Homeostasis

So, I was driving to work. I teach yoga at 7:00 in the morning – some might think that’s an indecent hour to sweat and strain, but no. It totally rawks! Wakes me up, makes the rest of my day go by smooth and sweet. I love the energy I always have.

Anyway, I was driving and I started thinking about three things at once – because that’s what happens to me in the morning before yoga. I think my brain is anticipating what my body is about to do.

The first thing out of the back of my mind was homeostasis – you know, balance in the body – enough water, sleep, food, sex, conversation, introspection – all the things we need to feel our best – on top of things…

…then I started wondering about Afghanistan, Azerbajian – you know, fundamentalist societies…which led me to thinking about fundamentalist Christians, hell fundamentalist anyone – exercise fundamentalists, low carb diet fundamentalists, look-24-until-you’re-dead fundamentalists, I-must-always-have-my-own-way fundamentalists…

which made me wonder about obsession in general, because that’s what all that stuff looks like to me, obsession and of course then I started thinking about how all that affects the body, makes the heart race with fear and wonder…

which made me think about healthy hearts…after all, I was about to do yoga…which made me realize the healthy heart has a fractal beat…that’s right, the beat is actually minutely irregular, wavering all over the place, presumably in response to the oxygen demands of the body as it progresses smoothly through each moment maintaining, you guessed it,

homeostasis, which made me wonder if obsession – a fixation on a ritualistic set of behaviors that never change -- is a sign of a sick mind or society in the same way a regular heartbeat is a sign you are about to have a heart attack…because sometimes, not always, but sometimes, our obsessions with war, money, sex, control, coming out on top, etc do seem to tip right over the edge of the rational into all that crap that supposedly waits for us beyond the edge of whatever thought worlds we inhabit.