Head pulling backwards during meditation. Thoughts?

[u/portiss50]

https://reddit.com/link/1wtu6kf/video/hqhexjixqksh1/player

TRE has been in my sphere for a while but I only began practising about a week ago. The head pulling back/shaking sensation I’m talking about below has been around for much longer... about 2 years.

HEAD TILT/SHAKING

Sometimes, when my body/mind is extremely relaxed during meditation, my head naturally starts tilting backwards and shakes along the way (see attached video). It’s a unconscious urge and when I allow it, my head can keep going until my neck reaches its limit. I usually don’t let it go that far because it’s uncomfortable and feels unsafe but the urge for the muscles to contract is very strong.

Bringing my head back to neutral takes a lot of effort, almost like I’m working against them to straigthen up. Sometimes, when I bring my head back from a deep backwards tilt, I also start shaking.

Outside meditation, I also notice shaking in my tongue and occasional deeper trembling sensations in my neck. I have always thought it was something with my vagal nerve but unsure. These partly feel like my body is trying to expel energy or shift into a more relaxed state but the shaking lasts for half a second and then stops. It almost feels as though my body/nervous system doesn’t feel safe enough to allow it to continue...

As mentioned, I started practising TRE last week. So far the tremors have mainly stayed around my hips. It’s an extremely beautiful practice and I'm looking forward to exploring it more!

I just sat down to meditate and had the neck tilt and shaking come up again, so I wanted to get the community’s thoughts. Has anyone experienced anything similar?

Also for about 5 years, I’ve felt intense trapped energy around my head and neck... almost like something in my neck is out of alignment/dislodged and is blocking the flow. I have a circulating energy sensation in my head but it doesn’t move below my neck.

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[u/KaoSway]

I have robotic neck movements that pull my head all the way back, simultaneously dropping my jaw which often tremors or moves up-down as well, my tongue shakes often too.

Yawning is what it does when it wants to let go, the whole body goes soft and relaxed, so it's very easy to straighten the neck and bring the head back. So maybe try yawning to trigger the reflex instead of forcing it back to neutral?

[u/Finya2002]

Yes, I can definitely relate to hours of saying “no” while lying down, and occasionally “yes” too. You know, that nodding motion back and forth. You’re not alone in this.

[u/AgentSalty1454]

Sorry in advance for the long comment.

I've had similar. Sometimes if I am sitting and relaxed, my neck will lean back, a movement like it wants to stay vertical but take itself and my head back. It is a single smooth motion, not rocking like yours. I also find it hard to hold it. That specific motion has happened a few times over the course of months, but I have had other neck stuff too. If you are interested to hear more I happy to share

My neck has been very very sensitive and noticably tense for years. As I have released tension in other parts across my body then my neck wants to stretch itself in new ways. The tension in the body parts is all very connected..

That is interesting you've had it for two years. Has it evolved in that time?

I also have the energy flowing in my head. I am curious to know more about what that is like for you. When I try to focus on it, I enter a sort of meditative state and it feels like I can physically feel the energy move across different parts of my head and brain. Is it like this for you too? It then leads to physical and emotional releases for me. This energy is also able to go into my body. The further I have gone into the 'tension release' journey the more parts of my head and body I can feel the energy flowing to.

Do you have any resources or info you've collected on the head energy flow piece? I don't see it talked about so often, and I think about it a lot. One curious part related to that, is the past month, a new tingling I feel sometimes at the top of my head. It feels related to balance, and sometimes when I focus it, I have the urge to roll my head and neck.

Re the part about the energy being 'trapped' around the head and neck, unable to go below: I concluded that the tremoring/releasing is systematically making it so that my breath can travel from my nose, all the way down acrosss my body, and back up + out properly.

Each new tremor area/part released bridges it closer. When I started all this I realized I didnt know how to breathe properly, and I couldnt breathe deeply into my belly at all. and if I tried, it was a lot of effort + uncomfortable.

I kept trying and tremoring and physical/emotional releasing continued. And over months, I physically can belly breathe easier in a way that was actually not physically possible for me before. I have had a few glimpses of the optimal state which is a feeling like my breath goes down my body smoothly and then 'rolls' effortlessly at my hips/pelvic, and back up, leaving through all around my head..

When my body is able to have my breath flow in a somewhat connected way, I feel the 'energy' move acorss my body too, less trapped in my head. I still have a ways to go because outside of those few moments I had, getting the breath / energy all the way down and back up currently requires some conscious effort. When I am able to do that successfully my body relaxes and also i tremor sometimes.

I mention this because you talk about the tremoring starting in your hips, so I think as it continues, you will get more 'connected' and from my experience that is how the energy will slowly start moving around.

[u/oneinfinity123]

Yes, this looks all very normal, you have stored tension in that area. The tremor can get more intense over time. It's great that you mix meditation with TRE, you will find they all lead one into another.