It just never ceases to amaze me. I can teach three classes in a day, each of which has similar stretches that often include moving the head in order to stretch the neck. And although I’m demonstrating this over and over, each time I come to that point in my body, I feel the SAME tension that I felt in the class four hours earlier. I would think that by stretching my neck frequently, that the next time I do it, it wouldn’t give me the same “wow…I’m tight here” message.
Yet, as I journey down this path of mind-body-spirit connection, I know that my physical tightness isn’t always physical. Tension is a reflection of something else. Pause for a moment and think about that in your own body…tension is a REFLECTION of something else.
As we connect to this idea it begs the question: “what is this tension a reflection of”? I can offer up some ideas as to where this sneaky tightness might be coming from. Is it a mirror of a repetitive physical posture or pattern you hold on and off throughout the day? Are you someone who spends hours seated at a computer and as a result have tension in your neck, upper back and shoulders?
Are you carrying too much workload? Do you have too much on your plate? Is the word “no” one that could be used more frequently in your vocabulary? Are you concerned about finances and paying bills on time? Are you caring for someone who is injured or ill? Are you recognizing that you need to take time for self-care? Are you holding onto residual emotions of grief, loss or anger? We all know this list could grow ever longer, but the point is recognizing the tension that is being held in your body and discovering whether you can find its source. This is the real practice. When we find it, we can possibly alter it.
One way to explore your tension is through performing a body scan. Sitting with eyes closed, begin at the crown of the head and start searching for the tight spots in your body. Take a deep breath in, and when you find a hot spot, pause, exhale and visualize softening this point. Keep scanning throughout your body, stopping each time you find tension, breath in and let go. Once you get to the soles of your feet, do it all over again as tension has a way of creeping back into the body.
You might find that you get so familiar with scanning the body for tension, that you can locate it much more quickly, even scanning and releasing as you drive, chat on the phone or work at your computer.
When you notice things, things change. When you pause and inquire as to why your jaw is clenched or your shoulders are hovering just below your earlobes, you begin to understand that you can let go.
We all carry unwanted baggage. We all have concerns about things that don’t belong to us. As the saying goes, “stay inside your own hula hoop” and surrender the rest.
And now as I’ve written this, I have unclenched my jaw and dropped my shoulders several times. Ahhh, that deep breath sure feels good. Wanna try it?
