On Being Human

A Philosophy, Psychology & Science of Being Human from a
Western Perspective . . .
Informed by Essential Insights from the East

While this may indeed be the largest topic of study in The DSL Method of Yoga & Bodywork, we’ll briefly touch on it here.

A Philosophy is, literally, one’s view of the Meaning Of Life. Everyone has a philosophy of life. They might not know it, but they have one. And when it comes to the higher level functions of the mind, they live by it; it controls everything they do. Therefore it pays to know what it is, otherwise it unconsciously controls them.

At lower levels of function, we have, for example, the non-conscious functions of the limbic system, which is nearly impossible to control or even observe in any direct way. Programmed very early in life, it is not easy to overcome its conditioned state.

However, with a Philosophical Outlook on Life, engaging our higher level faculties, we can indeed affect the lower, if we know how.

. . . David Scott Lynn

Often times we take actions we cannot explain. This can be a problematic or even a mentally or emotionally painful experience. Knowing our underlying philosophy sometimes tells us why we do these things. We find that the more clear one’s views on life are, and the more one’s views are in accord with reality, the more effective one will be in managing his or her existence.

In developing The DSL Method, we have come across a handful of basic premises and perspectives about the inner workings and meaning of life that, if understood and applied, can enhance one’s ability to live more freely and fully. How much more? In any given case, no one knows, as we all have our own deeply held resistances, and are different for everyone. Some of them are so physically based that the mind might not be able to overcome it.

But the Human Spirit being what it is, most of us keep trying. This includes healing existing problems, preventing the development of new ones, expanding one’s personal and interpersonal potential, and coming to terms with the spiritual dimensions of life. … And for that which we cannot overcome, we learn to how best manage and work around it.

Now, this approach to Philosophy and the Meaning of Life is not very similar to what you’ll usually find in traditional texts or classes on yoga. We come from a far more Western Perspective. Although we’ll say much about this, you can get some insight into our approach here on the Intro Page to the 9 Laws:

The 9 Natural Laws of Yoga

Along the way, we will point out where the Eastern approaches add to or agree with, or disagree with, the Western perspectives, and our own personal take, on what we embrace. Part of the difficulty is determining which elements are indeed essential to being a human being, versus which are cultural or aesthetic, or just opinion or preferences about how things should be.

Developing Your Own Perspectives

As you participate in DSL Yoga & BodyWork Private Sessions and Educational Courses, you’ll become more aware of our philosophies, not so that you can blindly accept them, but so that you’ll begin to observe and intelligently, consciously and Awarely discover and develop Your Own Personal Philosophy. We call this A Philosophy, Psychology & Science of Being Human. This includes your won way of observing and looking at life and how it works.

As Joel Kramer often said, Yoga is not so much about telling us how life is, or what it means, but a way of looking, a way of observing, a way of learning.

Of significance is the fact that several  Practitioners of DSL have reported to us that the philosophy component of DSL made substantial differences in their ability to effectively work with Clients. In fact, a few have recognized that the DSL Philosophy can become a Way of Life. Not that you adapt the DSL Philosophy itself, but that you use our approach to discover your own.

Your Philosophy will determine how you view life; its Meaning and Purpose, how life does and does not work, and the rules by which you live. It’s a way of discovering your own Personal Morality, and how it interfaces everyone around you.

Healing: External . . . Or Internal?

For instance, your philosophy about how the bodymind heals itself, or is healed, usually determines what techniques will be used to get better. If you believe that most illness is caused by conditions that are primarily external, then you will most likely choose external means by which to heal, such as drugs, surgery or radiation.

If your philosophy determines that most illness comes from internal factors, then the choice of healing modalities will correspondingly be internally oriented, such as diet, relaxation, exercise, Yoga, meditation, etc.

Whose Judgement Do You Trust?

At another level, you might believe that the only people who are competent to make decisions about healing are those who have been to many years of medical school and have licenses from a governmental authority. You would then be less likely to trust your own judgement about which modalities to utilize. This, just one expression of the Authoritarian Paradigm, leaves us at the mercy of someone elses’ thinking processes and life experience, not to mention their possibly unexpressed agenda. Our sense of Self is therefore diminished. 

Of course, very often our problems are primarily, sometimes exclusively, in our physiology, rather than our philosophical or psycho-emotional orientation. Here, understanding the philosophies of various approaches to healing and the Sciences behind how the body works — and how it breaks down — helps unlock Metabolic and Bio-Structural problems.

But again, these approaches all start with different philosophical stances on various apsects of bein human.

Solving Your Own Problems  . . . When Possible

The science of human physiology can be very complex. However, many of our problems are not so complex that we cannot understand them enough to become our own problem solvers. For many of your conditions, the basics are enough. Yet having a grasp of the Scientific Method, a component more associated with the Western Paradigm of how to live life, and be helpful. You don’t have to be a scientist to use the scientific method.

You don’t need a college degree plus four years of medical school to understand most of what you need to know about health and healing. That belief — against self-healing, and that you always need someone else to treat you — is part of one of the most destructive hoaxes of the twentieth century. And, the more knowledge you have, the better you’ll be able to properly, fully and cooperatively work with and utilize your Physicians and health care Practitioners.

We hope we can help you more fully learn that ability.

YET … You will also have better insights in what to do if your particular situation DOES require outside help. You will be the partner of your healing practitioner, not subservient nor at their mercy. You will have more access to discover and learn the insights, the information, and the skills necessary to solve, to what ever degree possible, your own issues.

That is why it is called DSL:
Dynamic bio-Structural LEARNING!!!

NEXT: A Philosophy of Medicine & Healing

Thanks for Reading and Take Care,
David Scott Lynn
DSL: Your Hi-Touch Up-Link to the Inner-Net