Anatomy of Frenzel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gw-jRq7AIcA

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Welcome to this introduction to the anatomy of Frenzel.

If you have made it this far, you already know something important: you can physically equalize. You simply need to learn the skill.

That may sound easier said than done. Until now, it is likely that no one has clearly explained this to you.

But trust me with clear communication and deliberate practice, you will learn it.

Frenzel equalization uses a specific combination of structures:

• The expiratory muscles

• The glottis

• The tongue

• The soft palate

• The hard palate

  
  

Let’s break them down.

The Expiratory Muscles

Remember the exercise where you pretended to blow out a candle.

Repeat it now, but pay attention to your body.

As the lungs empty, the abdominal muscles contract more strongly. The abdominals are easy to feel. The internal intercostal muscles between the ribs are harder to notice, but they assist in pushing air out.

These muscles work together to exhale.

During Frenzel, however, the expiratory muscles should be relaxed and passive. They are not involved in creating pressure.

The Soft Palate

The soft palate separates the nasal cavity from the air spaces below it.

The nasal cavity is the airspace behind the nose.

The soft palate is closed when you breathe through your mouth and when you make most speech sounds.

It is open when you breathe through your nose and when you make the “N” or “M” sound.

To feel it, run the tip of your tongue along the roof of your mouth, starting just behind your teeth and moving backward.

At first, the roof of the mouth feels hard. Then, further back, it becomes soft and flexible.

That soft, flexible area is the soft palate.

The Hard Palate

If you repeat that same awareness exercise, the firm section from behind your teeth to where the softness begins is the hard palate.

It provides the surface against which the tongue seals during Frenzel.

The Tongue

When breathing normally through the mouth, the tongue usually rests sealed against the hard palate.

It is useful to think of the tongue in two parts:

• The tip — the part you can stick out of your mouth

• The back — the portion deeper inside the mouth sealing in the throat

These two parts can move independently.

Notice what happens when you swallow water.

The tip of the tongue seals the water inside the mouth. Then the rest of the tongue moves in a wave from front to back, pushing the water down.

This wave-like motion is important to understand when learning Frenzel.

The Glottis

The glottis seals the lungs from the air spaces above.

It closes when you lift something heavy. It closes and opens when you cough. It opens and closes when you hiccup.

During Frenzel, the glottis must remain closed.

Putting It Together

To perform Frenzel:

• The glottis is closed.

• The expiratory muscles are relaxed.

• The soft palate is open.

• The tip of the tongue is sealed against the hard palate.

• The back of the tongue lifts upward, compressing the air trapped above the glottis. This compression creates pressure in the nasal cavity and that pressure equalizes the ears.

  
  
  
  

Try it.

If it works, I am genuinely happy for you and honored to help you progress.

If it does not work yet — or if you notice your abdominal muscles contracting when you attempt to equalize — do not worry.

That is normal.

There is one final piece of the puzzle. It is not instinctive, and most people require coaching to understand it.

If you would like help mastering this final element and unlocking your freediving potential, follow the directions below to schedule a consultation.

The consultation is free if you choose to join me for a week of coaching, you can arrive having already mastered dry equalization. From there, we will integrate the skill slowly and progressively into the water — with control, clarity, and confidence

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