Here is a self-experiment from my e-newsletter. Check the comments for notes about my experience with this self-experiment, then add a comment of your own!
Discover for yourself the power of consistent thinking. To keep things simple, for this self-experiment, you are going to limit yourself to a single thought of the form,
"I allow my ____________ to release."
Fill in the blank with a part of your body where you tend to store tension - forehead, jaw, tongue, neck, shoulders, hands, low back, feet are some possibilities. Whatever part you pick, stay with the same part for the course of this experiment.
Think your thought as often as you remember to, both in repose and during activity. For example, before starting an activity (reaching for your cellphone, getting out of a chair, picking up an object, etc.), pause for a moment and send your thought. Then proceed with the activity. See how often you remember to do this. (And please be gentle with yourself when you forget!)
The kind of thought you are working with is like a wish and is not intended to be carried out. (Movement may occur as a result of the wish, but it should happen because muscles are releasing, not contracting.) Remember that any single repetition of your wish is unlikely to bring about substantial, lasting change; the effects are cumulative and will likely accrue more intensely the more you repeat your wish.
Observe what you notice after working with this wish for one hour. . .then one day. . .then one week or longer. If you appreciate the results, you may want to keep this wish in your permanent repertoire!
My results
I am using the wish, "I release my jaw."
My first attempts to send this wish actually result in my subtlely pressing my jaw forward--thus contracting muscles instead of releasing them. I gradually am learning to let the wish be just a thought (electrons traveling through my neurons) and not an action (muscles working).
It is amazing to me how often I find my jaw clenched...it seems as though I need to send the wish every few seconds at this point! I am gaining a great deal of awareness about my jaw habits in my activities--many of which don't even involve the jaw. My jaw seems to think it drives every movement I make....
I tried sending the wish before getting out of bed this morning and noticed that it was much easier to move from lying down to sitting up.
My wish started in discrete words, but readily degenerates into a vague thought that seems to be located in the vicinity of my jaw. If I had to transcribe this thought into sound, it would go something like, "blahblahblahJAWblahblahblahblah." I achieve more clarity with the version that uses actual English words.
Fifth day update: I have much more awareness of how I use my jaw during the day, and have been catching myself many times JUST BEFORE I would have clenched it instead of afterwards. Today at the pool, a more relaxed jaw helped me to coordinate my breathing better in the crawl stroke.
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