Why Your Jaw Might Be Holding More Than You Think
I don’t know about you but,
when I’m stressed or holding onto something unprocessed in my body, one of the most obvious places I feel it is in my jaw.
It’s not uncommon for this to happen during my own somatic sessions. I might be explaining a situation that’s aggravating me or bringing up feelings of discomfort, and the practitioner asks where I’m feeling it in my body. I respond (loud and clear) “IN MY JAW!” Immediately, my hands want to soothe and massage my jaw muscles.
The practitioner might then ask me more about my jaw, for example: “What sensations are you noticing there?” I begin to describe how it feels: tight, ropey, tense, achy - whatever qualities are present in that moment.
Here’s the magical thing about somatic work:
often, once we simply begin to name what’s happening in the body, the intensity can start to dissipate.
As a former bodyworker, it’s natural for me to bring my hands to the part of my body where I notice tension. That’s also something I might encourage a client to do during a session. Self-massage is a simple yet powerful way to help “move issues through the tissues.”
Have you ever heard the saying, “The issues are in the tissues?” Our tissues hold memory - both big and small traumas. This is one reason we can talk about something endlessly without feeling much change.
Enter somatic work: a bridge between our thoughts and our physical experience. It helps us make sense of what’s happening in both our minds and our bodies, and teaches us how to listen.
Somatic work isn’t just about listening to pain; it’s also about tuning into joy.
It helps us process old trauma and notice how our bodies feel when we’re speaking about something exciting or pleasurable. This helps us anchor in the good feelings, the ones we might not be used to acknowledging. Feelings we sometimes push away because we don’t feel deserving.
Our bodies can literally get addicted to negative emotions and the chemicals they release. It’s a loop, both mentally and physiologically. But spending more time in positive, embodied experiences can actually help release serotonin and oxytocin.
Yes please, to more of that.
The brain and body are not separate. In somatic work, we don’t just try to live in our hearts and bodies rather than always in our heads - we learn to align the systems.
Noticing where you personally tend to hold stress in your body is a beautiful and accessible place to start your own somatic practice. Your body will thank you. Awareness is the first step.
If you’re like me (and many others) you might hold a lot of tension in your jaw.
Try this: take a deep breath into your jaw. It might sound odd at first, and maybe it’s just a visualization, but imagine your breath traveling to your jaw muscles and joint.
This is one of the strongest joints in the body, and we ask a lot of it - chewing, talking, and engaging all day long. Even on a good day, without added stress, it’s working hard and likely holding tension.
Try placing your hands on your jaw. See if that feels supportive. You might notice that a deep breath or sigh comes naturally. It doesn’t take much - just baby steps. These small, nurturing practices bring awareness and relief.
Each time you tune into your body and notice what’s there, your system begins to slow down. It begins to settle. It begins to exhale. It begins to trust you - to trust that you’ll acknowledge it and listen.
The body and mind start to align and work together, gently bringing you back to balance. Bit by bit, you begin to feel more peace and ease.
It doesn’t take a lot. It doesn’t take great effort.
It just takes a willingness to start somewhere.
Ready to give your jaw the care and attention it deserves? I've created a gentle 5-minute guided practice just for you.
In my YouTube video "5-Minute Jaw Tension Relief | Guided Self-Massage & Somatic Practice," I'll walk you through simple breathing techniques and self-massage methods to help release that tension you've been carrying. It's the perfect way to start tuning into your body and giving your hardworking jaw some much-needed relief.
Your body will thank you for these few minutes of presence and care.
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