Principles of Owl Anatomy · 3 March 2008
There’s this connection that is suggesting itself to me. Just a basic relationship of body parts—the hips and the jaw—and the way they hold feeling and tension.
I don’t understand what forms the connection or how deep it goes in the physical or subtle body, but I think I can use it.
The hips are awake; the jaw is reactive and half-asleep. The hips are so open I tend to lose them; the jaw is carrying the crazy trauma of the car accident that pushed me in to this practice… and some nights it still sets to tapping the second I fall asleep.
Survey a mysore room, if you get the chance, and you might see someone open her mouth when she reaches a threshold of hip opening—this seems to happen when practice reaches into a pretty deep layer of subconsciousness. And too, there’s the beautiful response in scalenes and neck and trapezius that signals a certain layer of baddha konasana release—I can only guess there’s some cleansing of the giant trijiminal nerve going on at that signal moment.
When there is tension in the hips, I know this immediately and take it away. But the jaw holds pain and frustration chronically, without my even feeling it most of the time. My molars, the dentist tells me, resemble those of a woman of 40 or 50. I tell him vegetables take a lot of chewing, but he asserts I’ve been grinding away unconsciously for much of my life.
So I’m trying to create a new circuit. The jaw is silent, the hips are loud: is there a way to get the hips to alert me when their relative the jaw is all seized up?
It’s actually working. A kind of twinge in the front hip flexors cues me to release the layers of tissue in this overdeveloped mandible. Makes me wonder if the hip-jaw connection is something true to the subtle anatomy of more than just owls.
There’s a thread here on “the hip/jaw connection,” but it feels like desultory speculation. These people are obsessed with talk of body parts and may have a “sphincter/little toe connection” forum for all I know. (Such a connection exists, actually, but that's a whole other topic.)
That’s all for the google, but I’m thinking of the craniosacral therapist who worked on me for months after I woke up from that life-altering concussion with my mandible smashed back in to my head and a bone chip sheared off my chin by the force of its blow on the pavement. This therapist may as well have been soothsaying for all I could detect of her micromovements and weirdly rhythmic breath. The fact that she spent so much time with her hand on my tailbone—miles from the pain in my head—annoyed me. And it was tough for her in the university hospital physical therapy offices—since colleagues thought she wasn’t doing anything. They’d walk by and make skeptical little comments.
But she was the only one—amid steroid treatments, massive doses of muscle relaxants and more movement-based physical therapy—that provided any relief, and just at the freaky point when the surgeon started talking about knives. I guess the university keeps her around because lost-cases like me respond, and she is cheaper than the invasive solutions. She was just a licensed physical therapist with exceptionally good hands and an interest in continuing education, and I suppose if I talked to her now and tried out my idea of kundalini getting sidetracked in the bottom corners of the head, she’d feel I was making light of her highly technical craft. Amazing that a western physician could feel in me a connection years and several ashtanga revolutions before I’d ever even begin feeling it in myself.
Posted by (0v0)
Categories: astanga yoga
, having a body
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I’ve been working on relaxing my body every time I remember to think about it during the day. Most of the times, when I bring my attention off the clouds I usually live in and into my body, the first thing I notice is the jaw. Even when I’m not feeling particularly stressed, there it is, clenching itself like crazy. I think it’s residual anger of many years ago. Kind of like someone you once talked about.
Posted by: V · Mar 4, 01:27 AM · #
Richard Freeman often talks about the palate/moola bandha connection. He also mentions the tongue in relation to all of this. The tip of the tongue resting behind the teeth, bringing consciousness there — and it’s interesting to play around a bit with the tongue at the juncture of hard and soft palate. It seems somehow to have a connection with the lumbar area.
Posted by: karen · Mar 4, 04:29 AM · #
V, releasing the jaw is kind of a final threshhold or something, eh? So easy not to know it is holding. I remember you saying that you caught yourself grinding in nidrassna, after you heard your teeth. I am sure I do this too some mornings without even realizing.
Oh yes, about the palate/ moola! Mmm. I also rest my tongue in the junction often—can’t say why. Maybe it is somehow self-soothing in a way that connects to the lumbar? Intriguing…
Posted by: (0v0) · Mar 4, 04:48 AM · #
The bit that worries me is that I think “I’m feeling pretty relaxed right now” and then check and realize that my jaw is very tight. Wonder what change I need to make in my psyche to release the jaw, or once I release the jaw, what will change in my psyche.
I love to place the tip of the tongue against the top front teeth. Not quite the palate (I’ve got a very narrow, very high palate so it’s really uncomfortable to do so), but just the point where the teeth join the gum. I now do it through most of my practice, and it brings quite a bit of bliss.
Posted by: V · Mar 4, 05:33 AM · #
very interesting!
I’m on-board with the “tip of the tongue on the back of the top teeth” practice as well. whenever I catch myself clenching my jaw I shift the tension to the tongue/teeth.
I find the tongue to palate to be more work, so I don’t do it. I’m also afraid of swallowing my tongue and choking to death.
death by kechari. not glamorous enough for me!
Posted by: cody · Mar 4, 08:28 AM · #
Any recommendations on kechari readings, Cody? Besides HYP, of course.
Posted by: karen · Mar 4, 08:42 AM · #
The bit about resting the tongue tip behind the teeth is interesting. In Taoist energy circulation exercises the tongue tip is rested against the palate to complete the connection between the two major channels. The energy that’s developed from the ovaries or testicles and then pumped through the sacrum and up the spine is conducted from that rearward channel to the frontal channel across the bridge that’s formed by that tongue-palate connection. In those exercises, the tip of the tongue rests a little further back along the roof than Freeman suggests.
The jaw tension is certainly commonplace. Some athletes invest in devices to help them correct that mandibular engagement because it does affect activities. According to my dentist, the problem cannot exist when the jaws align well. Force can only be developed through the molars but when the fore teeth engage, the intense clenching action is inhibited. Clenched jaw muscles radiate tension through the head in into the neck, where it sometimes results in intense headaches.
Posted by: Carl · Mar 4, 10:51 AM · #
I can not be quiet any more. Owl, You have no clue what are you talking about. You are ALL such ignorants, no words can describe it.
For god’s sakes RELEASE your attention for your body! “jaw tension”, “resting the tongue”,” “palate/moola bandhas” are STUPID, STUPID things.
Do not THINK about, do not pay attention to, simply DISREGARD body… during entire day and in the yoga practice, too. If you are unable to observe from INSIDE then OBSERVE from outside. Place your attention on SPACE around you, BE the SPACE and from there see the world. After just couple of days of that attention you will change POINT of VIEW. You will realise that you are JUST A FUCKING CLUSTER OF FEELINGS, nothing else. You have no body, you are NOBODY.
I don’t care what your comments will be after this one. I will not read you any more. FUCK your mind games and your PRACTICE exploring the EDGES. YOU are LOST and with that practice you will go NOWHERE.
Owl, the “Peace Out” is the same as PISS OFF. Told by your troll friend ZEE.
Posted by: Zee · Mar 4, 11:12 AM · #
Zee, go melt some snow.
Posted by: Carl · Mar 4, 11:31 AM · #
Ideas, too, Zee. And angers and frustrations. And the need to set people straight. All of these are mind/body games, too, yes?
Posted by: karen · Mar 4, 11:41 AM · #
“I will not read you any more”
Wishful thinking!
Posted by: V · Mar 4, 11:56 AM · #
You guys are so nice to respond to Zee’s insanity with kindness. But that’s not how we roll on the East Coast.
Zee,
Stopping cloaking your anger in advaita. Seriously. It’s one thing when you state your opinion or preference for one strain of philosophy. It’s another thing when you berate people for thinking differently or for discussing topics that you deem to be unworthy.
While you’ve occasionally been an amusing avatar to debate with, your ignorance and lack of self-awareness is staggering. Ever notice how you save your affections almost exclusively for women bloggers? Ever notice the air of sexual frustration that’s littered through your commentary? Try googling “misogyny” and meditate on your inability to treat women as equals.
Furthermore, threatening to stop reading, never come back, cease commenting, etc. is the cry of the drama queen. If you’re really going to leave then just do. Stop reading the blogs. It’s easy to do.
Nope, for some reason you’ve decided to set all of us immature practitioners straight with your unquestioned version of the TRUTH.
Guess what? The only truth is in experiencing the journey. And for those of us that are brave or brazen enough to document our practice, the last thing we need is some jackass telling us how stupid or wrong we are. Being stupid and wrong is part of the process.
You’re a fraud, Zee. A charlatan. You berate sincere practitioners for being misguided, yet deep down in inside you know that you’re in the same boat as the rest of us. A blind man fumbling in the dark.
So, either become a contributing member of this community – and there’s always room for an advocate of advaita in yoga circles – or make good on your threats and go away.
But either way please stop hurling abusive insults at people that you don’t even know.
Or at least make them entertaining. That “El See Door” bit is some weak-ass material.
Posted by: cody · Mar 4, 12:11 PM · #
Vanessa, you don’t realize but so far I allowed to be PULLED IN. I was “willing participant” to be FUCKED. Cody am I right? But not any more. Now, I’ll change the rule of the game. So be careful. Your luminosity is with me too, it works in both ways.
Karen, what frustration? Even if I want to, I can NOT have such thing… neither angriness nor hatred nor jealousy, such energy is not part of me anymore. I can pretend, I can be an actor, I can say or write “I” but I do not feel it. I am very well aware of who you are, and you can SEE that I am right. I ‘m telling you to change point of view. But, in reality, I am indifferent. If you don’t care who else cares about your point of view?
Oh Cody, you really scared me. Why women? Because they are smarter then men.
I am a fraud. I never said that I am something else. A Troll. BTW. Cody I do know you. We practiced together at breathe center :)… Drama queen?.. yes I like dramas, but… I am the King.
Posted by: Zee · Mar 4, 12:38 PM · #
You’re right, Zee. We’re all lost in a way.
I have to work. Now. A lot. Without interruption.
No more firebombs. It is bumming me out so much. We're done here.
Peace.
Posted by: (0v0) · Mar 4, 12:44 PM · #
Peace? No—fuck this shit. I vote that it’s time to start blocking some motherfucking ip addresses. (Flint? Lix?)
Zee, I appreciate that you’re all advaita and shit; but this was a fucking post about ANATOMY and PHYSICAL THERAPY in response to PHYSICAL trauma from someone being hit by a MOTHERFUCKING CAR. Fuck off.
-The Editor (soon to become The Censor)
Posted by: R · Mar 4, 01:11 PM · #
“Zee, I appreciate that you’re all advaita and shit; but this was a fucking post about ANATOMY…”
Hahahaha ::::)
R … but this is exactly what TROLL does. Troll usually fucked-up the entire posts and take over the blog space. My practice is indeed impeccable. Thanks.
Yes Owl, block my address.
Adios, Good bye, So Long, Arrivederci… Viva la Censura!
And good luck in your further endeavors.
Posted by: Zee · Mar 4, 01:28 PM · #
Yawn. The worst of all is that Zee is boring.
Posted by: V · Mar 4, 01:34 PM · #
Okay…can we hook up The Cop and The Editor for a movie? They’re clearly the two best supporting blog actors of the year.
I can already hear the trailer…
In a world…where people bend their bodies AND their brains…there lived two yoginis…and the men that loved them. Until one day…when an internet troll…found himself on the wrong side of the law…and a style guide…and the bloggee…that stalked the blogger…found his service attacks…denied…in the year’s most thrilling romantic comedy…ZZZZZZZZZZ Story!
Posted by: cody · Mar 4, 01:37 PM · #
yeah! Cody! i agree, the cop and the editor! sweet!
Posted by: cranky housefrau · Mar 4, 01:46 PM · #
Yeah, practicing the vinyasa in a doughnut shop parking lot is a precious bit of imagery we MUST see on the big screen.
Posted by: Carl · Mar 5, 09:55 AM · #
Okay, the night before we got married, there was a robbery a couple of towns over. The robber jumped into (get this!) a Krispy Kreme delivery truck. Then he tried to flee on the highway. The whole police force of the town followed, chasing him. Then the police force of the next town joined in. By the time they got to the Scottsdale part of the highway, there was a parade of police cruisers with lights and sirens chasing the donut truck.
The robber got off in Scottsdale and ran into a Safeway, where he took a worker hostage. The Cop was behind the Safeway as the robber and his hostage burst out through the back door. Where a SWAT shooter killed the guy. The hostage was okay.
And then he came home and we went to the zendo and got married.
Romantic, huh?
Posted by: karen · Mar 5, 12:37 PM · #
Donut-hero meets donut-zen.
So good.
Posted by: (0v0) · Mar 5, 01:02 PM · #
Wow, this is too much. I’ve been out of touch nursing my cold. (0v0) I’m sorry about your crash and how you have to understand your body as it relates to practice. Cody bravo for confronting the troll. I received a small share of insults from the troll as well. I expressed my comments offblog previously to owl and donuts about it. donuts, it’s so funny to call you that, karen. that is a funny wedding night story. i’m sorry to be out of the loop, but who is the editor?
cheers, arturo
Posted by: arturo · Mar 6, 07:38 PM · #
Arturo, you’re funny. Glad you’re feeling a little better. The Editor has been lurking just off screen all along—you haven’t seen him? He’s my sweetheart.
Posted by: (0v0) · Mar 7, 06:42 AM · #