The Myth of the Neck
Integration versus Isolation
What is the neck? Most people identify it as the distance between the base of the jaw and the top of the shoulder. Isolating the neck requires more effort because we have to move in a way the body is not designed to.
For example, if I view my flute playing as hands, upper chest, and embouchure playing is challenging. The body is designed so that every part relates to every other part, playing (and living) requires a whole integrated body.
Notice right now what happens if you scrunch up the toes in your left foot. Do you feel tightening of the glutes, back, shortening of the breath? This is just the tip of the iceberg for the implications of tension.
Today let’s redefine the “neck”, in fact, get rid of the word neck and replace it with ‘upper spine.’ Why??
The neck is the top 7 vertebrae of the spine. Looking left and right involves movement of the upper spine, but this also resonates through the thoracic and lumbar regions. You can compare looking left and right with just the “neck” with looking left and right and allowing the spine to respond.
Integrating the upper spine with the rest of the spine allows more fluid movement because the movement is distributed through the whole structure. In other words, less isolated work.
One of my favorite ways to begin remapping this is to point down at the top of my head right between my ears and use my finger as an axis for rotation left and right. As I do this movement slowly, I notice how rotating my head resonates through my spine. If it doesn’t seem to go far at first, knowing that the whole spine functions as a beautiful ensemble, being curious and observing movement will allow the connections to integrate.
Other ways you can remind yourself of whole spine connections are:
Cat and cow pose. What is it like to initiate the movement from your pelvis? From your head?
Rolling is another great integrative movement.
The possibilities are endless.
Be curious!