Hi,
This is Paige.
More than ever these days,
Lots of us are spending lots of time with our heads thrusting forward toward a screen.
This leaves the muscles in the back of our necks overstretched,
Overstressed,
Weak,
Tired and sore.
Today's embodied meditation is a seven minute reset.
You can do any time and often for relief.
You can be sitting anywhere at your desk,
On the floor,
Wherever you're comfortable.
And simply stack your hands behind your head.
You'll have one hand right behind your head,
Then the other hand behind the first hand.
So your elbows are winging out wide.
And press the back of your head into that hand that's behind it.
And then gently meet that by pressing the hand back into your head.
So you're creating a tiny bit of resistance.
Again,
Your elbows are winging out wide.
And then jut your chin forward so your head will move away from that hand that's behind it.
And then press the back of your head back into that hand.
Feel the back of your neck lengthen out.
Feel the chin even very subtly tuck.
And we'll do that on the breath five times.
As you inhale,
Jut your head forward.
The back of the head moves away from the hands.
Exhale,
Press the back of the head into the hand.
Hand presses back into the head.
Four more inhale forward with the head like you're looking at a screen or a device.
Exhale,
Slowly press the back of the head back into that hand that's behind it.
Inhale forward with the head.
Exhale,
Press the head back into the hand.
Hand resists back into the head.
Inhale forward with the head.
Exhale back of the head into the hand.
Once more like that.
Inhale,
Jut forward with the chin and the head.
Exhale,
Resist back into the hand.
Hand presses back into the head and pause there.
And imagine that you could just ever so gently lift the base of your skull off of the top of the spine,
Creating a little bit more space.
No tugging,
Just inviting space.
And then open your arms wide.
They may be ready for a little break.
You could even swirl your wrists around a time or so.
And then recross your hands or restack your hands back behind your head,
The other hand now touching the head.
So you're just stacking them the other way,
Hands right behind your head.
Take a nice full inhale here.
And as you exhale,
Gently twist your body to the right.
Again,
Your elbows are still winging out.
You're just getting a little twist right in the back of the neck,
Right in the upper back.
Inhale back through center.
Exhale.
Remember you're pressing the head into the hand,
Hand in the head,
Twisting left.
Inhale back through center.
One more time each side.
Exhale,
A slow twist right,
Elbows winging out,
Pressing the back of the head into the hand.
Inhale through center.
Exhale,
Twist left,
Slowly pressing the back of the head into the hand,
Hand into the head,
All the way back through center.
You can release your hands.
Relax your arms and shoulders for a moment.
And then put your right hand on the right side of your face,
Maybe even covering your right ear.
Let your head tilt over to the right.
And as you do that,
That same little bit of resistance.
So the hand is resisting back into the side of the head or the side of the face and the side of the head or face is pressing into the hand.
Just give yourself another breath or so here with that little bit of isometric engagement,
Hand pressing into the side of the face or the side of the head,
Head pressing into the hand,
The opposite neck and shoulder relaxing.
And then bring yourself all the way back up through neutral.
And we'll do that on the other side.
So your left hand comes to the left side of the head or the face.
It could even cover the ear.
Tilt your head over to the left.
Let that left hand gently press into the side of the head or the face and let the head resist back into the hand,
Creating a little bit of isometric engagement here as the right neck,
Right shoulder relaxes.
And then all the way back up through neutral.
Drop your chin to your chest.
Let your right ear roll its way over to your right shoulder.
You could tip your chin up toward the sky.
Let that left shoulder be heavy.
Roll your chin back toward your chest.
Let the left ear drift over toward the left shoulder.
You could tip your chin up toward the sky.
Maybe even rock your jaw side to side and drop your chin all the way back down to your chest.
Let the crown of the head float back up and pause and breathe.
And as you inhale,
Scoop your shoulders all the way up towards your ears.
Bring your shoulders way up high.
Squeeze right alongside your neck.
Open your mouth and sigh and roll your shoulders around back and down.
Two more like that.
Inhale,
Scoop your shoulders way up towards your ears.
Give them a little squeeze.
See if there's any tension you're holding there.
Open your mouth and sigh your shoulders around back and down.
Do that one more time as you scoop your shoulders forward and up.
See if there's any amount of lingering tension along the sides of the neck,
In the throat,
In the back of the neck.
Squeeze the shoulders a little higher and then a really easy releasing exhale.
Feel the shoulders relax around back and down.
Sit up effortlessly tall.
Feel space in the neck.
Feel the back of the head gently moving back in space.
As you head back out there into the online world,
If you catch yourself really jutting forward with the head and the chin,
I hope you'll tap back into little elements of this practice anytime they can support you.
Thanks so much and I'll be with you again soon.
