Mask Work Out
Do this pose, hum and sing here, at the beginning of each practice session. This pose resets the spine, lengthens it, therefore lengthening the neck area, preparing for pharynx work out. When executing this pose fully, it is a chiropractics adjusting of the spine and the neck with immediate release.
Feel the mask increasing as the head tilting forward and down.
Warm up using Sun Salutation routine will complement this stationary pose.
Pull on the fingers feeling the neck area stretch. Focus on each region of the neck, isolate each muscle as twisting and turning neck and head.
Pharynx Work Out
Different positions, flat on back, sitting, or balancing create different levers for stretching different areas of the neck region.
Variations of this pose create different levers for stretching different areas of the neck region.
Use the levers to stretch the neck. Clench teeth, breath and 'pack' air into the pharynx region attempting to enlarge it.
Breath and 'pack' air into the pharynx region attempting to enlarge it.
This is the strongest lever for the neck region. Explore explore explore...
Squeezing pushing air out of the pharynx area
Feel stretch in shoulder and back, while flexing chest area
Suck the pharynx toward the spine flatten it.
Lift up the rib cage - Keep air in the chest/lung area. This practice will help extend the breath support for singing long-held notes.
Move jaw back toward the spine - a breathing exercise
Sit, stand, or best in modified cat-pose (don't lift up your head - see video shorts)
Steps: 1) Breathe in through nose... 2) Breathe out, tuck in stomach pushing out air through mouth, pulling or thrusting jaw toward spine as in illustration below. Practice holding the lower jaw at upper neck, middle neck, and lower neck areas after thrusting it. It's crucial to initiate the breathing in and out from the core (gut area) as always. Also see video shorts.
