Gird Your Loins

True story. Over 30 years ago, when I was just getting to know the person who I later married, Julie Harper, we spent an afternoon walking through an art museum here in Austin, Texas. I already had a very positive sense of her – she was funny, smart, pretty, interesting and kind. As we walked through one exhibit of Greek and Etruscan art, I expressed some wonder about what we were seeing. She casually reflected on the history, power and meaning of that art in a way that was so deep and insightful that….my legs got weak and I had to sit down right away. I saw that I could not only appreciate her, but that she had things to teach me. She had a depth I had not fully sensed ‘til them.


As Elvis said in “All Shook Up” - 
“my hands are shaky and my knees are weak
I can't seem to stand on my own two feet
…I’m in love. I’m all shook up.”


The area from the thighs up through the waist are referred to as the “loins” in sacred texts. The loins are regarded as the “seat of strength.” They are known both for their muscular power and their role in procreation. To “gird one’s loins” in a military context meant to tie one’s tunic around the upper thighs and pelvis so that it would not get in the way during battle.

It is through the connection to our loins and their powerful roles in procreation and protection that we begin to truly understand the thighs’ profound role in our lives. To feel one’s power perhaps the most direct way is to feel strength in one’s loins. Conversely to surrender to vulnerability for better or for worse, helps us understand the expression to “fall” in love. When we fall in love, our legs may feel weak as we temporarily surrender our self-control.

Both their role in muscular strength and in love make this one of the most interesting and important areas of the bodymind. Next time you massage the thighs, make sure you remember their vital roles in our lives. That can transform the quality of attention you bring to these fabled “loins."

Image Source: www.artofmanliness.com