Strengthen Your Tongue for a Youthful Glow and Better Health

Lately, I've been more aware of my appearance, likely due to increased video calls and trends like 'snatched.' As I work on my skin through ice rolling and cutting out inflammatory foods, I'm eager to elevate my routine. That's when I stumbled upon myofascial therapy—a game changer.

This method feels like a hidden gem in beauty care. It not only alleviates tension and boosts circulation but also promotes a holistic rejuvenation that's far more than skin-deep. As I delve into how it can refine my facial symmetry and radiance, I've discovered it's also an emotional release tool. Whether you're dealing with stress, trauma, or just need a glow-up, myofascial therapy could be just what your body and mind need.

Featured image from our interview with Janessa Leoné by Teal Thomsen.

Understanding Myofascial Therapy: A Healing Approach

To gain insight, I spoke with Brooke Taylor, the visionary behind The Road, an Austin retreat focused on cosmetic acupuncture and holistic health. She's our expert on the benefits of Eastern healing methods. Before opting for fillers or Botox, I wanted to explore how myofascial therapy could enhance my beauty and well-being.

Brooke Taylor LAc, MAcOM

Brooke established The Road in Austin, Texas, to share her knowledge in holistic skincare, acupuncture, and Chinese medicine, helping others tap into their innate healing abilities. With a background as an esthetician and global skincare educator, she pursued her master's in Chinese medicine to facilitate deeper healing.

What is Myofascial Release Therapy?

Myofascial release therapy gently manipulates bound fascia tissue to alleviate pain, often in the back, neck, jaw, and hips, though it can impact any body area with fascia restrictions. Healthy fascia should feel flexible, while bound fascia can hinder movement and create discomfort. This technique often targets trigger points to relax the tissue.

Some practitioners prefer assisted movement against resistance to restore healthy fascia. This approach involves passive movement to identify tight areas, guiding the body through a range of motion with resistance, which helps reorganize the fascia. By doing so, muscle movement improves, resulting in reduced tension and pain.

How Lifestyle Affects Our Bodies

I often assess fascia and tension through symmetry. When fascia tightens around the neck, shoulders, and head, it can lead to a downward facial pull often blamed on aging.

When multiple muscle groups are involved, one area's tightness can create compensatory weakness elsewhere.

While observing clients on my table, I notice inward-rolled shoulders, uneven heights, or raised shoulders near the ears, along with foot positioning that reflects hip alignment. This often stems from our lifestyles—sitting at desks, texting with a forward head tilt, or carrying a child on one side. I frequently see heads tilted to one side. When I realign the head, I can feel tension in the neck cascading down to the traps. Jaw asymmetry can also arise from this, needing further exploration. Additionally, tight scalp fascia can inhibit hair growth due to poor circulation, resulting in tension headaches, wrinkles, and uneven eyebrows.

Advantages of Myofascial Therapy

Enhancing fascia health can positively impact various aging markers:

• Improved body function without pain.
• Reduced sagging, eye strain, and deep lines.

In Chinese medicine, we say: where there is flow, there is no 'dis-ease'. This highlights why we strive for harmonized fascia.

A remarkable benefit of this therapy is the release of pent-up emotions. Just as yoga can lead to emotional breakthroughs, different emotions are linked to body areas in Chinese medicine. For example, someone with rounded shoulders may be shielding their heart from past pain. Releasing this tension can help transform grief.

Who Can Benefit from Myofascial Release Therapy?

• Individuals with limited mobility, muscle tension, joint pain, or asymmetry.
• Athletes wanting to enhance their performance and recovery.
• Those with neuromuscular conditions causing tension.

Most adults can find value in MRT.

How Tongue Position Influences Facial Shape

The position of your tongue significantly impacts facial development from infancy to adulthood. The tongue aids in palate expansion, tooth spacing, and jaw alignment.

In my practice, tongue posture connects closely to breathing, particularly during sleep, leading to issues like fatigue, jaw clenching, and teeth grinding. It can also influence the vagus nerve, making proper tongue position crucial for gut-brain health.

From a cosmetic perspective, clients often ask about jawline enhancement. Exploring under the chin can reveal either a soft rise or a firm protrusion—indicative of overworked tongue muscles.

Practicing Proper Tongue Position

The ideal tongue position is with the tip resting just behind the teeth, on the ridges of the mouth's roof, and lightly touching the soft palate. Recently, mewing has gained popularity for achieving a 'snatched' jawline by slightly thrusting the lower jaw forward and suctioning the tongue to the roof of the mouth.

Assess your tongue's resting position and see if you can shift it to the recommended placement. If not, consider consulting an orofacial myofascial therapist for guidance.

Exercises for Your Tongue

You can strengthen your tongue to help it maintain proper position in your mouth, which can alleviate sleep apnea symptoms, snoring, and issues related to mouth breathing. While mouth taping offers temporary relief, toning the muscle can keep your jaw aligned and your airway clear.

Some effective tongue exercises include:

1. Making tongue circles by running the tip around your lips in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions for a few minutes. You might feel some burn, much like a regular workout.
2. Position your head over your shoulders, relax, and tilt your head back to look at the ceiling. Stick your tongue out and up, holding for a few counts before relaxing and repeating. Anchoring your sternum with your hands can enhance the connection.
3. Using a clean cloth or gloves, gently pull your tongue forward for a light stretch. Move it to each side, holding briefly, then release.
4. Check how wide you can open your mouth with some stretch. Now suction your tongue to the roof and try to open your mouth as wide as possible without losing suction, holding that posture for a couple of minutes. This can trigger a vagus nerve reset.

Optimal Chewing and Swallowing Techniques for Maximum Benefit

After working with Tracey Brizendine, a certified Orofacial Myology expert in Austin, I learned about proper chewing and swallowing, especially after my jaw surgery and tongue tie release. Part of my recovery involved relearning how to effectively utilize my tongue.

Tracey advised using the tongue to maneuver food and the jaw for gentle chewing. After thoroughly chewing, form a bolus with food, moving it to the back of your tongue to swallow while pushing it against the soft palate. This technique engages the digestive system. You can practice this with saliva, which may even induce yawning—great for digestion.

This new swallowing method took focus. I found it's best to eliminate distractions—no phones or TV. This intentional approach led me to savor food more and feel satisfied with smaller portions. Surprisingly, my digestion improved, and I even lost weight. In my practice, I suggest patients try one meal a week without talking, simply enjoying their food or the surroundings.