- Ease up.
Let go of any tension in your neck muscles. Your head will slightly rotate forward, and the crown of your head goes up. Feel your sit bones go down into the chair at the same time.
2. Living in a slump.
To come out of a slump, release your neck again. Your head rotates forward and goes up the minute you free your neck. Your head leads your torso up. In opposition to your head moving up, let your sit bones release down into the chair. Let go of leg tension.
3. Breathe.
Smile a bit. Slowly let your jaw open like a yawn, and make a whispered ahhh sound breathing out.
With your lips slightly touching and teeth apart, breathe in through your nose with no sound. Repeat.
4. Stress
Free your neck so that your head tips forward while the crown of your head moves up. Your nose may slightly lower. You’re moving up because your shortened neck muscles are no longer being shortened.
Whisper ahhh and go up some more.
5. Get floored
Take 5 or 10 minutes out of your day to lie on the floor, on your back, with your head resting on a few inches of paperback books.
Knees bent, and your feet on the floor. Release neck tension, breathe slowly and fully with the whole torso– front, back, and sides.
By Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique NYC
Posture Tips Image courtesy of Nuttakit/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I like how detailed the instructions are because usually when people explain, they just tell you to do something with no technique. So, Thank You and I also love the picture.
Thank you Apollo!
[…] Reduce your tension. Let go of any extra tension in your neck and jaw. I really need to learn how to master this one. […]
Freeing your neck is one of the first ideas of the Alexander Technique. Freeing your neck helps free your jaw, and visa versa. Learning directly from an Alexander Technique teacher is the fastest way to learn this. After that, it just takes some practice.
Thanks Mark, very well explained and easy to follow. I am always learning from you. Hope to see you soon. Luz
Thanks, Luz!
I’m glad you’re learning. Learning the Alexander Technique just by reading about it is quite challenging!