Has your jaw been bothering you lately? What is gnawing at you this spring? Did you chew a piece of gum too long? Have you been clenching your teeth at night while you are sleeping? Take an inventory of your thoughts around speaking (energy out of the body) and food (energy into the body). Gaining clarity around aspects of our interactions with the world will assist in clearing the holding pattern in our jaw.
The jaw offers a look at the control we have over what we say and how we speak. When we hold back our words or let fly emotions, the jaw can manifest pain or tension, which can lead to headache and neck ache if let go too long. How are you speaking to those around you? Are you biting back your words or clenching the jaw as you speak? Gently look at the answers your jaw has for you in this moment. Speaking your Truth may be scary or unsafe. Finding a voice to speak without holding back, is one aspect of letting go of the tightness in the jaw. When you uncover the feelings, the ideas you are holding back and begin to share these words, the tension will begin to drain from your jaw.
The jaw is a link to our intake of food, energy to sustain our physical bodies. What are you eating that totally, completely nurtures the physical body? What type of energy do you find yourself exchanging with those people around you? Food that nurtures the body can be one of the keys to unlocking the jaw. Soft foods that slide down the throat, warming and soothing the vocal cords may be good choices at this time. You may also wish to make choices towards foods that nurture your body, rather than the sugars, salt, carbs that may be addictive habits in your life at this time.
Self help Tip: Are you ready to release your jaw from it’s grip on your body? Try gently placing your fingertips along the lower jawline. Press up gently towards the ears with your fingers, allowing the jaw to settle back into it’s joint. Mull over one of the questions above that seemed to trigger something in you. As the jaw settles into it’s socket, gently reverse the process, pulling the jaw away from the ear. You may feel the jaw scoot forwards slightly when it is fully released. No need to open the jaw, this releases the tension around the joint near the ear allowing it to soften. Take a breath when you are finished and exhale what’s left of the tension in the jaw. Let go of the thoughts you held. Aaaaahhhhh! Pause a moment to enjoy this opening.
When you are having days or weeks of trouble with clenching your jaw and find no relief from the pain in your jaw, call to schedule a bodywork session that focuses on the mouth, throat, mandible and maxilla (lower and upper jaw bones.) There are a number of CranioSacral Techniques that gently release the jaw, temporal mandibular joint (TMJ) and bring balance and understanding to the muscle tissue surrounding the jaw.
In Gratitude and Peace,
Sarah-Elizabeth
Sarah-Elizabeth 
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