The Internet of Self. Part 1: The Body

Over the last year I have been listening to two interesting podcast series around future concepts: Sleepwalkers and This Time Tomorrow. Both raising amazing issues around Artificial Intelligence (AI) and our relationship to it with the future. In the latest series of This Time Tomorrow they continually refer to a construct known as: The Internet of Things (IoT). There are many new and evolving definitions of it – but let’s roll with Wikipedia version for now just to frame this up.

“The IoT is a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) and the ability to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction”

So, what does this have to do with my curiosity and desire to improve myself and my art? I like to conceptualise our relationship between mind, body and spirit as the Internet of Self; our IoS if you will… see what I did there! Here is my definition.

“Our IoS is a conceptual structure of interconnectedness of mind, body and spirit. This awareness of the interconnectedness can give rise to a harmonious sense of self”

For our IoS to be fully interrelated it would follow that we need to really understand how each individual area has its own interdependence. In this musing I will focus on the Body.

As I have mentioned before in previous musings, I’m interested creating a notion of bodifulness. Which I have acknowledge isn’t a word but essentially, I’m appropriating some concept of mindfulness but using them in a movement awareness setting. I also recognize that mindfulness is about moment to moment awareness of everything around you, inclusive of the body supposedly. But I guess I am asking us to really dive into our awareness and communion of our bodies on a sophisticated level. Which in simple terms could be proprioception or kinaesthesia. That said I sense it is deeper than that.

The body is a remarkably sophisticated structure reliant on the delicate balance of so many systems. If we take the time to listen to these components, then we go a long way to feeling how our body is going from moment to moment. Some of the ways we can achieve this is by taking the time to really get to know our systems.

By systems I’m referring to:

1. Circulatory system
2. Respiratory system
3. Nervous system
4. Muscular system
5. Skeletal system
6. Digestive system and Excretory system
7. Endocrine system
8. Integumentary system / Exocrine system
9. Immune system and lymphatic system
10. Renal system and Urinary system
11. Reproductive system

I’m going to dive into one system that is always overlooked. I’m choosing to dive in deep here because this particular system could be considered in many ways an internet of the body, just to extent the metaphor. I am of course referring to our Fascia. Interesting to note my favourite arts and science fusion hero Leonard DaVinci depicted fascia in one of his works.

The Fascia is a web of connective tissue made up of bands. These bands cover all the internal parts of the body from our head to toe and hold it all together.  This allows the muscles to move without friction along structures. You could think of the fascia as a pair of tights; closely gripping the entire body underneath the skin.

The fascial system retains a delicate balance of tension and flexibility. This make available an effortless, unhindered movement for each of our muscle groups while holding everything in place. If the fascia is restricted, then it follows that muscle contraction will be restricted. If we imagine the fascia like a glove; it has enough stuff to hold its shape, however, not enough to take weight. Highlighting every organ and system in our body has a function that only it can do; wonderfully however, none of it transpires without the effort of the body operating as a complete component. Maybe this highlights that we should not hyper focus on any one aspect of ourselves but rather its interconnectedness?

 Home schooling calls, to be continued. Over the coming musings I will keep diving into how I see this deep connection of self. This Internet of Self; my IoS.