Chair pose on a chair

A Micro Pause to train you to become aware of subtle sensation in the body. When we work with the neck, we work with small muscles, and consequently sensations will be less. When we apply a lot of force on these structures, such as pulling them to get a stretch, the result is often more tension. It takes a bit of practice to really become aware of subtle sensations in the body, and the rewards for doing the practice are great.

What is  range of motion?

Range of motion refers to the amount of movement that a joint or a series of joint can achieve. In this case the joints of the upper part of your spine.

We can distinguish between active range of motion, when you turn (for instance) your head as far as you can by yourself, and passive range of motion, where you would lay perfectly relaxed and someone else would turn your head as far as possible to the side. Tjis Micro Pause introduces the concept of effortless range of motion where you move your head, using your own muscular strength but without any sensations of stretch, pulling, or tension in the structures surrounding the moving joint. Your must be able to hold the position for some time without effort.

This last Micro Pause on the lower back program is a lesson in self compassion. It is also a lesson in giving your self an inner massage, a very practical form of self compassion. Why being kind to yourself matters the most: its all about the nervous system. A common misconception is that muscles become too short and that we need to stretch them out into their full length. Instead, muscles can be contracted or extended, and sometimes they get “stuck” in contraction. Stretching the muscles wont make them longer, what they need is for the nervous system to believe that its safe to extend the muscles. When we do the inner massage, we gently stretch muscles, then release them and in doing so we tell the nervous system that it's safe to extend the muscles, resulting in greater relaxation.