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Relax Your JAW | Somatics for the Jaw | Somatics for TMJ | Jaw Somatics | Somatic Jaw Release
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- Опубліковано 2 сер 2024
- This is a beginning sequence to help your brain learn to relax the muscles of the jaw.
There is much further we can go in exploring how jaw holdings interlock with postural tension.
There are many other vectors of motion that can be explored.
Remember, do not go into any strain, discomfort or pain while doing these movements. These are the practice videos for my clients.
UA-cam Chapters
0:00 Intro, Jaw tension reflects hidden full body tension
2:47 Basic open and close
6:34 Basic side to side
7:49 Don't be discouraged if it's hard to control
7:55 Upside-down umbrella, most basic diagonals
9:00 The square
9:40 Big picture asymmetry in relation to asymmetry of jaw tension
9:50 The X, basic diagonals
10:30 Observations after the sequence
Eric Cooper Somatics
InspireSomatics.com
Try my free basics course on youtube: • Free Intro to Somatics...
Address your specific tension situation with private sessions, in-person and on Zoom.
Look deeper to change the course of the ship.
Learn to relax the most stuck parts of your body,
the tension patterns that make your pain,
and also
relax the patterns that make your mind busy, anxious or depressed.
Use these gentle somatic movements to teach your brain out of the tension holding patterns that it has you trapped in.
Undo your specific patterns of tension, postural difficulties, stiffness, and pain.
If you're stuck in a problem that relates to tension, I may be able to help you. The best way to do that is to email me at eric@inspiresomatics.com
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Jaw tension pandiculation
Relax Your Jaw | Somatics for the Jaw | Somatics for TMJ | Jaw Somatics | Somatic Jaw Release
Could you tell please what i can do if I not only keep my jaws clunched, but the throat closed too..I can swallow , but the throat is always shut. I even did not know it should be open and relaxed. I have bad insomnia and always tired, i cant even work any more.it is hell. But maybe i have apnoe it seems, even if I am not a mouth breather. I start snoring on my back and immediately wake up.
The beauty of Somatics is that you can take a more zoomed out view. What are the biggest patterns that are running at a high-idle?
I encourage you to look into the Green Pattern. Try this: Sitting or standing, then even more upright, like standing at attention. Notice how the jaw and throat become contracted. The local expressions of throat and jaw are likely the boiling over of the bigger patterns.
I have UA-cam videos that help you get a start with the Green Pattern. ua-cam.com/video/1DborO-mHcU/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/Bs2hGQHvZWs/v-deo.html . Look for the places that are hard to sense in tension, the places that rush into the contraction, the places that you can not turn down with control.
Snoring- almost always a strong Green Pattern Expression.
Currently, I rarely teach the Back Lift, the classic Green Pattern movement of Somatics. It is too easy to over-effort and it doesn't allow enough potential for complexity of inward looking.
I have developed much better movements (that I have not shown on youtube) that focus more on the epicenter of the Green Pattern. If you are interested, we could do a private zoom session. I can show you some of that. Each person is unique. Your patterns are your own tangle. This is just a general answer. This answer may not entirely be correct for you.
I encourage you to continue to explore. What places don't know how to open?
Can you contract the throat and learn to let it relax with control. That will be challenging. It might help you deepen your understanding of what is happening. What else tightens when you tighten your throat?
I have the same or similar! Tongue tension and always tired!
I don't know your exact situation, so this is a general answer.
It takes zooming out to see the big picture tension patterns that you nervous system.
If you hunch yourself, sinking the chest, the tongue tends to disengage from pushing up and forward.
If you stand upright and over tighten the back, like standing at attention, the nervous system is eager to push tongue up and forward.
I suggest the experiment of relaxing your back.
Start at the top of this playlist:
Relax your BACK Playlist, in order from Gentle to Most Powerful Pandiculaitons ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayg05XG5CH42QxHkgLtp8t8c.html&si=u8c4UGZqG0U3Qeah
@@ericcoopersomatics thank you! I don’t hunch but I think I over tighten my back (I have lordosis and lower back pain too). I will try your suggestion. Thank you!!
To have a gentle start to relaxing your back, try one of these: (the side lying version is a better on some ways.)
*Oh, The Places Your Back Pocket Can Go:* A very gentle movement to relax a tight, sore back.
Prone (tummy on floor) position 24m39s ua-cam.com/video/SeblFHleWlY/v-deo.html
* Side Lying Version: Oh, The Places Your Back Pocket Can Go:* A very gentle movement to relax a tight, sore back. (Can also be done seated) 26m:12s ua-cam.com/video/RhNxOEUJKuM/v-deo.html
This is awesome. I felt immediate relief and more mobility. It feels good too. I think this would be great for singers like me. Thank you Eric. Hopefully, one day I can take some personal lessons with you. God bless you.
Awesome !
I'm glad you tried this one. Remember, the jaw is along for the ride in the bigger tension patterns of stress, asymmetry, aspects of twisting, and other possibilities of tension holding.
I encourage you to seek the root holdings that may be very hidden from everyday awareness. The first for our 5 movements of this playlist can help you build an effective personal practice:
*Start here. Begin your Somatics Experience Here playlist* : ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html
Please let me know if you have questions along the way.
Thanks Eric. I found this one to be very helpful. The back of my jaw gets really tight. There was a lot of yawning while doing this series of movements.
Great video Eric!!
Greetings Michelle,
Good to hear from you. This is from years ago. This is only the beginning.
There is more to it that this. As I say in the video, the root of the jaw issue are the more full body tensions. Those patterns go way beyond Hanna's basic 3 patterns. The system is wonderfully creative. Hanna only got it started.
There are at least 9 strategic tension patterns, in my observations. All of them actually boil down to one strategy that we get stuck in.
I am most grateful for your beautiful gift of taping into the Soul and uplifting my Spiritual experience. 💓
You can free yourself. We have to realize that the holding has persisted outside our awareness. It is hidden. Look carefully in your exploration. There are many more vectors of the jaw that can be explored. Remember, the jaw holding is an expression of full-body holding patterns. Only addressing the jaw is not enough. Think bigger patterns. Please message me if you need further guidance.
Wowza. This is So What my jaw needs. Thankyou so much, mr Eric Cooper,
This is a good beginning sequence. Be sure to revisit it with careful attention, finding the places that need more reminder of movement and control.
Remember, the jaw is attached to the rest of you. In some ways it may be getting tangled up trying to save the day in relation to all the other tension. Zoom out, look at the bigger patterns. If the jaw issue is asymmetrical, surely there are issues of asymmetrical tensions in the torso (which are expressions of asymmetry in the access of easy breathing space.)
Become your best teacher. Learn how to give your nervous system a win-able lesson. Give it lots of easy successes. Thank you for your comment. Please let me know if you have any aha moments and if you have questions along the way.
Practice often. You can do it. You can get unstuck. Teach your system our of the loop.
-Eric
Thank you so much🙏
♥️from Australia🌏
Thank you so very much for letting me know
Remember, the jaw is tangled up in the big picture tension patterns.
Revisit some of this one again, and you can see that your brain will likely have remembered some of what you taught it.
You were able to make a change. That's beautiful.
🙏You r so kidnd, replying to all & making us understand.😊
❤from OZ.🌏🍒
very relaxing for my shoulders also ,tnx
Greetings Marcus,
It's interconnected. The structures link to each other. More importantly, the big full-body tension patterns we get trapped in each have expressions into the jaw, be it front clenching, back clenching, or an asymmetry.
As you explore this method you will find that certain places are like the keystone of the arch. Relaxing small areas can make way for greater release of involuntary holding. The value of looking at full body patterns is that you can seek out and look into the entire line. Where are the places your forgot to be able to move? Where have you lost control? That is the path. Seeking, searching, rediscovering and reconnection to what you lost. Blessings on your journey. Please let me know if you have more questions.
@@ericcoopersomatics Thanks for your insight , I discovered Somatic exercises a couple of months ago It's been very helpfull. I'm much more relaxed, feeling so much lighter and my body is moving with more ease. I'm 65 now and and had problems with my knees while hiking downhill. So I used a pole. I don't need it anymore :) And I also had a slight scolioses which is also gone now. Only by doing the cat stretch and some specific exercises every day. I used to fall asleep after about half an hour or so. Now in 10 minutes.
So wow i realy love doing somatic exercises !!
This was totally awesome. Thank you so much. I've been doing Thomas Hanna's Somatics exercises for years and I love them. I noticed that I've been tensing my jaw lately and thought "there have to be somatic exercises for the jaw." So I searched UA-cam and found this video. I can tell from your instruction that you are knowledgable about somatic retraining. My jaw already feels better after one session. Can't wait to enjoy the benefits of retraining the jaw muscle from repeated sessions!
I am so glad you created some improvement with this basic beginning approach to the Jaw.
It is super-important to realize the jaw issues are the boiling over of the full body tension patterns that run in the background.
To go further:
If the jaw tensions are symmetrical, explore at least the first 4 or 5 movements on this playlist:
*Get Out of Stress! Somatics for the tensions of stress playlist:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayi01UZkxj4X5X2epj74vDxf.html
If the jaw issue has asymmetrical expressions also explore this list.
*If Your Sides Are Different,* playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayj1sC-HRPGz7rv_koiiaWVk.html
Start at the top of the lists.
And, practice relaxing the torso often. Especially before bed.
Find a sequence that works well for you:
*Practice Sequences, Combinations of Movements playlist* : ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayi5g-EIHvIoxssLuuYpKptY.html
Thanks! I'll definitely check them out. Very kind of you to take the time to refer me to these videos. @@ericcoopersomatics
This is awesome. I’ve just gotten back into pandiculation and discovered your channel, it’s helped me so much so far.
It takes a practice to change the course of the ship. I encourage you to fit more exploration into your day.
I encourage you to explore at least the first four movements of this playlist:
Start here. Begin your Somatics Experience Here playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html
Here's a good seated sequence that you can fit into the day:
*Basic Seated Sequence 2022,* Whoa, Nellie!, Get Away from the Thumbs, I Dream of Jeannie, The Kayaker . To help your system remember how to come out the hidden tensions of stress, asymmetry, and repetitive motion.
Works great standing, too. 13m:17s
ua-cam.com/video/Mt3FYGieOoE/v-deo.html
Here is a playlist of all of my multi-movement sequences
*Practice Sequences, Combinations of Movements Playlist* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayi5g-EIHvIoxssLuuYpKptY.html
Please let me know if you have questions or aha moments along the way.
-E
I do have a question. Should I be sore the next day? Or should I do the movements with less contraction so I am not experiencing muscle soreness the following day.
Also, I have ptsd and my back has been painfully tight and is now loosening and I can breathe better. Is it expected to feel some sadness, tiredness, even a bit depressed after being in fight/flight so long? Thanks so much for your generous answers.
Personally, I find that some next day soreness is a favorable indicator. It means you moved some stuff that hasn't moved in a long time. Of course, we don't want too much next day soreness. My observation is that, in response to the soreness, the system will want to return to the old holding pattern. It is important to revisit the movement to show the system it is save to move those places. Very gently.
I am glad you are exploring some of the basic torso movements.
That's how to save yourself from stress. Stress tensions are mostly front and back. You can save yourself. It may take practicing a lot, but you can do it. You just have to do it. I know because I had to do it, too. You can do it. It takes practicing often. Practice as much as you need to. Front and Back for stress. (And later, get good at clearing your sides. De-esclated tensions of the sides can bring a deeper level of calm to your system *Playlist for the sides:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayj1sC-HRPGz7rv_koiiaWVk.html )
That is where (I believe) the roots of the problem will hide.
Make sure you look at both the verticals of the back with *Whoa, Nellie * ua-cam.com/video/aNtsjZK0kqE/v-deo.html , and more importantly, the diagonals of the back with *Yawn Your Wings* (two versions) ua-cam.com/video/Bs2hGQHvZWs/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/RadxAYe6Nq8/v-deo.html
and *The Wishbone* (two versions) ua-cam.com/video/D8AJ3J9qWc8/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/IouK0vIPxwg/v-deo.html
Then, it is even more important to address hidden tensions that oppose the back. Just like the back, think verticals of the front and diagonals of the front.
Front verticals: *Elbows to the Sky* ua-cam.com/video/APM0uSU-Qw0/v-deo.html
Front diagonals: *Sunrise, Sunset plus the X of the Front* ua-cam.com/video/pCa2oPXpT1A/v-deo.html
@@ericcoopersomatics thank you for your reply. I’m really appreciative of your channel and I’ll be working through the videos you’ve provided!
Ty for this video. is it normal to be sore afterwards?
A little bit of soreness is a common occurrence when very tight muscles begin to be moving again. What we want is a gentle soreness, not intense soreness. If the soreness seems excessive, it is usually a sign of using too much effort in the movement. The most common mistake with this approach is that people fall into is using too much effort. Less, less, less effort. But enough for you to have a clear seeing of the movement, so you can teach your system.
Revisit the movement and the lines that are sore. Keep them moving. Here is part of what I hand to clients about next day soreness:
Next day soreness, as a result of pandiculation, can be a very favorable indicator.
*It reveals: *
1) You have moved someting that was very stuck and held in stiffness.
2) You can now sense how sore the muscles really are.
3) You are in new territory, at the beginning of creating a more durable freedom.
*What to do:*
1) Keep it moving, not forcing it, but move it in gentle pandiculation.
2) Try the movements much smaller, even as micro-movement, it is very effective.
3) Move it often. You made a breakthrough in changing stiffness, don’t be tootolerant of the tension auto-pilot‘s attempt to return to the previous habit.
4) A lazy series of soft, gentle pandiculations, going into the haze of the soreness can be very helpful in making a lasting change.
5) Good hydration may minimize the duration because it helps the system to wash away the waste metabolites that have saturated the area.
What do you mean by yawning? I did this and one of your standing ones. I've been actually yawning since so must have released tension. Thanks Eric.
A yawn of the jaw and throat is a natural tension reset. We also do big full-body postural yawnings, like a cat does about 40 times a day. We did postural yawning of throat, jaw, diaphragm, torso, leg, and arms, when we were children. Humans can over-ride that urge. We're stubborn enough to put it off. That is denying the system the reset it is seeking.
With postural yawnings, there is pleasurable pulse of sensation/feedback to the brain. That help the tension reset be more effective. My movements are intentional yawning, done in a way that more effectively teaches the reset of tension to the nervous system.
My theory is that:
When you start to pandiculate (postural yawnings) your system is relieved that you are finally giving it permission to yawn. It wants to do what it's doing.
My suggestion is to:
Yawn big. Explore it.
How do you use pandiculation to pleasurably connect to the spaces of the body?
Freeform it, try 5 minutes of big yawnings in the morning before you get out of bed.
Hi Eric,
i. see you tubes on the connectionof the jaw and the pelvis.
i dont think that is an issue for me but, was wondering if you have knowledge or thoughts on that.
Yes, it is all interconnected, both structurally and in how the nervous system coordinates it. The pelvis is just a group of bones. The jaw is just a bone. It has no will of its own. Focus on what the nervous system is controlling in between jaw and pelvis. There lies the root holdings. And look at what controls jaw and pelvis, too.
Hint: It's the places in the torso that never change in a way that gives a vivid experience of movement to the brain, They're the spaces that are never easy breathing space. Can you find those stuck places and teach your brain that their movement is your new normal?
@@ericcoopersomatics i am somewhat aware of that, but, too many voices, that confuse the body brain connections, maybe.
i keep trying to be aware of breathing/ torso.
thats why i listen and do variation’s and seek.
When you move lower jaw down is this pandiculation movement ie should my jaw tense and relax somewhere?
That's a good question. I encourage you to revisit the sequence. It will be easier each time you try it.
The hands/fingers give gentle opposition to the muscles that hold the jaw closed,
Then, the lesson is about learning to allow the jaw to slowly open as the muscles relax and give into the hand's pushing the jaw open. It's a little hard to describe with words, but that is my try for tonight.
Is the slow closing of the jaw easier to understand? The hand applies the load. As the muscles relax, they offer less opposition, to the hand that is moving the jaw. The open is just the other direction from the close. Either way, let the muscles of the jaw relax in a controlled way to allow the hand to move the jaw.
If you have more questions, please email me and I can try to explain it better.
Try some of my other movements, then bring those skills to the jaw.
The first 4 or 5 movements of this playlist are good to know:
*Start here. Begin your Somatics Experience Here playlist:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html
I clench at night. Does that exercise helps reducing the night clenching as well?
The experiment is yours to explore. Remember, to fully address the jaw issue, it is imperative to address the full body tensions that run in your system. The root of your jaw problem germinates from the full body tensions that distort your breathing space. The jaw is largely an expression of these tensions. Asymmetrical torso tension will show up as asymmetrical clenching. Tension between front and back, stresss tension patterns, will show up as symmetrical clenching. Settle your system down before bed.
This may be a good sequence to do before bed:
*Basic Slow 3 Movement Sequence,*
Slow and Careful Whoa, Nellie! Side Bend both sides, Elbows to the Sky 26m:27s
ua-cam.com/video/nQWs5lKHUNA/v-deo.html
I have specific videos for each movement the sequences contain.
I have other sequences that can let you relax your system even more powerfully:
*Practice Sequences, Combinations of Movements playlist:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayi5g-EIHvIoxssLuuYpKptY.html
Will doing it a few times get my body used to it so my jaw/mouth remain relaxed forever or will i have to do this periodically to keep the relaxation?
That's a good question. The jaw is along for the ride, largely an expression of the more full-body tension patterns that constrict breathing and distort posture. If the big patterns run in the background the jaw will be part of the cascade of tension. So it is imperative to address the torso holding patterns.
Also, Your brain is good at making tension habits. It gets good at what it practices. The jaw tension is a well worn groove. What does it take to change a habit? It is my observation and opinion that it takes having more time in the new habit, more time outside the old habit, to change course. It takes frequent reminders, practicing often, to get the system to accept the option of less tension.
Revisit the jaw vectors you tend to be stuck in . This is a beginning sequence, but it is very helpful.
More importantly, address the big picture patterns that your system is good at running. The tensions of stress response are mostly symmetrical.
If your jaw has symmetrical tension, you may want to pandiculate the tensions of stress.
Get Out of Stress Playlist, Somatics for the tensions of stress playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayi01UZkxj4X5X2epj74vDxf.html
If your jaw issue is asymmetrical, you may want to address asymmetrical body tensions.
If Your Sides Are Different Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayj1sC-HRPGz7rv_koiiaWVk.html
Address the root of the problem. I suggest the jaw is where the problem is boiling over.
@@ericcoopersomatics i understand, thank you for those playlists. for some reason when i do somatics for the jaw, the jaw relaxes and the trauma reflex in the rest of my body is much less pronounced. jaw tension really can cause a cascade of tension in the body
I have developed a lot of pages for my clients that relate to how the activation of the jaw can be an interlock that commits us to full body patterns. Mostly, consider that the full body patterns and the jaw are likely firing together, they have likely become functionally wired together. How do you go about unlinking and un-locking them?
One approach is to learn to control each place separately. Dismantle and De-construct the pattens.
Hi, I had a lot of burps and then hiccups after doing this exercise. Why is that? Also the clicking sound of my jaw has vanished after this exercise. Thank you.
I'm so happy that you were able to make a good change with the basics for the Jaw.
Keep practicing to change the habit. Also, it is imperative that you address the bigger tension patterns that are driving your jaw issue. I you have a one-sided jaw issue, then I encourge you to explore this playlist from the top down.
*If Your Sides Are Different Playlist, 'A scoliosis problem is a tension problem'. Basic Asymmetry Playlist* : ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayj1sC-HRPGz7rv_koiiaWVk.html
I am not sure the exact reason for your burps and hiccups
Hiccups are a spasm of the diaphragm.
I have found that this type of movement can calm it down:
*Relax your Diaphragm* 15m:52s
Release tension in your diaphragm, the primary muscle of respiration.
This makes the exhale phase of your breathing easier, less effort.
ua-cam.com/video/KvYQV3sND0c/v-deo.html
Being more relaxed may be why your system is burping. The jaw is one end of the line that connects to the stomach.
What if you have jaw pain/lock jaw when you open your jaw to yawn at its apex?
Since I don't know your specific situation, this is a general answer to your question.
I encourage you to start to explore this in a way that respects the need for your body and nervous system to be safe. These movements allow you to teach your nervous system out of persistent muscular holdings. We're not trying to stretch. Do not go into any stretch with these movements.
The movements are an opportunity for you to teach your nervous system.
The system will not learn well when there is pain. Let the faint, hazy edge of soreness or discomfort be the limit of the movement. Get to know our easy range without pushing into the limits of pain or the limits of range.
Focus on an easy range, not into any pain. Focus on controlling the movement. Can you practice more and more careful control? Can you smooth out the skips? Can you help your brain know where your jaw is.
Another approach is to come at it from another direction.
Free yourself from the bigger patterns of tension in the torso which cascade into the tension of the jaw.
If you haven't done many of my vidoes, try the basic jaw sequence after you do these:
1) Gentle Torso Twisting Washrag for people with chronic pain, soreness, fibromyalgia 10m:52s
On youtube, please like and subscribe: ua-cam.com/video/xkevHAyqAE4/v-deo.html
2) Perhaps try this sequence:
Basic Slow 3 Movement Sequence,
Slow and Careful Whoa, Nellie! Side Bend both sides, Elbows to the Sky 26m:27s
On UA-cam, please like, subscribe, and leave a comment: ua-cam.com/video/nQWs5lKHUNA/v-deo.html
You can work down this playlist:
Start here. Begin your Somatics Experience Here playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html
i suggest to you that the roots of the jaw holding are in the torso.
Focus on the torso.
@@ericcoopersomatics thank you so much for the help!
Ps. I have helped people with this. If you'd like any private guidance, please let me know.
Hi, I am just scared I will disloacate mmy jaw - is it possible?
That is a good question.
Here is what I suggest. First, go a little further upstream to come out of the tensions that are pushing you into fear.
Elbows to the Sky is a movement is one that everyone should know. Try one of both of these versions to see if you can have fear not be quite so close to the surface:
1) *An un-cluttered teaching of Elbows to the Sky Unravel Hidden Tension of Stress, Worry, and Depression* 9m:18s
ua-cam.com/video/9KbS0qFhvGg/v-deo.html
2) *Elbows to the Sky - Worry Off, Fear Off, Sadness Off* | Practice sequence with explanation, 6m:56s
ua-cam.com/video/APM0uSU-Qw0/v-deo.html
The jaw just dangles under the skull. It is held in place by powerful muscles.
The nature of the joint of the jaw is such that when a person makes a big opening of the jaw when they yawn, it actually does, somewhat and in a natural way like it is supposed to, dislocate. It slides forward out of the usual position.
I do encourage you to try this beginning jaw sequence. Just go about 1/3 as far as is possible. Start with doing it super-gently. Make it a good lesson on controlling tension. It's not about making a big stretch. Its about teaching the brain that it can let the muscles relax.
Each person has a unique pattern of tension that they get a bit stuck in. For you, I suggest go softly, gently, and carefully in this sequence that the part of you that needs-to-feel-safe can feel safe.
As the video explains, the jaw tension relates to the big picture tension patterns of the whole system.
You may want to explore the first 4 or 5 movements from this playlist to better understand this type of slow contraction, slow release method:
*Start here. Begin your Somatics Experience Here playlist:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html
Hi’ I can’t seem to shake this tension. My teeth are wearing down and the headaches are getting bad .its keeping me up all night and making me go crazy during the day. Next stop is Botox and I don’t want to do that . Can you help??
Greetings Kari,
First, I encourage you to not be discouraged by how difficult things are. Sometimes the difficulty is the gift that we get to learn our way out of. So let's shift this to be an opportunity for growth and change
I suggest to you that it's most beneficial to not see this as a jaw "problem". Consider the jaw tension and bruxism issue to be an expression of a more hidden, elusive and somewhat automatic, "problem".
I think you'll have the very best results if you zoom out and address the entire system, going upstream of the jaw dysfunction/expression.
I can't specifically answer your issue here on UA-cam. But I can give you a general answer and approach.
Solve the problem from the center on out. Learn where your breathing space is stuck. The first movement on the Begin Here Playlist is called. 'Can gentle twisting free your breathing?'. It has an easy beginning breathing assessment for you to see that there is some constriction in the torso.
The subtle breathing constrictions can show you a special glimpse of where you are stuck. It relates to how your system is trying to hold you in certain postures. The breathing constrictions and the posture will show you what you need to change. I'm not talking about standing up straight when you feel like you're slumping down. That approach will always fail. Just notice how your brain is trying to pull you in certain directions and make sure you're practicing movements that help you come out of those automatic tensions.
I'm here taking care of my father in Florida in his last couple of days and I'm very busy with that. So in lieu of exact movements to start out with, I suggest you start at the very top of my Begin Somatics Here playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiIX9O0hRsMwyxhaK4LTXXF.html&si=0fGxOPhJEjLBTSpz
Work from the top of the playlist down and learn at least the first five or six movements. I also have some multi-movement sequences that put the beginning movements together.
Practice often. That is the key. Change the deep habit, teach your brain how to let those places relax and remind it over and over and over and over again. Especially practice very thoroughly before bed. Go to sleep outside the tensions.
Begin to see if you can notice a correlation between the tension of the entire body and the expressions in the jaw. As you relax the tensions of the entire body, can you find a deeper relax of the jaw, that makes a more lasting change.
And there are a few other ways that you can approach it. If you're a person who has a lot of next day soreness after gentle movements, I have a gentler playlist to start with:
ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayiKcxrE1_93Qv7KOnio0co6.html&si=ZxZ3NjQ4Bp2goNr6
The next aspect of your jaw situation to consider is its symmetry. If you have a jaw situation that is different from one side than the other, it is very very important to address the asymmetrical tension patterns of the entire body, mostly looking at the torso and your breathing space. Some of the beginning movements that look at symmetry are in the Begin Here Playlist.
This this jaw video was one that I made years ago. When people come to see me in person, I have a much more effective way to help the brain learn to release the jaw. Sometimes the jaw needs a lot of load for those muscles to give enough feedback to the brain, for it to understand that it can relax out of those tensions. And there are a few directions and muscles that control the jaw that are not covered in this basic jaw video.
I am happy to have some correspondence with you by email. It's possible to do a zoom session where I can help you understand that the root is in the torso, and How to change your specific combination of tensions. It is almost invariable that root holdings are in the torso.
And occasionally people travel to be with me in my office for a day, or 2 days, or even 3 days to change these problems that are so tenacious.
There are many reasons to be hopeful.
Consider that the tension patterns are learned. Your nervous system is running the tensions. Botox is treating the wrong end of the problem. It's not a muscle problem. It's a nervous system control problem. It's a habit that the nervous system is running. Free yourself from the center on out. Dive into the Begin Here Playlist. build your skills. Learn to do it without the videos.
And please let me know if you have further questions and also I like hearing when people have aha moments.
-Eric
Would you be willing to zoom with me once? I know it sounds insane, but the tension is making my me go crazy. I can’t sleep or anything.
I do diaphragmatic breathing. I don’t breathe in my chest.
I never knew jaw tension could affect your life so badly…
Hi Kari,
I did reply to your email.
After I got your comment, on the day my father died, and after drinking a cup of coffee at dinner time (I almost never have caffeine as I need to be awake to do some driving), I was right in my own moment of insomnia.
I made this playlist for you:
*Insomnia Playlist, Movements to settle your system down:* ua-cam.com/play/PLFLw4vgr7ayj6n9WfMGPH3jsGj9CucF-G.html&si=wQNgXK_fpCB_u8K
work from the top down.