The exercise is simply to open and close the jaw: gently, slowly, and smoothly. While you explore the gentle, slow, and smooth movement of the jaw joint, here are some things you might cultivate awareness of: Can you allow the breath to arrive and depart on its own? Does the breath want to synchronize with […]
Allow the jaw to release into gravity. Place your finger tips on the jaw to ensure that it remains calm and open during this tongue exercise. Gently reach the body of the tongue toward an /i/ (EE) shape, then release the tongue back toward neutral. Explore this movement several times, aiming for slow, smooth, and […]
Lightly anchor the tip of the tongue behind the bottom teeth. Maintaining this contact, gently, slowly, and smoothly roll the body of the tongue forward. Allow the tongue to gently stretch. As you release the tongue body forward, can you release any excess effort you may be feeling in the jaw or throat? Can you […]
Use all ten fingers to explore the muscles of the jaw, neck, and scalp. Allow your breath to arrive and depart without holding. Follow your pleasure. What feels good today? When you’re finished, take your work with you into the next thing you do.
Clench the teeth lightly a time or two to locate the temporalis muscle on the side of the skull above the ears. Using fingers, knuckles, or the heels of your hands, gently massage this muscle, allowing the jaw to release into gravity and the breath to expand and deepen. Remember to bring the hands up […]
Clench the teeth lightly a time or two to locate the masseter muscle, feeling it’s activation. Using fingers or knuckles, gently massage this muscle, allowing the jaw to release into gravity and the breath to expand and deepen. Remember to bring the hands up to the jaw, rather than shortening the neck to bring the […]
Use the fingers of one hand to locate the center of the muscle on the top of your opposite shoulder. Give this point some comfortable pressure with your finger tips. If you’d like more pressure, you can hang onto the elbow using your other hand. Send your head away from this pressure point as you […]
Anchor the collarbones and sternum firmly with the hands. Send the chin forward and away from this anchor point, tilting the face upward toward the sky. Make gentle arcs with the chin as you allow the breath to arrive and depart on its own. Continue by sending the lips in the same direction as the […]
Interlace the fingers and place the hands on the back of the head–not on the neck, but on the skull. Slowly allow the elbows and shoulders to release into gravity, providing gentle traction to the back of the neck and upper back. Allow breath as you soften into this shape. Bend the knees slightly and […]
The first arc encourages the spine to lengthen from side to side. Continue to breathe as you soften, lengthen, and release into this shape. For the second arc, turn the face toward the underarm, making contact between the finger pads and the occipital ridge on the back of the skull. Continue to lengthen the spine […]