Each region of the body has a certain energetics to it. One important thing that unifies the throat, tongue, TMJ is their relation to food dynamics. The tongue masticates food with the help of the teeth; sliding that food down the throat.
This center is called “the throat center” in yoga, and is considered in four element holistic thinking as the body’s higher Water center. The Water Principle, or force of nature speaks to life’s need for nourishment. Think of that red river we call blood, which brings nourishment to each cell.
The thyroid is the endocrine gland of this region and does much to throttle up important biochemical tissue metabolisms that are so dependent on that supply of nourishing food. The neck vertebrae themselves are what support all this from the backside.
Another significant Water functionality is the ability we have to communicate with each other. Communication is an interconnective ability (and need) we have. That previously discussed need and ability to take in nourishment is a display of this same Interconnective principle – creating ecosystems which connect all of life together.
For some it is worth knowing that metaphysically: while it is embodied by Water, this third cosmic-wide principle, “Interconnectedness”, presents itself geometrically as the three-born triangle which bridges the two opposing ends of a line.
Problems of this area often result from poor support by the neck, which must constantly do its part behind the scenes of all this “throat center” activity. Poor posture is often the culprit, showing up as poor biomechanics, as poorly grounded kinetic chains of muscle-generated forces.
Motions:
Using the 4 Element Method, we’re going to energize the tissues of this region in the four different planes that it is meant to be able to move through. Let’s start with the energy that is most resonant with this center, Water. It’s useful for this upper Water center is to generate motions that balance out faulty biomechanics and one’s postural habits.
Potions:
Besides the herbal tincture I use to help the energetics of this region, depending on the issues, it can be especially useful to improve one’s nutritive status when suffering with troubles here. Discs in the neck, even pinched nerves here, are often helped as greater nourishment is drawn into the body.
Postures
For most human troubles, one common helpful piece of the healing equation is to improve one’s posture. Particularly insofar as how posture is intersecting with the region where your problem is localized. Many problems in this neck-throat region come from an overly forward neck and head.
Here’s the antidote to that portion of your neck-throat region’s problems. It’s simply the act of bringing your throat backwardly. Here’s how to do it most effectively: Put your left thumb and index fingers on your throat. Your left thumb is on the left side of your middle throat – where the cartilage of your throat is most forward; your left index finger is on the right side of that cartilage. It can be useful to envision both fingers at the bottom vertex of a V.
When properly placed, you should feel a ring of cartilage below it – the cricoid cartilage. The goal is to change the neck-throat postural alignment so that this vertex contact moves toward the backside more. Forcing your left forearm to become more parallel to the floor at the end of the motion helps bring the head and neck back more.
It can prove useful to do this in front of a mirror so as to give you visual feedback. Many will come to realize just how forward their neck (and head) are positioned regularly. There will be some of you who will tend to bring the jaw upward as well. Avoid doing so; try to keep the jaw parallel to the floor.