COMPANION NOTES: hyoid support for body and voice
Information on the embryological development of the hyoid bone, two guided practices, thoughts on finding our voice, Gaia, Mary Oliver, and a few journaling prompts.
As an add on to the anatomy information in the Field Notes edition, do have a look at this detailed video from Sam Webster (one of my ‘finds’ from Covid-days), who I believe is a professor at Swansea University Medical School in Wales. His presentation style is light yet deeply informative and he has an army of anatomical models in his lab to illustrate his themes. The tutorial is about 15 minutes long.
EMBRYOLOGY
Unravelling the embryological origins of structures and systems can shed light on their identity and relationships in ways we might not have noticed through our usual anatomical enquiry. So, without further ado, I want to introduce you to the early development of the hyoid bone which forms from the second and third of the five embryological structures called the pharyngeal arches. These are tissue bands that are situated under the very, very early brain. Each will go on to form various structures of the neck and head, including bones, blood vessels, the thymus and parathyroids, and a number of cranial nerves.