Welcome to the Vagus Nerve Twist and Turn Practice for the Trapezius muscles.
This exercise is from Stanley Rosenberg and his book,
Accessing the Healing Powers of the Vagus Nerve.
This practice improves breathing,
Helps to correct forward head posture,
And also lengthens the spine.
But it is a great practice for anyone to reduce stress and tension and feel a positive shift.
It is helpful to do after sitting a long time or working at the computer.
The trapezius muscles extend from the base of the skull,
Down the back of the neck,
And into the shoulders and into the thoracic spine at the shoulder blades.
To start,
Sit comfortably in a chair or a surface that does not move.
If your chair has arms,
Position yourself at the front edge of the chair.
Take a moment and take some deep breaths and notice how your neck,
Shoulders,
And upper back feel right now.
Circling the shoulders or perhaps lifting them up and down,
Turning the head right and left,
Noting the range of motion.
Simply observing.
Sense your posture and notice if your head and shoulders have a tendency to round forward.
It's important to note that we are not strengthening or stretching the trapezius muscle,
But simply stimulating the muscle fibers,
So be gentle.
Some fibers may be tense while others are loose,
Which creates an imbalance and creates forward head posture and rounded shoulders.
Throughout this practice,
Keep your head and your hips facing forward.
Now place your hands on your opposite elbows.
This will cross the forearms in front of you.
This practice is in three parts,
But the arms stay crossed with the hands on the elbows throughout the entire practice.
Now be sure to rest your forearms on your body.
In part one,
You are keeping your forearms touching the front of your body without moving the head or the hips.
Without forcing,
Begin to shift your arms to the right,
Gently moving through the shoulders and now to the left.
Breathe and do this gently three times.
Your shoulders are moving and the arms are gliding lightly across the belly.
You may notice that this stimulates the upper trapezius in your neck.
Be gentle and remember not to stretch or force.
Simply stimulate the muscle fibers.
Very good.
Now breathe and relax.
For part two,
You are keeping your hands over your elbows,
But simply lift your arms in front of your chest,
Level with your heart.
So not all the way up to your shoulders,
But even with the heart.
Relax through the shoulders and move the elbows right and left slowly and gently three times,
Remembering to keep the head and the hips facing forward.
Moving from the shoulders.
This stimulates the muscle fibers and the shoulders.
For part three,
Simply lift your arms up as high as you're able to comfortably in front of you.
You may be just above your shoulders or in front of your face.
Gently begin to shift your elbows right and left three times.
Be gentle.
It's a small movement.
You will feel this part in the lower trapezius or the shoulder blade area.
Nice.
Relax your arms,
Breathe deeply and begin to notice any changes in your body in the neck,
Shoulders and upper back.
Your head and neck area might actually feel lighter,
Shoulders more open.
If not,
I encourage you to continue practicing.
When doing this exercise regularly,
You will tone all parts of the trapezius,
Improving your breathing and proving posture and correcting forward head posture.
Plus the benefits of this practice are cumulative and create new signals between the brain and the muscles,
Helping them stay more balanced and helping our nervous system be calm and relaxed.
Deep peace to you,
My friends.
From my heart to yours,
Namaste.
