Today's message is reaching you from Switzerland, to be specific from Bern and to be very specific from my twin sister Monika's living room where I am overlooking the old part of this beautiful city.

I better move on to all the wonderful things happening at Sense of Space Subiaco and Margaret River before losing myself in tales of snow, roasted chestnuts and apple punch.....

Today I want to share the following:

• Suboccipital Release Week!
• Teamwork @ Sense of Space Subiaco.
• Sound Mediation @ Sense of Space Margaret River.
• 10% off the Gift of Suppleness.
• Exercise of the Month.

SUBOCCIPITAL RELEASE WEEK!

If you are like me, a bit of an anatomy geek and a model of a pelvis or new anatomy books tops your Christmas wish list, you probably had little sparkles in your eyes when reading the title of this paragraph. If not, you most likely wonder what and where the suboccipital muscles are and why they are the star of this newsletter......

LET'S REVEAL THE MYSTERY 

The suboccipitals are 8 little muscles (4 right and 4 left) at the back of your neck attaching your head to the top of your spine.

With a little bit of pressure, place your fingertips on your upper neck right underneath your skull. Close your eyes and move your eyes around without moving your head.

How did you go?

Have you felt the subtle change of tension underneath your fingertips? That's your suboccipitals in action (amongst other things they are linked to eye movement).

IN ACTION 

They contribute to neck extension, side bending and rotation. They help keep your head aligned with your neck in 4-point kneeling exercises. They are also active when you are doing exercises lying on your stomach lifting head and shoulders off the floor, for example in Dart, especially when turning your head from side to side.

In standing they have a major sensory function in antigravity organization while aiming to keep your eyes level with the horizon, which is very handy for you and also a main reason for my Exercise of the Month choice. Within a balanced posture you would walk tall with your spine elastically elongated, the head balancing on top of the spine with minimal muscular effort and the suboccipitals freely engaging when necessary and relaxing when possible. When the spine is out of alignment however, those little muscles have to work overtime to keep your eyes focusing straight ahead and they are forced and locked into a short position.

You might think "ok, that's certainly not good, but if the whole spine is out of balance there are many unhappy muscles that might play up much more than those little ones at the back of the neck" - you would be right, but here is the thing:

• The suboccipitals strongly influence the tone (tension) in your back muscles as well as your hamstrings on the back of your thighs. In other words, if your short neck extensor muscles are tight, the whole of your back and hamstrings might feel tight too.

TAKING THE BRAKE OFF THE LEGS  

Tight suboccipitals literally put a brake onto your legs.  We will help you release that brake; hence next week is Suboccipital Release week!

WE WILL ASSIST YOU

During this week our Pilates teachers at Sense of Space Subiaco and Margaret River will weave in some suboccipital release exercises in each class; enjoy!

MAÑANA COMPETENCE FOR HOME

For your home practice I have included a simply beautiful exercise at the end of this newsletter.

Ease into your weekend by listening to the relaxing and harmonizing sounds of Singing Bowls and Gongs at Sense of Space Margaret River with Ute Coleman.

When

Friday 23 November 2012

7pm- 8pm

Cost

$15

What to Bring

A pillow and blanket.