Foundation Series

As with your whole body’s alignment, the position of your head can work for you or against you…

The many benefits of an aligned head

Exciting news! Aligning your head can prevent and reverse a double chin! The muscles of your neck will fall slack if the head is constantly jutting forward. This is how a double chin can creep up on you. It’s another example of something often attributed to being an inevitable part of the ageing process that is actually just a symptom of years of misalignment. Toning up the front of the neck and under the jaw begins with the alignment of the head.

By aligning your head correctly, you will be creating more length throughout the entire spine. We often say in our sculpting workout videos that the neck IS the spine. It becomes obvious then that if you lengthen the beck of the neck, you will be drawing more length all the way down. You can think of this like taking out any roadblocks and creating an uninterrupted highway for flow. The more everything can flow through your body the better! (Read ‘everything’ as blood flow, lymphatic drainage, energy flow and electricity and creating more connections between the brain and the muscles via the motor sensory nervous system.)
Flatten your abs and pull in your waist by drawing length through your aligned head. Yes, really. This works because of the lengthening of the spine (again). You can pretty much assume that what goes up, also pulls in!

An aligned head can even make your face look better. I mentioned before about the lymph drainage and making sure it is free to flow. There are lymph glands in the front of the neck which when unrestricted will allow the lymph fluid to drain toxins from the face. This is only enabled once the back of the neck is lengthened and the blood flow increases in the area.

Need another good reason to align your head? Here you go, what about reducing the chance of getting osteoporosis in the neck? Yes, that good old blood flow is proving itself again! Keeping the back of the neck lengthened, as when the head is aligned, allows for the freedom of flow throughout the neck and shoulders.

How to align your head and start feeling the difference right now

It’s time to get practical. You can start with a sitting position so that you don’t have to worry too much about what’s going on in the lower body (this will come.)

Sit with your check points in place; pubic bones, pelvic bones and the lower ribs aligned on one plane with the shoulders down and wide.

Notice where your head is in space. Is it jutting forwards? Now check the position of he head. You can check this by where you are looking. Slightly up, down, at the floor etc. Ideally, you’ll want to be looking straight ahead.

Check if the head is jutting forward

When you think of moving the head back, avoid tipping and shortening the back of the neck

Now draw the ears back and up until you feel a tightening under the chin and a lengthening in the back of the neck. Avoid simply squishing the chin into the neck, which will create a double chin look. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you can feel the muscles under the jaw and down the neck firing up. You can imagine the effects of holding the aligned position over time… a lovely slender, youthful neckline.

Draw the ears back and up to align the head.

Avoid pressing the chin back into the neck

You can practice this whenever you think of it. Even while you are driving is a good time. Definitely if you are sitting at a desk for long periods you can do this while you are working.

Try the exercise in a standing position next. Starting at the feet, go thorugh your alignment; feet under the pelvic bones with the outer edges straight, weight in the heels and the thighs externally rotated. Make sure your Check Points are in place (pubic bone, pelvic bones and lower ribs on one plane with the shoulder blades down the back and wide.)

Now when you draw the ears back and up notice how this helps you to bring the weight right over the heels.

Once you have aligned the head, turn side to side and notice what you feel throughout eh neck and shoulders

Keep practicing and see how quickly you progress. As with anything new, give yourself a chance for this to start feeling ‘normal’ and keep in mind all of the benefits while you’re working.