Long Neck, Heavy Heavy Head - 3 - Rolling Head Front and Back with Hugs Continued
Long Neck, Heavy Heavy Head - 3 - Rolling Head Front and Back with Hugs
Continued Self Massage for upper back and everywhere else
Based on “Hugs front and back” from “And the Head is Free Series” by Arlyn Zones, GCFT®
Need a hug, an upper back and neck massage, with ribs and hips enjoying relaxation as well? This lesson delivers. With a little trance on the side. So much trance that we only got through half the lesson: that’s how interesting and transformative this lesson was for everyone who participated.
In the sneaky way that many lessons are designed, this one gets at releasing the spine through the ball joints of the hip and shoulder. Also engaged is the not-exactly-a-ball-joint Atlantoaxial joint, the top two cervical vertebrae that support the cranium and enable rotation.
For me, one fascination of this lesson is how immobilizing the shoulder blades while rolling the torso and neck around those joints gets into the upper back: tension releases and balancing the head on the top two cervical vertebrae and sit bones becomes effortless. OF course, realigning the femurs in the hip sockets by rolling the femurs in the hips, and then rolling the hips around the femur heads facilitates the low back support for the spine and head.
We will recap the first part of the lesson as a warm up, in a hug, rolling different combinations of head, torso, and hips. Then we will pick up the lesson, focusing on the releasing the lower back. from both supine and prone positions. We end up again working the upper back via the shoulder blades. The final hug adds the brain teasers of different combinations of independently moving the head, torso, hips and eyes for improved flexibility and long term learning.
Science Nerd Candy Bowl:
Cervical Spine Anatomy Animation: Veritas Health (2:45) Useful descriptions of the unique characteristics of each cervical vertebra
Atlantoaxial Joint Animation: Veritas Health (0:28) How the skull rests on the atlas, and rotates via the axis
Hip Joint Range of Motion: Animated Biomedical (0:18) The ball and socket hip joint - the femur moves in the hip socket
Biomechanics of the Shoulder Girdle: AnatomyApp (0:30) Shows how the arm moves the shoulder blade
Motion of the Shoulder Joint: Anatomy Standard (0:20)
Set Up for a Supine and Prone:
On a mat with padding for head and knees as works for you, so neck and long back have room to open up and flatten
Optional padding under hips and maybe knees for prone segments; some people like to create a ‘head cradle’ out of rolled towel laid in a circle to support the forehead and lift the neck
OR side-sitting in a level, stable, armless chair, with knees and hips level, possibly a seated, shoulder-height support for arms
How you might feel after this lesson: Looser all over; Longer; Open; Breathing deeply; Upper back massaged; Ribs released; Possible realignment of legs in hip sockets, arms in shoulder sockets; Able to use core to roll torso, pelvis, head; Able to let head be heavy and neck long; Able to support the head from deep in the spine; Spaced out - another trance-inducing lesson.
“We do the movements just to test ourselves if we are sleeping or are awake. That means [to distinguish] if we are able to pay attention, to do what we want, or if something inside of us, by itself, does what it wants. In other words, we are trying to stop being machines, but rather to become something closer to being a human that has awareness, knows what he is doing, and does what he wants... ”
Wednesday 9:30 am or 6:30 pm class registration, keep using it. If you were registered for the 12:00 pm Wednesday session, you’ll need to register. Registered, paid students receive the lesson recording link on Thursday. $40/month; $15/single lesson. PayPal or Venmo to jackisue@aol.com. Or check to Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
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