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Exercises Dancing with the elements

Follow the sun

Your neck softens as you follow the sun.

Rhythm: relax your neck by following the sun

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How it works

The scalene muscles in your neck lightly help every in-breath. A quiet out-breath usually happens by itself: it is these muscles' rest phase. That is why your head turns as you breathe out.

At the side, your eyes rest on a far point. Focusing up close is the work of a small muscle inside the eye (the ciliary muscle); looking into the distance lets it relax. Eye doctors suggest that during long screen time you look at something at least 6 metres away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes (AAO, the American Academy of Ophthalmology).

A guide from the NHS (the UK's National Health Service) describes the neck turn like this: turn your head slowly towards your shoulder, as far as is comfortable. Breathing in for 4 seconds and out for 6 makes six breaths a minute; slow breathing is linked with feelings of comfort and relaxation (Zaccaro, 2018).

From nature

Young sunflowers follow the sun from east to west during the day and turn back east overnight (Atamian, Science journal, 2016). You too turn towards the light, first to one side, then to the other.

Safety

  • Turn your head only as far as is comfortable.
  • If you feel pain, nausea or dizziness, stop and check with a healthcare professional.

Sources