Many people have asked about oral posture and in particular how to grow the face so the maxilla goes forward and up. This a problem that is gaining attention as its consequences show up in serious health concerns like sleep apnea and crowded, crooked teeth. This idea, made popular by the Mews, has lead to a solution built around appliances and mewing: using the tongue to push the roof of the mouth up.
But there's a more basic underlying problem that must be addressed. Even in those who are said to have forward head posture, you will see that they actually have their heads retracted relative to the front of their ribcage. I use one picture in this video of a woman posing a "before and after" of forward head posture. In it she is putting on a fake "forward head posture" to show what it looks like. She contorts her neck to shove it as far forward and down as she can. Yet the front of her ribcage is still forward relative to her jaw.
People are looking at small amounts of growth they can get, while completely overlooking that significant movement is possible--not just possible--necessary in order to improve your posture, lengthen your back, and stretch your fascia.
If you want your maxilla to be in the right place, you need the whole skull to be in the right place. Unfortunately, the prevailing advice around posture is wrong. People are told that "forward head posture" is the problem, but this is an error.
Most people are retracting their head and depressing their maxilla. Anyone that follows the Mews knows this because it's the explanation of why modern mouths are so crowded that the teeth don't fit. This problem is worse in those who have had traditional orthodontics, but it's present in basically all modern people. It's not a problem of a select few, it's the modern condition.
But we have more control than we think. By relocating the head to its proper relative position, we will put the maxilla, and the muscles and fascia that attach to it, in the best possible geometry to influence the maxilla for the better. To do so, we will have to move the head (and the maxilla) forward and up.
I offer lessons in the Initial Alexander Technique, which are conducted one-on-one with a teacher over Zoom. They are designed to help you gain conscious control over how you move your body. Most people have no idea what they’re doing with their body, and as they misuse their body, they end up with discomfort, pain, and other issues that they may not even realize are caused by what they’re doing to themselves. But how do you figure out what you’re doing wrong? And how do you change what you're doing and overcome lifelong habits?
In an Initial Alexander Technique lesson, you will record yourself through Zoom, so you will be able to see and understand what you are doing when you stand, sit, walk, and perform other simple gestures. With the assistance of your teacher, you will come to understand how you are misusing the mechanisms of your body, and you will gain the ability to choose to use yourself in a more sensible way. You can learn how to use your body without pain. You can break free from long held habits. All you need is a system that works.
For more information or to book a lesson, please visit my website: mechanicsofpoi...
You can contact me at: DelsarteAlexanderMasoeroYou@protonmail.com
"Worse than this, many medical men are guilty of similar instruction to their patients, and when giving a personal demonstration of how a "deep breath" should be taken, they "sniff" loudly and bring about a collapse of the alae nasi, throw back the head, and interfere with the centre of gravity."
F.M. Alexander
5 сен 2024