I was thinking in particular of Sarah and of Stacy when I was pondering muscle-release systems (after I worked on a teacher who asked for tips on how to relax her shoulders), but I hope some of the rest of you can use these Sotai techniques:
The principle works the same with every set of tight muscles -- the idea is that by not-resisting the movement of where a muscle wants to be, you're helping gravity. When your body recognizes the pull of gravity, it just... remembers where the more happy middle ground is.
- Check in with your body. Find the tight muscles. Say for example the tightness is in your shoulders, which would like to pretend to be earrings.
- Place one hand on top of the tighter shoulder (resting, not pressing, against the direction of where your shoulder wants to be)
- Breathe in.
- As you breathe out, lift the tight shoulder upward, where it wants to be. Your other hand, the resting hand, should be the weight of an egg -- light.
- Relax your body at the end of the exhale and let the shoulder drop. The shoulder should be much lower than it was. Repeat 1-2 times as necessary.
The principle works the same with every set of tight muscles -- the idea is that by not-resisting the movement of where a muscle wants to be, you're helping gravity. When your body recognizes the pull of gravity, it just... remembers where the more happy middle ground is.