When I trained as an Alexander Technique Teacher I was given a “bone prop”.  We used it for a while on the course and then I shoved it in a bag for a few years to surface about a month and a half ago. I now know, to be correct, it is called a Morrison Bone Prop and it was developed by Annie Morrison LCST ADVS for “vocal resonance and clarity of diction”. To quote her website:

https://www.themorrisonboneprop.com/

Lightly held between the teeth whilst performing articulation drills and vocal exercises – the Prop increases the oral space without the need to bite down to hold it in place.

This month’s project has been to wear and use my bone prop every day.

The prop is a short piece of plastic, with dents at each end that allows it to sit on the teeth easily, attached to a ribbon worn round the neck.  I have been using it (placing it comfortably between my front teeth without biting) several times a day.

My main wish was for it to calm my habit of fiddling with a painful area in my mouth with my tongue. It definitely did that instantaneously and it allowed my jaw to become much more relaxed. I particularly noticed how much influence it had, when I went to the dentist for a check up. I was struck by how easy it was to both open my mouth and also hold it open without strain. My dentist was very happy for me to use it.

I have:

• experimented with holding the prop between my teeth with my jaw soft, both with my lips open and closed.
• talking with the prop in situ.
• used it during all sorts of activities from watching TV, driving to walking on the treadmill at the gym.
• I have also done the five bone prop exercises that can be found on Vimeo:https://vimeo.com/themorrisonboneprop

During the month I have also done some jaw mapping:

• looking at anatomical pictures of the jaw
• feeling where my own jaw is
• feeling the movement at my temperomandibular joint (TMJ)
• feeling the jaw in movement
• placing my hands on the main muscles involved in jaw movement and sensing what happens there

I appreciate that seems like a whole lot of doing when these projects were meant to be about non-doing. However, there’s  a bonus of all this doing, and that is, my mouth and jaw have enjoyed blissful release and lots of non-doing which is becoming more and more accessible without the prop.

I have been using the Alexander Technique all the while in this process. I have used the classic Alexander Technique directions (thoughts about how I want to be)  such as inviting my neck to remain free. I have also used other directions to assist with the release of the jaw, tongue, oral cavity, face and shoulder girdle.

It’s been a bonus for my AT clients who have jaw issues as I shared my experiences with them. We combined it with their AT lessons have found the process helped them too.

A bone prop isn’t necessary to use AT to help release the jaw, however it is a helpful adjunct. Even without it, the process of having the teeth separated with a soft jaw, free neck, and tongue behind the bottom teeth will go a long way.

A washed finger placed between the upper and lower teeth, and a wish to have a soft jaw and lips and not bite down on the finger does give a sense of the process with the prop in situ.

However, a word of caution! Do not attempt to use anything other than a bone prop between your teeth for all the exercises (other than the finger exercise described above), for hygiene and safety reasons.

Bone props can be purchased from Annie’s website in umpteen colour combinations (no I am not on commission):

https://www.themorrisonboneprop.com/shop

If you would like to try a few of these ideas out with support, come and have a lesson!

Jane Clappison
Alexander Technique Teacher
www.janeclappison.co.uk