This remarkable lesson addresses issues with the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) – such as a tight jaw, teeth grinding, and clicking sounds – while also helping alleviate eye tension, improve vision, and even reduce migraines. Additionally, it firms facial skin, making your face appear younger and more expressive.
We create our facial expressions every second. Our brain prefers to rely on habitual expressions linked to familiar emotions and our environment. If we can create our faces, we can recreate them through somatic retraining. This lesson is based on the somatic methods of Moshe Feldenkrais and Thomas Hanna.
As always during somatic practice, perform movements slowly, attentively, and gently. Avoid anything that causes pain or discomfort. If you experience discomfort, visualize the movements instead. This lesson can be done sitting on a chair or lying on the floor.
Step 1: Relaxing the Jaw
Feel Your Face
Notice where your face begins and ends.
Can you easily identify the position of your eyes, nose, and mouth?
Detect any tension around your eyes or cheekbones.
Observe your tongue’s position in your mouth.
Gentle Head Turns
Slowly turn your head left and right.
Feel how easily your head moves. Does one side turn more smoothly than the other? Note your sensations.
Freeing the Jaw
Open and close your mouth a few times. Notice the effort involved, any tension, clicking, or uneven movement. This will be your baseline movement.
Resistance Exercise
Place your thumbs under your chin.
Open your mouth while gently resisting the downward movement with your thumbs.
As you close your mouth, lightly press your chin upward. Repeat and pause to rest.
Front Jaw Resistance
Place your fingers on the indentation under your lower lip.
Open your mouth slowly, resisting the downward movement.
Close your mouth while maintaining gentle resistance. Repeat and rest.
Tongue Assistance
Stick out your tongue and press it on your lower lip.
Open your mouth using your tongue to gently push down on your lower jaw.
Check if your mouth now opens wider or more easily.
Head Movement with Fixed Jaw
Hold your lower jaw with your hands to keep it still.
Tilt your head back, looking up at the ceiling. This opens your mouth by moving your head, not the jaw.
Repeat and rest.
Head Turns with Fixed Jaw
Hold your jaw still and turn your head left and right in small movements.
Notice the release of tension in the small muscles at the base of your skull.
Check your baseline movement – open and close your mouth. Has it changed?
Step 2: Flexible Lips
Feel Your Lips
Notice the shape and tension of your lips.
Are the corners of your mouth relaxed or tight?
Lip Movements
Pucker your lips as if giving a kiss.
Relax them completely. Repeat a few times.
Expressive Movements
Add more energy to the kiss gesture.
Notice if your jaw or eyes move.
Pucker your lips while widening your eyes. Repeat and rest.
Lip and Eye Coordination
Pucker your lips and look up.
Pucker your lips and look down. Repeat and pause.
Side-to-Side Movements
Send a kiss to the right, then to the left.
Notice if your eyes follow your lips.
Try moving your lips right and your eyes left. Switch sides.
Smile Practice
Alternate between a kiss and a wide smile, lifting the corners of your mouth.
Rest when needed.
Tongue Movement
Stick out your tongue and move it side-to-side, touching each cheek.
Gently turn your head in the direction of your tongue. Feel the back of your neck.
Rest as needed.
Step 3: Expressive Eyes
Raising Eyebrows
Lift your eyebrows and let them slowly return to neutral.
Notice how this movement echoes in other parts of your body.
Finger Resistance
Place your fingers above your eyebrows.
Raise your eyebrows while lightly resisting with your fingers.
Guide your eyebrows back down. Repeat and rest.
Centering Brows
Place your fingers between your brows.
Draw your brows inward, then slowly release. Repeat until relaxation improves.
Eye Muscle Relaxation
Close your eyes.
Gently squeeze them shut and relax. Repeat and rest.
Eye Tracking
Focus on your index finger in front of your eyes.
Move your finger left and right, keeping your gaze fixed on it. Keep your head still.
Head and Eye Coordination
Move your head left and right while keeping your eyes on your finger.
Palming
Rub your palms together to warm them.
Place your palms over your eye sockets like “cups.”
Relax and feel warmth seep into your eyes.
Slowly remove your hands and rest.
Conclusion
Gently turn your head left and right.
Check if your range of motion has improved.
Look around – does your vision seem clearer and brighter?
Look in the mirror. How does your relaxed face appear?
Spend just a few minutes a day on these exercises, and you'll notice significant improvements in your facial relaxation, vision, and overall well-being.
Somatic research "my new face"
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