Hi,
I'm Sherry.
If you're holding tension in your jaw,
Feel ache around your temples.
I notice stress showing up in your neck and face.
This practice is for you.
We'll move through simple Qigong-based touch,
Sound,
And breath.
To help ease pressure.
Soften tight muscles.
And release stuck energy.
Around the head,
Jaw and shoulders.
We'll begin with two physiological sighs.
Double inhale through the nose.
Followed by a long,
Slow exhale.
Back out the nose.
Take a moment here.
To complete your current exhale.
As we prepare to breathe in together.
Full inhale.
Sip a bit more,
Long.
Slow.
Exhale.
One more time.
Double inhale.
And exhale.
Now.
Bring your awareness to the webbing.
Between your thumb an index finger.
We're going to activate.
LI4.
Major acupressure point used to relieve jaw tension facial pain and headaches.
The fastest way to locate LI-4 is by forming a fist with the thumb tucked under and look for the slight muscle bulge between your thumb and index finger.
Then open your hand and use your opposite thumb and index finger to gently pinch the center of that bulge with your thumb on one side.
Your finger on the other.
Begin to squeeze your thumb and finger together.
And gently pull outward toward the edge of your hand.
As you do this,
You should feel a tendon flick.
Or move under your fingers.
It's a very similar sensation to plucking at a guitar string.
That tactile feedback.
Is how you know you're activating the point correctly.
It may feel a bit dull.
Thank you.
Even slightly painful.
And in Chinese medicine.
That's considered a good sign.
This kind of sensation means Qi and blood are being activated.
Especially in places where energy may have been blocked or stagnant.
That activation helps you leave pressure from the upper body clearing pathways connected to the jaw,
Face and temple.
As you massage this point,
Begin.
A five,
Five,
Breath rhythm.
In and out.
Through the nose Preparing to inhale.
Five four 3 two one Exhale,
Four,
Three,
One.
To.
.
.
One.
Continuing on at your own pace.
As you massage Whatever count of five feels comfortable.
In your body This balanced rhythm helps regulate CO2 levels.
And downshift.
Muscle tension in the jaw.
The gnat and face.
You might feel warmth under the thumb.
Shift in sensation.
Across the face.
Temples our jaw.
Notice how something so small and simple can ripple through the system.
Like water settling in a bowl.
And when you feel ready.
Allow your hands to rest.
Dropping the breath pattern.
Allowing the body to breathe itself I don't know.
Into a jaw massage.
And sound.
To help the deeper layers of holding begin to release.
Use your fingers to explore the area where your jaw meets the skull.
Just below the cheekbones and in front of the ears.
Massage in slow circular motions.
Or gently stroke downward toward the jawline.
This area is home to the masseter muscle.
One of the strongest muscles in the body.
And one that often holds tension.
Not aware of until we begin to explore it.
As the tissue begins to soften.
Allow the mouth to open in a soft yawn.
And on your next exhale,
Add an R sound.
Like a pirate's R.
Keeping the mouth fully open as you do so.
Allow the sound to come from the throat.
And feel the vibration move into the jaw.
This kind of vibration helps discharge nervous system intensity.
And soften the inner pressure.
We sometimes hold in silence.
In Chinese medicine.
Jaw tension often relates to the liver system.
Where unexpressed emotion,
Irritation,
And internal heat can collect.
Sound.
Gives that energy a way out.
Without needing to mentally logic or control it.
Notice what's shifting under your hands or behind the ears.
Is there less pressure a little more space to breathe or feel.
Possibly an urge to yawn.
If so,
Just let that happen.
This is a sign your nervous system is downregulating.
From here.
We'll move into the gallbladder meridian.
Tracing the tension downward.
From the temples neck and shoulders.
Bring both hands to your temple.
The soft space just behind your eyes along the side of your head.
Begin massaging in small slow circle.
Then continue that motion.
Around the outside of the ears.
And down just behind them.
Following the gallbladder meridian.
As it curves along the side of the skull toward the neck.
From there,
Allow your fingers to travel gently down the sides of the neck.
And bring your hands to rest on the tops of your shoulders.
Right into the thick raised area between your neck and arms.
Press into that midpoint.
About halfway between your spine and your shoulder joint.
This is Gallbladder 21.
A point used to release tension from the neck John.
And upper back.
And to help energy move downward.
When it gets stuck,
Above the shoulders.
From here.
Will you slow?
Downward sweeping motion help guide that release out through the arms,
Clearing heat.
Tension or effort that may still be lingering in the upper body.
We'll move through one side at a time using breath and sound to support the flow.
Bring one hand.
To the opposite temple.
Begin your sweep from the temple around the ear.
Down the neck.
Across the top of the shoulder and off the outer arm.
As you move.
Exhale with a soft sound.
Like Steam Releasing Repeat this two more times on the same side,
Moving slowly.
With one exhale per sweep.
And when you're ready.
We switch to the other side.
Temple around the ear.
Shoulder.
Arm.
Three full sweeps of the Sound.
Then allow the arms to hang loosely.
And give them a soft shake from the shoulders to the wrists.
Imagining yourself flicking off any tent stagnant energy that may have remained.
Notice what shifted behind the eyes.
Across the temples are down into the arms.
Has anything softened or settled?
From here,
We'll begin working into the neck and throat where effort often hides in the background.
No longer relevant,
But still present.
Bring your fingertips to the sides of your neck.
Just above the collarbones and slightly toward the front.
These are your scaling muscles,
The long vertical bands that help lift the ribs when we breathe.
And often.
Grip under stress or strain.
Use a light pink.
To lift the muscle.
Between your fingers.
And jiggle.
Or shake it loose.
With small rhythmic movements.
You can move slowly up or down the neck.
Alternating side to side are massaging both sides at the same time.
Lifting jiggling,
And releasing.
As you go.
And that feels complete.
Bring your fingertips to the back of the neck.
Right at the base of the skull.
Where the head meets the spine.
Massage outward from that center line.
Along the edges where the deep cervical muscles often brace.
These muscles brace automatically.
Often without us even realizing it.
Helping us to stay upright through tension.
Releasing this midline.
Can soften jaw pain.
Open the bra.
And recalibrate the connection.
Between head and body.
When you're ready bring your hands to your skin Use your fingers.
To make small circular movements.
Across the top of your head.
Over the crown.
Around the sides.
And down to the base of the skull.
If it feels good,
You can take small handfuls of hair and give a gentle upward pull.
Lifting the scalp slightly away from the skull.
This contact helps decompress the head.
Soften the tissue that wraps around the cranium.
And release lingering tension from the entire upper fascia.
As you move.
Notice what's shifting.
In your jaw.
Your bronze.
Or even your mood.
Sometimes releasing the head.
Allows the rest of the system to fall.
From here.
We'll move into stillness.
With a simple hand placement.
To help contain and settle.
Everything this practice has begun to show.
Bring your hands together.
And gently rub your palms.
Till you feel warm.
Begin to build.
In Qigong,
This awakens the Qi in the hand.
And in the center of each palm.
Is what some call the Christ Point.
A place known for healing,
Holding.
And present.
Feel that energy gather between your palms.
Then bring one hand to your forehead.
And the other to the base of your skull.
Creating a soft cradle.
Between the front and back of your head.
Begin to breathe.
That five,
Five rhythm.
Through the nose.
Inhaling for five.
And exhaling for five.
This balanced rhythm helps to quiet the mind.
And support containment.
Without dropping.
The system too far down.
As you hold.
Notice the pressure under your hand.
And any small movements in your jaw,
Eyes,
Or breath.
The stillness here is not about doing nothing.
It's about giving your body space to reorganize.
When you're ready.
And gently lower your hands to your face.
Choose a placement that feels supportive.
Palms on the jaw or the temples.
Are possibly palms on the jaw with the fingertips.
Resting lightly next to the eyes.
As you hold.
You can stay with your breath either the natural flow continuing the five five rhythm That feels good.
Another option.
You might want to choose Is it for?
7-8 pattern Inhaling for four.
Holding for seven.
Exhaling for eight.
If it feels soothing.
You might even allow a quiet hum on the exhale.
Letting the sound reverberate.
Through the face,
And the throat gentle massage here.
Breath pattern you choose Feel how your body responds.
To being held in this way.
Without expectation.
Nothing to fix.
Or do.
Simply space to feel.
If something in today's practice resonated with you.
I'd love to hear what landed.
I'm a somatic practitioner.
And I work with the nervous system to support trauma recovery.
Until then.
.
.
Go gently.
And remember,
Your body is always communicating with you.
All you need to do.
Is pause and listen.
