To be useful, energy must be channeled.

The hose channels the flow of water, as do the

banks of a river. Wires channel the flow of electricity. And in our body, we also have
many channels. There are nerves for electrical energy and blood vessels for chemical
energy, but there are also more subtle pathways (called nadis by Indian yogis,
or meridians by Daoists).

In our yoga practice we use energy to do three kinds of work. These are:

 Transportation
 Transformation
 Communication

Materials need to get from one place to another in the body: That is the
transportation function of energy. From food being ingested and its remnants
being ejected, to moving nutrients from the gut into the bloodstream (and from
there to all the cells), to moving the limbs of the body—transportation requires a
significant amount of energy.

Equally expensive in energetic terms is the work done via transformation: The
body needs to transform the raw materials of food and air into glucose for fuel, as
well as into a variety of tissues. Each cell is a miniature factory transforming
nutrients into proteins, enzymes, and messenger molecules, which are then
transported to where they are needed.

These messenger molecules are part of the physical communication system in the
body. There are, however, more refined ways that messages are passed along—
such as electrical signals. And the energy used for communication is far less than
that used for transportation or transformation. In fact, it is so much less that we
can call this use of energy “subtle”!
It is pretty easy to measure how much energy the body uses for transportation
and transformation, as these are the basic energies of metabolism. Heat is a
common byproduct of these energy expenditures and we can easily measure how
much the body heats up—just use a thermometer. The degree of energy
expended on communication, however, is quite a bit less, and thus harder to
detect.

It is no wonder that an understanding of the varied communication systems within

the body developed only after the other energy uses were mapped out. A whole
new branch of medicine is devoted to just one aspect of this, called “cellular
signaling.” The study of how physical stresses and pressures on our tissues create
communication is called “mechanobiology.” Another branch is called “energy
medicine.” These branches of medicine are discovering that cells communicate
with each other through a variety of technologies: electricity, chemicals, PH levels,
pressure, touch, sound, and even light and electromagnetic fields.
FOUR WAYS TO TURN ON THE TAP (I.E., STIMULATE
ENERGY)
Through the movement and stresses we generate in our yoga asana practice, we
both stimulate energy flow and reduce or remove blockages to that flow.

Movement and stress can create tiny electrical currents and magnetic fields in the
body (through a process called piezoelectricity). Additionally, through a process
called mechanotransduction, the physical stresses applied through our fascia to
the cells embedded within the fascia create signals that stimulate th e cells. Within
the fascia, growth factors and enzymes are activated to help heal and nourish
tissues, or to dissolve away scar tissue and adhesions.

Eastern maps of the body identify four ways we can turn on the tap and stimulate
energy flow. These are:

1. Acupuncture
2. Acupressure
3. Directing awareness
4. Breathwork

Stress and pressure are forms of communication. As we practice, we are creating

either tensile or compressive stresses to our tissues. This form of acupressure is
another signal that our cells are responsive to. This is another reason for saying,
“If you are feeling it, you are doing it!”

Directing awareness, a practice of mindfulness meditation often coupled with our

yoga practice, also has measurable effects on the body. You can do a little
experiment on your own: For one minute, direct your awareness to the tip of your
thumb. After the minute, your thumb will be measurably warmer. Awareness will
help dilate blood vessels, allowing more energy to flow to the attended area.

Our breath not only brings oxygen into our system (which our cells use to burn their
fuels and release energy), but the very act of breathing can also be stimulating. If we
combine a slow, steady breath with an awareness of what that breath feels like in a
targeted area, we can also enhance the flow of energy to that region. Of course, we don’t
have lungs all over our body, but we do possess a body-wide fascial network. Each
breath stresses that network, and if we are very attentive, we can feel this stress in the
targeted area of each posture.
So, there you have it: the two ways yoga affects energy (turning on the tap and removing
blockages); the three forms of energy we use in our body (transportation, transformation,
and communication); and the four ways we can turn on the tap an d stimulate energy to
flow (acupuncture, acupressure, directed awareness, and the breath).