Jaw Tension: Seven Tips for Breaking the HabitbyLeland Vall, M.AmSATCertified Alexander Technique Instructor New York, NY

Ah, the scourge of jaw tension! Is there anything worse? It leads to teeth grinding,makes arduous the simple act of talking, not to mention singing, and I’m sure you canfind someone who will tell you that it will leave you in a wheelchair. But I want you toknow that your jaw is subject to your will, and you are not fated to suffer this simplehabit of tension forever. You have the power to break your habit of excess jaw tensionright now. The following Seven tips for releasing jaw tension are based on theAlexander Technique. I hope you give them a try and see if one or more can work for you.

Avoid focusing on your jaw or thinking of it as a problem.

The feeling of tension can be an unreliable sign of how much tension you actually have.People are also suggestible and thinking about jaw tension, doing tension reductionexercises, even just reading this article, can cause you to feel more tension. Just as anexperiment, see what happens if you imagine yourself as a person without jaw tension.

Think of your whole body instead of focusing on your jaw.

Instead of seeing your jaw as a distinct part of your body, think of your body as onewhole interrelated system. Let the burden of your jaw tension be supported by your whole being and not just focused on your jaw.

Don’t be intimidated by your jaw.

Your jaw is not a more special part of your body and tension there is not moreproblematic. Tension in your jaw can be released just as you would release tension inany part of your body and, if you were to relax your whole body, your jaw wouldprobably be included.

Think about your tongue instead of your jaw.

Let your tongue lie softly on the floor of your mouth, especially the back of your tongue,near your throat. Without doing anything, think of the opening to your throat asspacious.

Allow your hand to relax while imagining it is your jaw.

Instead of thinking directly of your jaw, allow your hand to relax as you imagine that your hand is your jaw. You might find that your jaw relaxes at the same time. This shouldalso give you insight into how to let your jaw relax in the same direct way that you relaxyour hand. You control your jaw the same way. Think of your jaw as a third hand or think of your hands as if they were two other mouths.