Spirals

Look closely at nature, and you’ll see a recurring shape woven into the fabric of existence: the spiral. From galaxies to seashells, whirlpools to weather systems, the spiral is everywhere and remarkably, within the human body.  They are fundamental to how we are built, how we move, and how we experience ourselves. From the cellular to the structural level, spirals are the blueprint of life. Yoga has long recognized the power of circular, spiral movement as a pathway to integration, healing and transformation.

Human development begins in a spherical form. As the embryo grows, tissues fold and rotate into spiralic formations. For example, the neural tube, which becomes the brain and spinal cord,is  formed by the tissue folding inward in a spiral-like fashion. Limbs bud outward with a rotational twist, setting the stage for the spiraling bone structures and muscular chains that follow. Throughout the body, this pattern is deeply embedded.

Take the heart, for example. Far from being a simple pump, the heart is a marvel of spiralic design. The myocardial band, a long muscle twisted into a double helix, wraps and folds on itself, creating the rhythmic contractions that drive our circulation.   Our bones are not linear columns, they spiral. The femur, for instance, is shaped in a gentle spiral, allowing for rotational force transmission during walking and movement. The spinal column itself is a dynamic spiralic structure: composed of vertebrae that rotate and counter-rotate.

At a microscopic level, spirals continue to reign. Muscle contraction happens when actin and myosin filaments spiral around each other, creating a powerful and efficient force. This winding effect not only generates force but also contributes to the elastic recoil and smoothness of muscular action.

In our joints and tissues, spiral motion provides stability and freedom. Muscles do not just contract in straight lines. Muscles  like the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, pectoralis major, and obliques all insert in cross-body spirals, allowing force to transmit across planes and joints. Ligaments at the hip and in the knee are also spiraled, tightening with rotation to stabilize joints.  Fascia is the connective tissue web that envelops muscles, bones, and organs also follows spiral pathways throughout the body. The spiral line (as mapped by Thomas Myers) travels from the skull, through the spine, and across the limbs in opposing diagonal vectors. These patterns enable the body to make complex, rotational movements, balance tension, and provide stability and adaptability.

Straight, linear movements in the body often meet resistance. But when we move in circles, we tap into an innate intelligence. Spiral motion unravels tension, mobilizes fascia, and invites the body back into its natural rhythm. It’s calming, freeing, and expansive.

Spirals don’t stop at the physical level. Just as tension and patterns wind their way through the body, they also show up in the mind. Thoughts, emotions, and experiences can spiral, sometimes tightening, sometimes releasing. Movement that honors the spiral can help unwind not just muscular tension but mental and emotional holding, too.

To move in spirals is to return to what is natural and intuitive. Nothing in the body is truly flat or straight. Embracing spiral-based movement invites a deeper, more harmonious connection to the self. 

In yoga, the spiral is not just physical, it’s energetic and symbolic.  The chakras are described in yogic texts as spinning wheels of energy, each one spiraling at its own frequency and governing different aspects of the body and mind. These spirals of prana (life force) influence not only our physical health but also our emotional and spiritual states.

When we move in ways that align with these energetic spirals, such as twisting asanas, circular flows, or pranayama that moves breath in spiral patterns, we activate and balance our energetic system. 

Just as tension and patterns coil their way through the body, they also show up in the mind. Thoughts, emotions, and experiences have a spiral-like quality, sometimes tightening into overwhelm, sometimes loosening into ease. Movement that honours the spiral doesn’t just help unwind physical tension, it supports mental and emotional release too.

The Mind’s Spirals: Upward and Downward

We’ve all felt it. A thought loops into a feeling, which triggers another thought, which feeds back into the emotion. When left unchecked, this can lead to a downward spiral. This can show up as worry feeding fatigue, fatigue feeding self-criticism, self-criticism feeding shame and withdrawal. The spiral tightens.

But spirals are not inherently negative. They’re simply a shape, an organising principle. Just as things can spiral down, they can also spiral upward. A moment of self-kindness can soften shame. That softening creates space for clarity, which builds courage to take meaningful action. The spiral expands into possibility.

There is profound intelligence in the spiral. Nature uses it everywhere and our nervous system is no different. Thoughts, emotions, sensations, and actions are woven together in dynamic, looping patterns.

Compassion Focused Therapy teaches us that our minds are organised by motives: The drive to avoid harm, to seek reward, and to connect. When our guiding motive is compassion (a commitment to alleviate suffering with wisdom and strength) the spiral shifts. We are no longer trapped in rigid loops. Instead, we learn to move with the spiral.

Working With the Spiral, Not Against It

This isn’t about forcing a straight line through complexity. Spirals invite us to move in and out of understanding, to circle back and check in. When we meet the spiral with curiosity, we begin to see its components:

• What thoughts are repeating?

• What emotions are being stirred?

• What actions are reinforcing this loop?

• What is the motive beneath it all?

  
  

By accepting one part, we can transform the direction of the whole spiral. Movement, breath, and mindful awareness become tools to not just unwind tension, but to shift our inner landscape toward compassion. The spiral reminds us that change is not linear. It’s fluid, dynamic, and alive. Whether the spiral is tightening or expanding, our relationship to it makes all the difference.

Yoga teaches that growth is not linear, it spirals. We revisit the same lessons, poses, or emotional patterns again and again, but from different angles, with deeper awareness. Each rotation brings us closer to the center of who we are.

The spiral is the thread that connects the physical, emotional, and spiritual layers of being. So next time you step on the mat, consider how spiral motion is already part of you. Notice the twist in your spine, the wrapping of fascia, the subtle coiling of breath. Let your practice be less about straight lines and more about circles, less about force and more about unfolding.