01/09/2026
Interconnectedness
Mala beads, comprising of 108 individually knotted beads, are used in Eastern traditions for prayer and meditation. An ‘invisible’ silk thread runs through each bead creating a garland. Each individual part contributes to the whole, creating a sense of interconnectedness.
Just like the mala, the human body is also held together by its individual parts. Each part not only contributes to the whole but influences it.
Firstly, the body is held by the breath. The breath affects the autonomic nervous system, regulates the heart, and influences blood pressure. Coherence between the heart and the body can be achieved through breath.
Fascia, a continuous web of connective tissue that holds the body together, acts as a communication network throughout the body, creating interconnectedness. Tension in one area of the body can cause the rest of the body to shift and compensate. This is the concept of tensegrity.
The knots between the beads both connect and form the mala. In a similar way, the discs between the vertebrae connect and contribute to forming the spinal column, from the head to the tail bone. Movement in one part of the spine influences the whole.
If the thread of a mala is altered ,the integrity of the necklace is compromised. The same principle applies to the physical body. Restriction in the joints, along with tight fascia and muscles, can compromise neurological, arterial and venous flow.
Osteopathy honours this interconnectedness by treating the body as a whole, rather than focusing solely on the affected part. It recognises that structure and function are reciprocally interrelated.
