We are just about to wrap up our 21 Day Head, Neck & Face program, and the tongue is a major player and focus of this facelift challenge. Like everything in the body, fascia innervates this tissue and can become twisted and congested like everywhere else in the body. One of the exercises I shared in this program was to grip the tongue far back at the base (we used a cloth to hang on to the tongue, so our fingers didn’t slip), with the thumb underneath and the index and middle finger on the top. Then squeeze the tongue as you draw the fingers out to the side, with the intention of flattening and broadening this muscle.

We did this for 3 minutes in 1 position, then brought the fingers closer to the tip and added another minute of compression and broadening. Once done I asked if anyone would share their experience. Many shared that they could feel more of a bunching and more pain on 1 side than the other. Another shared that after the exercise, her neck immediately relaxed, and she was able to bring her head back into a more correct alignment. Others experienced a draining of the sinuses. 

What is fascinating is the fact that the tongue is tied to expression. How many times have you bit your tongue to prevent yourself from sharing a truth that may be hurtful? The idea of being polite at the expense of true expression can create a build up of tension in the tongue and jaw, distorting the alignment which impacts the mouth, jaw, teeth, as well as the alignment of everything in the head and neck.

The goal is symmetry. Your tongue should be as broad as it can be. There are taste buds riddled throughout this muscle and if there is compression and twisting, your taste will be affected as well. Imagine if all the sensations you experienced as a kid were felt as though for the first time. Do you remember that first taste of sweet, or  the sensation of that tangy food that would make your mouth water? We were gifted this life to experience the senses and taste is one that can bring so much pleasure and joy, yet also feelings of being disconnected if you are lacking in that sensation. 

No matter if you are practicing Block Therapy, if you do other forms of fascia work or if you are just reading this information for the first time, I encourage you to get to know your tongue. Through pressure and breath, you become acquainted with its alignment, the scar tissue that blocks symmetry and the pain that is stored in this muscle. Through the exercise mentioned above, you will also experience the changes that you create in the moment and the benefits that are gained.

Every single cell in the body matters. There is not one cell that is more important than the other when it comes to thriving in life. Surviving is a different story as there is a hierarchy that the body will create if you are depleted of energy. Most people are simply surviving, and aging is really the body moving from that place of high energy to depletion from the unconscious journey of time. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and even better, you can reverse what time has done and revitalize tissue that has undergone the negative effects of time.

So, play with your tongue. Get to know this muscle, how it feels, the asymmetry it stores and see what happens with a little bit of focus and attention in creating a healthy muscle in the mouth. You may be surprised how impactful this is to your overall sense of balance, alignment, communication and joy!

Breathe & Believe

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