shoulders, and hands, including the joints. At this stage, there is no interruption in the flow—only a continuous, seamless movement. The joints haven’t yet formed; there is no fragmentation, only unity. This unity later manifests as distinct parts.
The importance here is that when we seek to heal tension or injury in the shoulders or arms, it can be helpful to go beneath the most obvious expressions of structure and ensure that the life force is flowing smoothly.
Unified and Differentiated
We often think of our limbs as collections of anatomical pieces: bones, muscles, ligaments, joints, fascia, etc. We isolate and care for them individually. This approach is valuable, but what about the unifying forces beneath these parts? Might it be helpful, as we practice, to look beyond the differentiated tissues and bring more integration to the entire structure—from shoulders to hands and from pelvis to feet?
What we have found is that by tuning into our inner sensing and memory of these early fluid body flows, we can relieve stress on individual joints and, at the same time, cultivate greater ease and strength in our movement.
The effect of reconnecting to this unified flow is profound. As we use our limbs with this integrated awareness, prana can return to its healthiest state of support, bringing powerful, deep support to our adult bodies. When bones, joints, and muscles are integrated into the original, unified flow (embryological directional growth), they remember how to support each other and move with ease.
Alignment is Following the Fundamental Flow of Prana
Exploring the development of embryological limb spirals can offer important insights into experiencing wholeness in both body and mind. Our limbs begin developing around four weeks after fertilization. At this stage, the body is still primarily fluid, humming with undifferentiated information. Around this time, mesenchymal cells (which give rise to connective tissue) proliferate and bulge outward at the site of the growing limbs.
These mesenchymal cells are lined with ectoderm—the cells that will eventually form the nervous system. The ectoderm coordinates the growth of the limbs. Initially, our developing limbs are undifferentiated mesenchyme and mesoderm, covered by an epithelial layer of ectoderm. They are uniform, paddle-shaped structures that gradually grow outward, following the polarity and space created by the ectoderm’s movement. The movement of the developing limb is spiralic. Prana flows within these life-force fluids.
These embryological spirals underlie and remain integral to the health of our limb structure and movement. These deep patterns stay with us, embedded in our earliest templates and experiences of prana flow. As the life force flowed, so too did our limbs grow.
At this stage, there were no joints, prana’s flow was seamless, continuous, and directed by the growth process. This underlying flow remains at the foundation of all healthy movement in our limbs.
However, poor movement habits or misguided practices can disrupt this natural flow, which can lead to strain or dysfunction.
We may be trying our best, but there’s so much more to healthy movement than simply rotating muscles and bones. Our cultural conditioning toward fragmentary thinking has seeped into our bodies, and it’s not serving us well. Sometimes, we even mistakenly refer to the fragmenting of prana flow as "alignment." True alignment must facilitate prana flow, not interrupt it. In fact, alignment should be defined by healthy prana flow. Otherwise, we risk fragmenting our body structures and placing undue stress—particularly around our joints.
When we reconnect with prana through inquiry and memory, we can restore its healthy flow. This enables us to maintain the integrity of our movement and protect the health of our joints throughout our lives.
Prana, Yoga, and Movement
Yoga has always sought to connect us with prana flow. This is the heart of the practice. By exploring the embryological streams of life force still present within us, we gain a window into a healthier experience of our embodied state. Posture practice (asana) becomes a celebration of life force, without sacrificing stability or support in body or mind.
When we tap into this deep awareness, our sense of self becomes more unified. We begin to experience ourselves as a whole, integrated being. So much of modern life is fragmented, and yoga offers us a different way of experiencing ourselves. Instead of approaching your practice with a fragmented mind, look beneath the surface and recognize the unity in action.
The embryological spirals are movements of growth, and they are definitely not simple rotations at the joints. Even the word "spiral" falls short, especially when the rotation starts or ends right at the joint. Discretely rotating at a joint can create harmful shearing forces.
For example, when rotating an arm in the shoulder or a leg in the hip socket, we must ensure that the movement flows through the joint and into the next bone — without sending shearing forces across the joint. A rotation may initiate in a specific area, but for health, it must travel directionally, with a continuous moving flow.
This is one reason we see so many joint injuries in yoga. If the force of a posture, like Chatturanga Dandasana for example, stops at the shoulder joint, it can irritate the joint. No matter how perfect the posture looks to the untrained eye, if the forces are stagnating in the joint, it’s problematic. Similarly, if rotations in standing poses are localized in the hip socket, trouble will eventually arise. We must allow these forces to flow through—not just into—these critical joints. Simply saying, “Maintain even space in the joints” isn’t enough. It doesn’t guarantee healthy prana flow.
Ultimately, all forces in the body must be primarily supported and directed by the core. While this concept is not overly complicated, it does require a shift in how we perceive the relationship between muscles, bones, and forces at play.
Balanced muscle tone, along with proper fascia connectivity, is essential for maintaining overall harmony. Fascia, in particular, plays a crucial role in transmitting the directional flow of prana—likely more so than the bones or muscles themselves. It provides an uninterrupted flow of energy, which is the foundation of optimal movement and function.
The key is to cultivate an embodied experience of prana flow. Prana wants to move continuously through the body, never stopping at the joints. Prana doesn’t take hard linear turns. It moves from the core to the periphery and seamlessly back to the center. When we overly isolate or analyze our muscles, we can disrupt this natural flow.
When prana is blocked, we feel the effects—energy wanes, vitality decreases, and tension builds in the joints. Muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments, and fascia may tighten in compensation, causing discomfort and dysfunction.
Allowing the natural flow of prana is easy and healthy. Once we recognize how to follow it, we unleash the body’s natural healing abilities. But to do so, we must understand the body’s inner map and practice with awareness. A little agency, dedication, and study go a long way.
How do we do this in practice? Opt into a paid subscription to experience the full embodiment of the upper limbs in the longer video below.