You would hardly guess Simona Rydlová's age. With her fresh skin, radiant look and minimal wrinkles, she is the best walking advertisement for face yoga, which she has been doing for years. She was surrounded by women and beauty from the beginning of her career – she worked for many years as a model and editor in lifestyle magazines, after which she fell in love with facial yoga and began to pursue it professionally. She became a certified instructor of The Face Yoga Method and since then hundreds of women of all ages have flourished under her guidance.
We approached Simona because, like us, she believes in everything is related to everything. And because in Whoop·de·doo long-term devotee pelvic floor area, we asked Simona to share her knowledge of the perhaps somewhat unexpected connections between pelvic floor conditions and the jaw.
The jaw and the pelvis are closely connected in many ways and one affects the other.
If you clench your jaw a lot, suffer from bruxism, grind your teeth, have a misaligned jaw, an overbite, a loose or tight pelvic floor, you are postpartum or you have experienced pelvic floor trauma, this article would may be of particular interest to you. It is precisely the jaw and the pelvic floor that are closely connected, and when there is a problem in one area, there will probably be a problem in the other as well.
Physiological and emotional connection
When we are angry, we grind our teeth together, the muscles around the mouth and jaw tighten, and the same is true in the area of the pelvic floor, which is physiologically connected to the mouth. Therefore, when we begin to address jaw problems, pelvic floor symptoms often begin to ease as well.
The pelvic floor is wonderfully connected to the mouth, neck, and jaws. Women who have experienced a vaginal birth can attest to this – opening your mouth makes birthing easier. It is also said that when our jaws are clenched, where a lot of tension builds up, our pelvic floor is also tight. And when we have a sagging chin, our pelvic floor is likely to be loose. Isn't our body genius?
Our womb is also emotionally connected to our mouth. Often in our relationships, we need to communicate things that we feel in our womb, or in our whole belly. And if we do not communicate them, they ferment in the womb and in the throat and can cause us serious problems.
Tension and wrinkles around the lips often indicate tension in the vulva area associated with sexual absence or trauma. In English, the same term is even used for the two areas - "lips". Because we have such a small body in our face and it is possible to read from it and also work with the body through the face.
What is the connection between the jaw and the pelvis?
- Common embryonic development The search for the connection between the jaw and the pelvis takes us to the stage of the embryo, in which the mouth and the openings of the urinary, reproductive and digestive systems develops together. Even though the space between them increases as the spine grows.
- Striking anatomical similarity When you find a picture of a woman's bottom and jaw in a search engine, you will be surprised how similar their structures are. This also applies to the vocal cords and the cervix. A picture is worth a thousand words, try to see for yourself!
- Fascia tissue You know, imagine this under the word "fascia"? It is the thin covering of our muscles, organs and bones. It works like a web that holds us together. And the deep anterior fascial line runs right between the jaw and the pelvis.
- Connection between jaw joint and hip 15 years ago, a team of dentists and physiotherapists investigated the connection between jaw and pelvis. And TMJ dysfunction has been shown to play a major role in the limitation of hip movement that many patients suffer from.
- Tested by stress and childbirth At times of stress, we clench our teeth, literally. Along with our jaws, our buttocks, back and pelvic floor also contract. For example, women in labor are advised to relax their voice, neck and jaws to also help the pelvic floor and the opening of the birth canal. And it works!
One influences the other
If the throat and jaws are contracted, the pelvis is probably contracted as well. Therefore, when caring for the pelvic floor, it is important not to neglect the neck, throat and jaws and to open these areas with facial massages, facial yoga and jaw work.
Possible consequences of tension in the jaw:
- Headaches: long-term tension of the masticatory muscles, especially the temporalis muscle, which connects to the skull, can have a direct effect on the development of headaches.
- Difficulties with the cervical spine: tension in the jaw leads to frequent blockages, limited mobility, dizziness or pain in the neck area.
- Affecting posture and body stability: dysfunction of the jaw joint can cause problems in the head joint, which affects posture and muscle tension along spine.
- Pelvic floor tension, incontinence, weakened abdominal muscles, poor posture and other problems
- Tinnitus: muscles of the ear canal react to the jaw problem with increased tension. Although we do not feel the increased tension, it manifests itself as noise or whistling in the ears.
Holistic support for the jaw and pelvic floor
First try a small test and please be very careful with yourself. You should comfortably fit 4 fingers side by side in your mouth and close your mouth easily. It didn't work? You probably have tension in your jaw. But what about that?
Relax the jaw muscles
The muscles of mastication are as strong as two fingers and run alongside the ears. You will feel them when you try. Take two knuckles and massage the muscles in a circular motion from top to bottom with strong pressure. We don't want the skin to move, but we want to work the muscle. If you feel more tension somewhere around the end of the earlobe, go deeper into that area. The jaw should be relaxed throughout the massage, the mouth should be open.
Include Venus balls in your routine
Venus balls they are far from just a means for a higher quality intimate experience. They work on the principle of light vibrations of the internal balls, which stimulate the entire area of the pelvic floor, sensitize it and blood it. Thanks to this, it prevents incontinence, relieves painful menstruation, helps with the revitalization of the pelvic floor after childbirth or strengthens this area during menopause. In short, it teaches us to consciously work with the pelvic floor during normal movement and during sex.
Adjust your posture
Of course, it's great if you practice yoga, run or do other sports, but unfortunately that doesn't mean you have good head position. Most people have their heads down because of their mobile phones and computer work. Positioning the head and opening the chest is part of Simonin online program NAPLNO. As well as relaxing and harmonizing the jaw.
Adjust your tongue position
The tongue should be in the upper back of the throat. This relaxes the jaw, lengthens it nicely and shapes the face. You won't clench and grind your teeth. Correct tongue position also acts as a stress barrier because when your tongue is up at the back, they physically cannot clench their teeth. It stimulates the muscles that lift the cheeks. The head position is adjusted and the pelvic floor is gently engaged. At the same time, you won't even snore or grind your teeth at night. What is that? Magic waiting. Because fine-tuning the correct position of the tongue can be a rather demanding discipline, if you have doubts, you can make an appointment with Simona for individual lessons.