Mewing, or how much depends on language

In everyday life, we do not think about how important the tongue is. We just have it and use it, without thinking about its correct position in the mouth. However, our pronunciation and the health of our upper respiratory tract, as well as the shape of our face, depend on the correct „posture” of the tongue.

The tongue is a real muscle. You could even say it is one big muscle, which, by the way, has a big job to do. It plays an active part in eating (thanks to its surface covering the taste buds, it picks up flavours, helps break down food), drinking (sucking) and, of course, speaking. When it is not in use, the tongue rests quietly in the mouth, waiting for the next task and... this is where the problems can begin.

What the tongue should look like at rest (cobra position)

When we are sleeping and awake, lying down, sitting, standing and walking, not speaking, eating or drinking, our mouth should be closed and our tongue should rest comfortably on the tip of the tongue between the gum shaft and the upper incisors. In turn, the sides of the tongue should touch the molars - the whole tongue remains relaxed and „wide”. This is the so-called cobra position, vertical-horizontal, the only correct way to hold the tongue behind the teeth.

So are there any other positions? Unfortunately, yes. Many people - perhaps even you? - hold their tongue completely differently. E.g. resting the tip against the lower incisors. Tapered. Lying behind the lower teeth. Slightly extended. Observe your tongue: Where is it now? What shape does it have? All right, all right - you might think. - Just what does it all matter to me?

Correct tongue posture and facial health and appearance

Contrary to what you might think, the way we hold our tongue at rest has a huge impact on our health and the shape of our face, as well as the appearance of our figure. Yes, yes, this is no joke - a lot really depends on the tongue. The aforementioned cobra position, or vertical-horizontal, should develop in each and every one of us as early as childhood and be maintained throughout our adult lives. Unfortunately, bad habits (e.g. thumb-sucking, excessive use of a dummy) or anatomical defects (abnormally developed teeth, curvature of the jaw, hypertrophy of the tonsils, etc.) can cause our tongue to position itself incorrectly. Usually, instead of adhering to the palate, it will lie on the bottom of the mouth.

Such a position has its consequences:

• jaw tightens 
• lips part 
• we start breathing through the mouth instead of the nose 
• head tilts forward to facilitate breathing
• neck muscles stiffen, the whole figure humps and leans.... 

This is not good. It damages the health of our sinuses, throat and spine, causes our jaws to develop incorrectly, results in headaches and neck pain, but also an undesirable facial appearance. The so-called second chin is often the most visible result of an incorrect tongue „posture”. However, it is not the only one. Also hunching over, protruding head forward, a too „soft” outline of the jaw - these can all be consequences of an incorrect position of the tongue at rest.

Mewing

Mewing is a word that has been making a big splash recently. Fans of mewing claim (not without reason) that using this method has allowed them to get rid of their second chin, sculpt a nice jawline, lift their cheekbones, optically enlarge their eyes. And all this without surgical intervention! The term mewing comes from the name of British orthodontist Dr Mike Mew. Dr Mew is against straightening teeth with braces and removing healthy teeth to improve the appearance of the jaw. Instead, he proposes a set of simple, free exercises, collectively referred to as just mewing. Practised regularly, these exercises are supposed to reverse bad habits and change posture - as a result, the shape and function of the jaws will develop properly and surgical interventions will not be needed. Additionally, since the jaws will be healthy, our sinuses, throat, upper spine will be healthy and our face will look better - correctly, as it should. Of course, the younger the patient, the more spectacular, longer-lasting and faster visible the effects of mewing, but it is worth practising at any age.

Mewing exercises

The basic „mewing” exercise is to consciously keep the tongue in the cobra position - Dr Mew stresses that the tongue should be a cobra throughout the day, including at night. Of course, this is not easy if up to now our tongue has „preferred” a different resting position. However, it is worth controlling it and, if necessary, correcting it. The simplest exercise to develop good tongue habits is the one using chewing gum. Use several pieces of gum. Chew them together until they are soft and then try to „spread” the gum on the palate - starting with the incisors and finishing as deep as possible at the back of the palate. Note: You may find this exercise tiring at first. If it does, it means you need to do it. Your tongue is a lazy man - change its attitude with regular practice of gulping 😊

If these types of tips are interesting to you, you want to take care of a youthful facial appearance - keep up to date with my a blog about yoga, exercise and facial massage, as well as Ayurveda, herbal medicine, vegetarian diet, natural body care and Vedic psychology.