My Chinny Chin Chin

We can even consider our posture from our chin's point of view - Leading from the chin, perhaps

Ideally our chin is angled gently down. By the way, I remember my nonno used to tilt his chin up and down to look through the different lenses of his bifocals.

However, it is not just collapsing the head down. We must place our head in the correct place - stacked up above our body.  The back of our neck must be elongated.  When we do this we are quietly switching on the core muscles of our neck.  

So for homework we will be practising "chin glides". This means gently  move your chin backwards.  Go ahead make a double chin.

• Standing with your back against the wall
• Start by lengthening the back of your neck - and keep it long.
• Retract your chin horizontally. Relax
• Repeat.

You  don't necessarily need to stand at the wall.  The car is ideal.  Every time you sit in a car seat, gently glide your chin so your head touches the headrest or at least, moves towards the headrest.

Here is a link to a YouTube regarding the chin glide from  Bob and Brad. It is a 5 minute video.  They call it a chin tuck...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OEJyVhVlAE  

and while you are at it 

This is excellent, too and it is a bit more recent

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpVq1A-BrfI

Draw up the Golden Thread - Habit of the Week - HOW

This week our homework is to draw up an imaginary golden thread.  This thread runs from the earth beneath our feet up through our body into the neck and the crown of the head. The idea is taken from the discipline of Tai Chi.

When we pull up on the golden thread, our spine and neck automatically lengthen, but our shoulders and limbs stay relaxed - like a beautifully draped garment on a coat hanger.    This lengthening helps to line us up straight and gives more room for our organs.  It makes good posture AND breathing easier.

Habit of the Week draw up your Golden Thread.  Like all the habits, practice this 100 times per day - In other words,  whenever you think of it. By the end of the week you will have trained your postural muscles into a better position.  It will feel natural. 

Nose Breathing - A great Piece on Radio National

This week I happened to be listening to ABC Radio National and heard James Nestor discussing his book "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art".  This is a different author than the fellow in the previous blog,  Patrick McKewon.

This is very inspiring and here is the link to ABC for you to listen for yourself.

Just click

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/why-breathing-through-your-mouth-is-bad-for-your-health/12570560

Let me know what you think.

 

Neuroplasticity - really great news.

Dr Andrew Hubermann says that the path to neuroplasticity (re-shaping our brain) is requires two components. Firstly, the stimulus then the integration.

For the stimulus we can take three different forms. Exercise, learning something new and a social engagement.

Whereas the integration phase occurs in slow wave sleep, meditation or a nap.

Alain De Botton has his School of Philosophy - a wonderful online service. 

He speaks in favour of a nap being a time where we unplug ourselves and have some quiet or thinking time.  He says for every hour of input we probably need 10 minutes to rest our brains.     

Have a quick look at the YouTube (6 min 25 seconds).  Then switch it off

 Just click:-         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lECIsRif10 

A confession

During one summer break, a couple of years ago. I would listen to the glorious content on Radio National all day long.  I did end up feeling quite swamped.  Now I know it is because I didn't allow for any integration time, to either process what I heard or to chill and unplug for a while.

Stretch your 'ruffle collar"

Thinking about posture this week.  This is a tiny tweak to our comportment.   

If we focus on the area of our body from our ears to our armpits. When we attend to that particular area, the rest of our posture falls into place. 

This means, that this week's habit is to roll the top of our chest upwards. Then from this position, 

• our head sits in the right place i.e.stacked on top of our body. 
• It is easy to lengthen our neck correctly
• We can roll our shoulders gently back
• Spread open the triangle of our chest
• Place our arms behind our body.

The rolling of the chest means angling the top of your chest upwards "shining your headlight up to the sky" rather than a caved-in chest position that points down.

Think of it as lifting up your heart.

It may very well be mood altering as well.  Here's hoping.

Music - something to make you smile

Have a look at YouTube - "Colt Clark and the Quarantine Kids" and search for "Cecilia".  It's my favourite. He posts one song per week

Colt is a dad with a great ‘Rock n Roll’ voice.  The drummer, his son, is 8 years old.  The M C / front person is the 6 years old.

I love the line - "making lunch in the afternoon with Cecilia up in my kitchen."

Also

Jailhouse Rock deserves an "honourable mention" 

Music - Something to make you cry

 

I was in Bunnings and I could faintly hear a Janet Jackson song that I really love.  One of the staff was singing along too. 

"Together again" 
Songwriters: James Samuel Harris / Janet Damita Jo Jackson / Terry Steven Lewis Together Again lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.

Why did I love this song? I didn't even know the words properly. I love the tune and the beat, the emotion in her voice.   I love the beautiful progressions and the key change is just right, perfect, in fact.

I listened many more times.  Then I looked it up on the internet.  It is about the death of a loved one. Who knew? This is such a joyful song.

Check out the words - they are very insightful and comforting. Here is a link to the words:-
https://genius.com/Janet-jackson-together-again-lyrics

When you play the song, diminish the drumbeat, if you can.

I challenge you not to cry. I cried.

 

So,

How come music make us cry? For me, to make me cry, a tune has to be familiar AND well sung, but there also has to be a delightful surprise.

For example, I was driving once, and the radio announcer said next up “Silent Night” sung by Sinead O'Connor.  I thought ‘ho hum’.  However when it came on - sung beautifully, quietly and slowly, I dissolved into tears. I was driving. It was tricky.

 

I've decided to have “Together Again” at my funeral.