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Class 8 Lab

     Welcome to the last lab of the series. Today you will palpate the muscles and area we talked about in Class 8 Theory. Please be careful. These are not like the other muscles you have worked on before. The core muscles of the neck are very small very delicate muscles. If you get too rough you CAN break your hyoid bone so take that into consideration and tread lightly. Force nothing. Create light tugs and wait for the tissue to let go. There is no rush. Putting your body back together is a way of living. There is no end point to rush to. You are learning to live in a state of ever increasing physical refinement so just enjoy the process. Let's warm up with some neck stretches.

Before we begin, I must remind you to be cautious. These are neck rolls and they must be performed very carefully and very slowly. You must be very aware of any pain you may feel while slowly rotating your neck especially when you are bending it backwards. There is no reason to injure yourself unless you are careless. When you bend your neck backwards, it is imperative that you keep your mouth shut and your teeth together! With that said, let's begin.

Sit down on the floor or in a chair so that your spine is relatively straight. See if you can feel the core muscles as you are doing these stretches. Allow your head to drop forward and hang for a slow count of 10. Remember to breathe releasing your head more and more with every breath. Then slowly rotate your head to the left and allow it to hang for a slow count of 10. It is very important here that you actually achieve a curvature of the cervical spine (the neck part of the spine) to the left. See if you can achieve a greater, more balanced curve of the cervical spine every day that you do this exercise. After counting slowly to 10, carefully rotate your head backwards making sure to KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Slowly count to 10 and then carefully rotate your head to the right. Again make sure you are achieving a nice curve of the cervical spine. Slowly count to 10 and then rotate your head down and allow it to hang forward for a count of 10. Then come back the way you came. Slowly rotate the head to the right. Hold for ten. Keeping your mouth closed, slowly rotate your head backwards and hold for 10. Carefully rotate it to the left and hold for 10. Then rotate it down and allow it to hang forward and hold it for 10.

The above paragraph constitutes one repetition of the neck stretch. Ideally I would like you to do four repetitions per day. As you are rotating your head, if you find that there are places of tension that lie between your destinations of forward, right, left, and back, feel free to stay on those spots and stretch them out too. If you stick with this your neck will feel great and your face will start to look more youthful!

2. Scalene Release

This release is what's called a pin and stretch. You are going to hook into the tissue of your scalenes on the side of your neck, then you are going to move your head to the opposite side. The tissue is going to try to slip away from you, but you won't let it because you have it "pinned" down. Therefore it will slowly stretch. The first time you do this stretch successfully, you will probably be a little sore. It is a powerful technique. Also know that you can use the technique on any muscle of the body so please add it to your repertoire of techniques.

3. Infrahyoid & Suprahyoid Palpation

Now we come to the area upon which you need to be the most gentle. When palpating deep within this anterior neck region you will get more done if you go lightly and periodically alternate back and forth between swallowing and yawning.

First, locate the hyoid bone.

Next drop a little lower and move the thyroid gland out of the way.

Then begin exploring the palpation of the suprahyoids

and the infrahyoids.

When you are done, explore the hyoid muscles, begin exploring your entire neck front and back. What is stuck to what. Can you unstick it? 

4. Spinal Twist

Sit on the floor. Place your legs out in front of you. Place your right hand behind you. Cross your left leg over your right knee and rest your left elbow against the inside of your left knee. Keep your back as straight as possible. We will now initiate a spinal twist. Begin by twisting the head and neck to the right and allow every single vertebra to follow one right after the other all the way down to your low back as you use your left elbow to push against your left knee facilitating the twist.  Hold the twist for a count of 20 remembering to breath fully.  Then perform it to the opposite side.  Do this twice on each side. It is imperative that you begin your twist with the head and neck and follow the twist down the vertebra in order.  Come out of the stretch the opposite way you went into it releasing the head and neck last.  Come to me with your questions. See you next week for Class 9!