Dear Esther!
I was so happy to feel my lumbar spine relieving as soon as I started to practice rib anchor and inner corset. However, when I stand properly with rib anchor engaged you can see that I already have a round upper back (thoracal spine). When I now hold my head upright, even with the occiput as high as possible, my neck is in a compromised position of hyperlordosis. Although I work on the roller nearly every day and do stretch-sitting and -lying as often as possible, I'm now getting the impression that the time necessary to re-open my upper back is too long for the neck. Since some days I notice little sensibility problems (ants running on the dorsal side of my forearm - that would mean segment C5/6). Now I'm unsure what to do. I want to proceed developing good posture because it feels so right! Can I comfort my neck or speed up my upper back at learning somehow?
With great thanks for your wonderful work and kind regards from Germany, Iris Kaser
7 hours 50 min ago
06/26/2016 - 10:33am
Greetings Iris,
Congratulations on your success relieving lumbar back pain with the rib anchor and inner corset!
Posture changes in the neck need to be approached with gentle slow movements. There are 3 actions to find your optimal neck posture. Your head and neck gently glide back. Let your head rotate and the chin relax downward. Notice that your line of vision is more down without the chin up in the air. You also want to add length: imagine you have a helium balloon in your head, gently lengthening your neck from within while in this new posture. Strengthening the neck muscles is another important compnent.
Our Online Initial Consultation is the best place to start. You'll work one-on-one with a qualified Gokhale Method teacher to pinpoint your specific posture concerns and begin with personalized coaching. Select a teacher from the menu below to view availability and book your Online Initial Consultation.
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All the best,
Kathleen
2 days 17 hours ago
02/04/2020 - 9:38am
Dear Kathleen,
thank you very much for your answer.
In fact, positioning the neck upright - in my case - is made difficult by the round upper back. This forces the lower neck vertebrae in a too much anteverted position. I am sure that this can only be mended working on the thorax spine. Otherwise I could stretch my neck but only look to the bottom if I don't want to squeeze the disks. Of course, the eyes can even it a little by adjusting the view position. - I think, stretching the back, using the roller to mend the round back and strengthening the erecting muscles will be the clue. Thank you very much, it has become clearer now.
Greetings, all the best for you! Iris