Compressing the neck can be subtle. Compare the side by side images below. Look at one, look at the other then look at them together. Which one looks like it feels better to you? The larger image on the right is a nicely balanced cervical spine. The middle image is a great example of a neck that is pulled downward and a head that is pulled back. This type of scrunching has been shown to restrict movement and expression throughout the entire body.

Refer back to my February 1st post, Common imbalances associated with chronic tensing of the neck, where I list imbalances induced by downward pull starting with the eyes and leading all the way down to the toes.

It may not look like much, but balancing the head and neck allows the head to move forward and up and the spine to follow in sequence.

Laws of the spine:

The head must lead.
The vertebrae must follow in sequence.
The spine must lengthen and gather in movement.
The movement should be equally distributed among the joints of the spine.

The spine either lengthens in movement or it shortens. Don’t take my word for it. Watch and watch. Experiment. Inquire. Mess around. This insight is worth anything it takes to understand it. When the head is leading and the spine following, all movement is organized and supported dynamically, and it is that organization and support that gives movement its breathtaking beauty and integrity.

Conable, Barbara. How To Learn The Alexander Technique. Portland, OR, Andover Press, 1995.