If you are familiar with embodiment practices and/or you’ve been using Alexander Technique thinking for a good while now, some “directed thoughts” might be useful. Even if this is new to you, have a go, and you may be surprised at how much releasing the jaw can affect the rest of your body and mind…
Things I’ve discovered on my jaw journey: –
- Everyone has a different shaped mouth, making it impossible to say what’s best for your tongue position or jaw alignment.
- The most important action is letting the tongue soften.
- Let the upper and lower sets of teeth rest away from each other i.e. not clamped, but if you can, close the lips (not everyone can and that’s ok).
- As the neck muscles release the jaw position realigns, and vice versa – it’s a bit “chicken and egg” here. (Usually, people are in the “pulling the lower jaw up into the head” category, but of course a few will be pushing it out and down.)
It is worth experimenting with letting the jaw hang to see what goes on for you here.
I would also add that people on the hypermobility spectrum will tend to clamp the jaw up into the head, in an attempt to keep it “hooked on”; with this in mind, I find it’s useful to get a good mindful body map of the lower jawbone being appropriately attached before any letting go.
Where does the tongue naturally rest?
There is A LOT of opinion on where one’s tongue should rest, but actually, the resting part is the important bit. However, I’ve noticed that when my jaw aligns the tip of my tongue rests behind the front of my upper front teeth, but part of my tongue also rests behind the lower front teeth, and the very back of it softly closes off the back of my mouth, so the oral seal is created back there. There’s nothing wrong with the oral seal being made by your lips (and for me , that’s more common).
Jaw things to think: –
- Once you’ve directed the lower jawbone to connect to the upper jawbone, via the hinge of the jaw, then you can ask for some release around these areas. Especially, the front of neck.
- Soften the tongue, ask for widening at the base of the skull, (like a smile across the back of your head) and think that the jaw can hang forward and down. (lips still closed if poss.)
- With your lips closed let the tongue “fall” to where is comfortable and imagine the roof of your mouth is like a vaulted ceiling. (Thinking/directing the back of the skull to widen and the soft palate to rise gives you somewhere to release the tongue from.)
There’s a lot here, and if you are new to this, some of it won’t make that much sense, but I would advise that as a “go to”, you check-in with your tongue and jaw as often as you can. Un-gripping anywhere in this area is a welcome rest for your mind and body, and an excellent way to get back to sleep if you wake in the night.
I’ve had many questions on this subject in the last couple of weeks, and I welcome many more, so feel free to get in touch and let me know how you’re doing.