The Heart of the Matter

This article was re-written in May 2023 for the Biodynamic Craniosacral Associations Journal 2023 “The Cranial Wave”. The 2023 Issue is called “The Heart of the Matter”.

Introduction

What can “The Heart of the Matter” mean to me? What can it mean for you? There are many interpretations. Let’s go on a creative, imaginal, ecological, biological, and alchemical journey together. Exploring the etymological root of Matter. I discovered the Latin word Materia. The word Materia signifies the substance used to create something, and it also refers to wood and timber.

Trees are the “substance” that produces wood. A Tree’s flesh is actually a matrix, a netting. We have matrices in our bodies, too—the trabeculae of our bones come to mind. Trees have rings made up of vascular tissue patterns. The spiral arrangement of Tree cells serves as a memory, mirroring the movements of water as it travels through the atmosphere and ethers before ultimately returning to the earth.

The circle is a primary motif of life, both metaphorical and biological. We see it recreated over and over in biological systems throughout our planet. The movement of vortices—circles and rings—creates and maintains our hearts and circulatory systems.

The Tree root matrix communicates as a network of branches through the soil’s substance, within which a delicate web of biochemistry, nutrients, and information exchange occurs. The patterning, shapes, and communication are similar to our own nervous and vascular systems. Through the roots, what appears as an individual Tree is the entire forest in unity. One organism of interconnection, Trees create wood through their fluid interconnection, netting, branching, and ringing.

Through the branching, spiraling circulatory system and the direct felt-sense experience of my heart, I experience life as personal, interpersonal, and transpersonal. The heart is a center of convergence, interconnection, and transformation. Numerous biological processes within the body rely on the heart.

My heart is like a Tree to me; it branches into infinity, spirals with creative waters, and roots itself into a sense of belonging with the earth. How can I experience these patterns in my body? How can I expand my sense of self and connect with the depth of nature?

Materia – The Substance of Wood

Let’s revisit the origin of Materia, which means “wood” and serves as a fuel for energy and transformation. Igniting wood creates fire; there is a transition from one element to another, bringing with it energy, warmth, heat, light, purification, life, and further alchemical possibilities. By exploring Trees and our bodies, we have moved through the elements of water, the earth, the air, wood, and now fire from the light of the sun and stars. The Heart of the Matter has ignited as a “Heart on Fire.”

Both the roots of Trees and our bodies’ circulatory systems contain metal. For Trees, iron is essential to photosynthesis; the earth’s core is also iron, and we have iron in our blood. Trees have all the elements of creation in their being, as do we; the heart embodies these elements for us to experience. Here in the fires of the Materia, the substance, of the Heart—all elements converge, cycle, and change.

Passion, the heart’s fire, can melt, soften, and expand with the element of water to form the light of compassion. Physiologically, the sinoatrial node sends an electrical charge to fire up the heart muscles to move, contract, spiral, and spin blood. Each spiral ensures life, and the etymological fun doesn’t end here. The Latin Materia, and might I add Matrix, both derive from the Latin root Mater. Mater, which became “Mother” in English.

The Heart of the Mother – Prima Materia

Our heart is the mother of our lives, inspiring us to nurture and care for life itself. Do we find reciprocity and appreciation for nature? The Heart of the Mother. What does this mean for you? Was it the Heart of the Mother that brought us into life? Literally? Cosmologically? We can think of our personal meanings and relationships with Mother.

Our hearts are the center of our being, where we find belonging within ourselves, each other, and life; we are interconnected with the earth, creation, and the cosmos. I will explore the Heart of the Mother as the Prima Materia, the Prime Matter, the alchemical first matter, sometimes seen as the primordial, formless state from which all emerges. In the ancient Greek cosmogony, the Heart of the Mother, also known as the Prime Mother, symbolizes the fertility of Chaos and serves as the essence of everything.

People from a variety of cultures have referred to it as the Rainbow, the Serpent, the Water of Life, and the World Soul. Is the alchemist’s heart the “great work”? We can enter the alchemy of the heart and mother; in the mystery of the heart, all the elements merge in the fires of transformation and awakening.

From a cosmogenic and evolutionary biology perspective, the development of our hearts started long before our personal and collective human lives. Perhaps the development of our hearts began with the initial swirling of Chaos, then the Universe, and subsequently, the waters of Earth. In Orphic Cosmogonies, the motif and movements that shape our heart and all life originate from the fecundity of the Cosmic Egg. Water will spiral within the form of an egg, much like the shape of our hearts. People often depict the Orphic Egg with a serpent encircling it, symbolizing the primordial waveform and movement. The androgynous self-created primeval Eros emerged from the spiral-shaped egg, connecting life and spreading the fires of cosmic, universal love.

Eros inspires the creation of many from one and one from the formless. I like to call it Original Diversity in Unity. It is a continuum of inclusion rather than a world of fixed opposites and duality. Love. From creation mythologies, the imaginary, to the biological and ecological, how can the heart teach us to broaden? This is an inquiry for me—to find a way to connect with life, shift beliefs or ideologies, even discard them. What happens in my development as a practitioner, as a human, when I shift or broaden my perspective on the process of life?

By delving into the biological and scientific study of the heart, we can examine how a blueprint for the heart’s development began millions of years ago when the Earth was created. The development of the heart began in thesubstance, the matter—the Waters of Life—long before we existed as human beings.

Looking at the heart from an evolutionary biology perspective

As a BCTA/NA Approved Craniosacral Teacher, I offer two advanced classes called “The Heart: Presence, Interdependence & Circulation” and “The Heart of Flow,” where we explore the fluid dynamics of the heart from an evolutionary biology perspective. I also use evolutionary biology along with Meta-themes in the practitioner training for the holistic awareness and somatic education process called NAIO® that I have developed.

As we work with the vastness of the heart, it is valuable for practitioners to explore biological movements. I find that using the fluid practice of Continuum helps embody insights from the practice and fosters collective learning. These are all ways to support experiences that move beyond personal and group identity. These movements are the foundation of creating life and are still occurring within us.

Evolutionary biology provides insights into the remarkable adaptations and structures that have emerged in the natural world over millions of years. Among these fascinating phenomena are vortex rings, which play a crucial role in various natural systems.
Vortex rings are ubiquitous, ranging from the universal birthing of solar systems to the earth’s atmosphere, oceans, and volcanic magma. Wherever there is fluid dynamics, there are vortex rings at work. They shape the heart’s development and function, as well as vasomotion and flow patterns. I would like to shed some light on their role within the cardiovascular system.

Understanding Vortex Rings

Vortex rings are coherent, self-sustaining structures composed of rotating fluid or gas. When a fluid experiences displacement and motion along a circular or toroidal path, vortex rings form. They exhibit unique properties such as stability, momentum preservation, and efficient propagation over long distances. Vortex rings are prevalent in nature. Countless organisms have harnessed their benefits for survival and efficiency.

Role of Vortex Rings in Nature

Vortex rings found throughout the natural world serve a variety of functions in different organisms. Birds, for example, generate vortex rings during flight. This allows them to maintain their lift and maneuver with agility.

In aquatic environments, marine animals like jellyfish use vortex rings for locomotion and prey capture. You can see it in the slalom swim of trout and in the propulsion of cuttlefish through the water and air. Yes, they fly! In many ways, the bodies of cuttlefish, with their chambers using vortex rings and spiral funneling for energy conservation and jet propulsion, are an ancient prototype for the spiraling and contracting of chambers in the efficiency of heart function.

Dandelions, for example, glide through the air using vortex rings for seed dispersal, maximizing their chances of successful reproduction. These examples highlight the versatility and significance of vortex rings in nature. As a surfer, we are looking, feeling, and riding waves with vortex rings for sheer joy. Dolphins and Belugas will often make vortex rings to play with. Clearly, a lot of common watery love occurs through vortex rings.

Vortex Rings and the Development of the Heart

The heart, a complex organ that supports blood swirling throughout the body, relies on vortex rings for its development and efficient functioning. During embryonic development, the heart begins as a linear tube; a series of intricate events transform it into a chambered organ. Research suggests that vortex rings play a pivotal role in shaping the heart’s structure during this development process.

As the linear heart tube loops and forms chambers, the blood flow within generates vortex rings. These vortex rings guide the flow of blood. These rings ensure the efficient distribution of oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues. Humans and mammals form chambers in their hearts; the 3-dimensional spiral arrangement of their muscle fibers mirrors the helical flow patterns found in water and other natural phenomena.

Vortex rings within the heart chambers facilitate the mixing of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood. They promote efficient oxygen delivery, prevent blood stasis, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The rotational flow patterns of vortex rings optimize the heart’s pumping efficiency. The vortex rings enhance the stroke volume and ensure an adequate blood supply with each heartbeat.

Vortex Rings and Vasomotion

Vasomotion refers to the rhythmic oscillations in blood vessels’ diameters. Particularly arterioles. This phenomenon plays a crucial role in regulating blood flow and blood pressure. Recent studies have discovered the presence of vortex rings in the vasculature, suggesting their involvement in vasomotion.

Vortex rings within blood vessels contribute to effective vasodilation and vasoconstriction. Smooth muscle cells in blood vessel walls contract and relax rhythmically, in conjunction with the vortex rings. The vortex rings are responsible for modifying blood flow and regulating systemic blood pressure. These vortex rings create flow patterns that optimize the exchange of nutrients and waste products in the vasculature. Further enhancing the cardiovascular system’s efficiency.

Vasomotion affects the health of almost all the body’s organ systems, particularly the intestines and the brain. I delve into the intricacies of vasomotion in my advanced seminar on the Glymphatics of the CNS.

Linear and Laminar Flow Patterns

In addition to vortex rings, the evolutionary biology perspective of flow patterns within the cardiovascular system provides valuable insights. The heart and blood vessels exhibit two primary flow patterns: linear and laminar.

Linear flow patterns are characterized by a straight, unidirectional flow of blood along a vessel. Large arteries and veins exhibit this pattern, enabling efficient blood transport throughout the body due to their high flow rates and low resistance. Linear flow patterns contribute to the rapid distribution of oxygen and nutrients to various tissues.

Laminar flow patterns involve blood flow in adjacent layers; each one slides smoothly over the adjacent one. Smaller blood vessels and capillaries exhibit this pattern. Laminar flow promotes optimal nutrient exchange and waste removal in the microcirculation. Facilitating the proper functioning of tissues.

The aforementioned events have gained widespread acceptance at the time of writing this article. There is a need for a more comprehensive analysis or alternative perspectives to be explored. The general flow patterns, as well as those within the arteries and veins, require further investigation.

Evolutionary Significance:

Nature’s Blueprint for the Heart

Vortex rings, along with linear and laminar flow patterns, exemplify the intricate evolutionary adaptations within the cardiovascular system. These adaptations range from the heart’s development and efficient functioning to the regulation of blood flow and nutrient exchange. These phenomena play critical roles in maintaining optimal cardiovascular health.

Exploring vortex rings and flow patterns can provide valuable insights into cardiac development, vasomotion regulation, and potential therapeutic strategies for cardiovascular disorders. Nature’s blueprint for the heart and vasculature continues to unfold. The optimization of the cardiovascular system reveals the artistic marvels of evolution.

Creating, Sustaining, and Evolving Life

From a cosmic perspective, our hearts represent aeons of creative genius that have spiraled into billions of years of life on Earth. The heart’s knowledge is ancient, and its wisdom is timeless, vast, mysterious, and beyond categories. Just as vortex rings are ubiquitous in nature, so, too, the heart field permeates all of life. It is through our hearts transformative capacities that we can find the ability to meet in unity with the primary substance that generates and sustains life—the Mater—in a connubial kiss of transmutation.