Sticky for Equalization Tips?

[bolts]

Just a thought...in a lot of equalization threads, there's a recurring theme of tips and tricks that some people use to perform equalization (trust me...I've seen lots of equalization threads). Does anyone think it might be worthwhile to make a sticky in this section of the forum to add users suggestions for aiding in equalization?

[gwpcasey]

I think that's a great idea. For the sticky, I went through old threads on no-hands equalization and found the message below, which is potentially very helpful, although I must confess that I haven't been doing the exercises at all. I also forgot the name of the people who posted the original French article and the translation. But here it is, I think it should definitely go in a No-Hand sticky, if possible.
Gordon.

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Here is how to do the BTV

Loosen any tight things around your neck and keep your head up, hold your hyoid bone (that’s the bone that holds up the Adams apple) in one hand, don’t squeeze to hard, look in a mirror to see the Adams apple. Do these exercises in the morning, on an empty stomach, take a 5 sec. rest between exercises this exercise is 1 month in length divided into 4 one-week periods

Week One: Perform these exercises during the first week, every morning, doing three repetitions of each exercise, slowly; and with a 5 second rest period between exercises.

A. Tongue exercises

1. With your mouth wide open, try to touch your nose with your tongue then bring your tongue back into your mouth as far back as you can, while pressing down and back with the tip. While doing this control the lowering of the Adams apple (which will go from its highest point to its lowest).

2. With your mouth wide open place the tip of your tongue behind your two front (top) teeth, and slowly draw it back on the roof of your mouth, trying to touch uvula (the thing that hangs in the back of your throat).

3. With your mouth wide open place the tip of your tongue on your two front (bottom) teeth, try to stick as much of your tongue out of your mouth as possible while keeping the tip on your 2 front (bottom) teeth.

B. Exercises for the rear of the roof of the mouth (“voile du palais”)

With your mouth wide open, and your tongue resting, practice swallowing to the point that the rear part of the roof of your mouth contracts while trying to control the lowering movement of your Adams apple. This exercise, the most important of all, is successfully complete when you start getting an upset stomach

C. Exercises combining the tongue and Voile du Palais

With the mouth wide open, press the tip of the tongue on the 2 front (bottom) teeth, and the back of the tongue pressing down and back in the back of the mouth, perform the partial swallow (up to the point of the contracting at the rear of the roof of your mouth). The Adams apple should move even further down than before, with the partial swallowing maneuver pushing it lower.

Week Two:

D. Exercices mandibulo - linguo - véliques

With your mouth half closed, stick your lower jaw out as much as possible, place the tip of your tongue behind your 2 front (bottom) teeth, try to stick your tongue out as much as possible, and perform the partial swallowing trick

E. Exercise with the mouth closed

With your mouth closed, perform exercises B, C and D with the emphasis placed on exercise B.

Week 3
Practice all of the exercises, but at a faster rhythm, with the emphasis on B, with the mouth closed.

Week 4
Practice all of the exercises with the mouth closed but increase the number and intensity as follows:
5x exercises C, D, E
10x exercise B

Perform a valsalva maneuver twice a week, then do exercise B and keep track of the number of contractions necessary before you clear your ears.

[DeepThought]

How bout an FAQ forum on which all the FAQ threads are sticky?
Only moderators could post new threads or move threads and make them sticky.

[bolts]

That's not a bad idea either!

The only reason I thought of it was recently (or not so recently, depending who you ask) a lot of people have been posting questions only to get responses along the lines of "this has been answered already"...but the answer is buried deep within the forum somewhere. At least if the FAQs or whatever are sticky, they can be easily found. Anyhoo, it's up to the mods!

[DeepThought]

Yup.
I think that the most common first post is either a "hello" or a "how to equalisze/+hands free?". After that comes tables, glossary equipment (fin/suit), packing, nutrition and other technique spesific questions, with "bubble rings" somewhere there as well . All of those have been discussed enough.
And even if safety is not on the top FAQ's, it should apear there as well.

O, better put the Oceanmen thread on the FAQ's as well.

[jome]

Maybe we should reincarnate the FAQ project. We tried that back in 2004 it think. It just sort of died since not many people were contributing and I felt unable to answer most of the questions by my self...Let's see if I can still find the link...

Ah yes here we are

[DeepThought]

I think that there's also a profit having the proper threads available as well since they contain much more information than in the condenst form. Ofcourse it's harder to exctract it.

I'll see if I can add some answers to this FAQ, the problem is that it takes me too long to phrase usually. But in theory if every knowledgeable forum member would contribute 1-2 answers it should be done in no time.

[bolts]

Originally Posted by DeepThought

I think that there's also a profit having the proper threads available as well since they contain much more information than in the condenst form. Ofcourse it's harder to exctract it.

I agree about the threads being available...perhaps a link to the thread would help in the FAQ, along with the title or content of the thread as a header. It would be used to supplement the FAQ, but shouldn't be the only thing there.