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Neck, shoulders and upper back, 2: becoming aware of subtlety
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.
Neck, shoulders and upper back, 1: Exploring ranges of motion
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.
Breathe your arms up and down
Breathing exercise with a somatic focus. Letting the breath guide simple movements of the body helps your mind stay focused on the physical sensation. Great for when you feel overwhelmed, stressed or in need of grounding yourself.