Many of us struggle with tight neck muscles. The question is, how can we live in our bodies in such a way that the neck muscles can move towards relaxation while fulfilling their function?
Think of the neck as a bridge, connecting the head and the body. A bridge can be built with strong, heavy materials such as stone or concrete – or it can be made from flexible fibers such as this bridge from Cornwall:
When you walk on such a bridge the vines support you and move as you move. You can walk from one side to the other – and ideally the muscles that support the head are, like this bridge, able to allow a healthy blood flow as needed.
Over time, habits of tension often result in these muscles becoming hard and dense. The image of a bridge which allows flow and movement can be used to create a new muscle/movement relationship, a spacial dynamic. As you stand, move down and through the muscles of the neck: start at the base of the skull, and move over the shoulders and down the outside of the arm to the elbow. At the elbow the movement can flow down and away out of the body. The healthiest direction is from the head down and away.
The flow and dance of water of a bubbling stream was the inspiration for the Spacial Dynamics® movement therapy technique called the Meander Stream. This technique creates a movement that begins at the base of the skull and travels down the neck, the upper back/shoulder area, and down the upper arm to the elbow. It is a moving, breathing bridge between head and body.
If you are interested in experiencing this technique, please contact me 2katehammond@gmail.com; or look up a Spacial Dynamics® practitioner in your area https://www.spacialdynamics.com/directory-of-practitioners-1
With special thanks to my Spacial Dynamics® colleague,
Bruce Elliot – https://www.rhythmoflifesomatictherapies.com/