The Coccyx and the Xiphoid

I could not find an image of a whole human torso in the mid-sagittal plane on the internet. Perhaps that is the reason why I am writing this post. (This project to map the body will be great when it is finished.)

Everyone that has even peeked at Traditional Chinese anatomical concepts is familiar with the du and ren channels which wrap the torso at the mid-sagittal plane. (The term du meaning governing, and the term ren meaning conception.) Basically, one goes along the back of the torso and other goes along the front. The coccyx and the xiphoid process run along these meridians.

The coccyx, otherwise known as the tail bone, and the xiphoid process, located at the very bottom of the sternum, are simular in many ways. They are both bones which attach at one end to another bone and at the other end appear to be reaching out into the abyss. They are both joints. They are both capable of movement much like the tip of a finger. Most people have little awareness of either, and it is even rarer that someone would comment on their mobility, or mention the two of them in the same breath.

They are in fact connected together. A ligament extends from the bottom of the sternum straight down to the pubic bone which is then connected by a series of bifurcating ligaments to the coccyx.

The xiphoid process is involved with breathing and it touches the diaphragm. Ligaments also come down from the back of the diaphragm along the front side of the spine all the way to the tip of the coccyx.

If force along this plane is diverted to the left or the right by tension or irregularly shaped bones it will be diminished. Feel the connection between these two important bones and joints. Check to see if you transfer power directly between them along the ligaments. If not, you will want to improve that connection, it will improve your overall alignment and power.