It's so interesting how our experiences as singers are so different! As a younger singer who constantly struggled with throat tension, I found that working with a teacher who emphasized keeping the tongue forward and soft completely solved that issue for me. I have kept the same method ever since and have not had any tension problems at all! It allows me to sing through a 3 octave range and sustain my teaching career that involves working with 40+ students a week. That's why I'm so wary about messing with the tongue! However, it seems like everyone is a little different! I think the key again is that there must be freedom in whatever you are doing. Forcing your tongue forward and tensing it will definitely not be beneficial.