As a spiritual counseling specialist, I have helped hundreds of people who are struggling with jaw clenching. They’ve realized that this wasn’t just something they were doing out of habit but in many cases it was a sign that something else was going on.
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The jaw is the most advanced, complex and mobile joint in our body. In fact, the bones of the jaw are so tightly connected that a force applied to it normally results in the fracture of the mandible (lower jaw), or of several teeth at least. Because of this unfortunate fact, many highly destructive methods have been developed to loosen a person from unconsciousness. There are several different types of nerve damage described in the field of jaw clenching, which has also been reported to cause about 75 percent more incidents in people with existing health problems like cardiovascular diseases and thyroid conditions.
Jaw clenching is a common occurrence when we’re stressed. If we’re anxious, worried or concentrating deeply, we frequently clench our jaws. Many of us may not even realize that this is happening to us. It’s difficult to check your own jaw muscles during the day, especially at work. Clenching tends to happen unconsciously, and it’s very easy to overlook. However, the pain and discomfort caused by clenching can be quite severe if it’s allowed to continue unabated.
Jaw clenching is a common side effect of stress. It can be caused by a number of things, including anxiety, worry, or frustration.
Jaw clenching is often considered to be a stress-related behavior because it is often associated with problems in the body. The body may be experiencing pain or discomfort that makes it difficult to relax and release tension.
Jaw clenching can also have spiritual meaning. When you are stressed out or anxious about something, you may find yourself grinding your teeth at night while you sleep. This can also indicate that there is something going on in your life that needs to be addressed or resolved as soon as possible.
The good news is that jaw clenching does not always mean that there is something wrong with your physical health; it can also indicate emotional issues that need attention in order for them not only to go away but also so they do not cause any further problems in the future when they continue to build up over time instead of being dealt with head-on right now!
Jaw clenching is a behavior that can be related to stress and anxiety. It can also be a symptom of physical pain, or even an unconscious response to a physical or emotional trauma.
The jaw position is associated with the strength of will and self-control, so if you are clenching your teeth it could mean that you are trying to exert too much control over your feelings.
You may also be experiencing some kind of frustration or anger. If this is the case, then you may want to consider what is causing this feeling and how you can express it in a more healthy way.
spiritual meaning of jaw clenching
The muscles in the jaw are some of the strongest in the body. The jaw is also one of the only places in the body that doesn’t completely go into sleep paralysis when we’re unconscious. For example, babies suckle in their sleep—an important function that helps them to eat and also to soothe themselves. Adults also clench and grind their teeth at night, even when the rest of the body is relaxed in sleep.
Jaw tension is very common among adults, and you can see it in teens and sometimes children. This could include TMJ (temporomandibular joint pain), teeth grinding or bruxism, clenching, and other kinds of jaw tension. An overly tight jaw can cause headaches and neck pain. Dentists, doctors, and physiotherapists may be helpful to diagnose and treat any potential issues related to jaw pain. But beyond the physical aspect, what is the spiritual meaning of jaw pain?
Stress & the Spiritual Meaning of Jaw Pain
This is kind of a no-brainer, but yes, stress usually plays a role in any physical ailment. But what does stress mean? Sometimes it means unprocessed emotions. When we experience an uncomfortable feeling, we will often hold our breath. In order to help us do that, we clench the jaw. When there is jaw pain, there’s almost always something that is not being said, some emotion that’s not being expressed. Here are some questions to reflect on:
- What kinds of stress have I been dealing with lately?
- Have I been processing or expressing my emotions?
- Do people close to me know how I really feel?
- Do I feel held, understood, and cared for in my emotional self?
- What do I need to say that I’m not saying?
How Our Jaws Process Anger
Unexpressed emotion with jaw pain is almost always about anger. Anger is the emotion that represents boundaries. When we are angry, it’s often because either a boundary has been crossed or a need is not being met. When we swallow our feelings instead of expressing them, anger brews inside of our bodies. In order to avoid getting ourselves in trouble, we squeeze our mouths shut.
Traditionally, anger is expressed a little differently along gender lines. People raised as men are somewhat more likely to externalize their anger by yelling or acting out against someone else. (Though not always at the person who caused their anger!)
People raised as women, on the other hand, have gotten the message that expressing anger is “unladylike” and so they’re more likely to internalize that anger. This means they take it out on their own bodies in some way. This can take a lot of different forms, but overeating or developing an unhealthy relationship to eating are probably the most common. The jaw can’t form around the words that need to be said, so chewing through comforting food—or feeling like you’re so full of your emotion you can’t swallow anything—works through the physical need of the body while protecting everyone else from the dangerous feelings.
Of course, not everyone fits into these gendered categories (and how we define these categories is changing), but it is interesting to consider how you’ve been taught to experience and express your anger according to your sex and/or gender. Men are often taught that anger is pretty much the only acceptable emotion to express, so sadness, loneliness, and fear all get channeled into the same set of feeling expressions. Women, on the other hand, may have more skills for expressing other types of emotions, but anger is the one emotion they are never supposed to show or express. Here are some questions for reflection around anger as it may underlie the spiritual meaning of jaw pain:
- What is my relationship to my anger like?
- How do I express anger when I feel it?
- What was I taught to do when I felt angry as a child or young adult?
- What boundary has been crossed in my life or what need is not being met?
- What do I do with my difficult emotions?
Jaw Pain & the Pelvic Floor
The jaw/throat has an intimate relationship with the pelvic floor, the muscular area around the genitals. Usually if one is tight, so is the other. Pelvic floor issues can manifest as pain in the genital region, constipation, hemorrhoids, pain with vaginal sex, lower back or sacral pain, and difficulties with urination such as peeing a little while coughing or sneezing.
This is partly because the jaw is, energetically, the space through which we express our feelings, and the pelvic floor is often where we hide them.
When we don’t feel safe physically or emotionally, the pelvic floor and the jaw tend to tighten up, trying to protect the tenderness inside. Sometimes we need to communicate to the body that we are safe and that it’s okay to let go in these ways.
Belly Breathing to Loosen the Jaw & Pelvic Floor
When you have a little time in a safe space, lie down on the floor with your knees on a pillow or bolster or with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Roll a soft towel behind the curve of your neck so your neck and head feel supported. Bob your head a little until you find the place where your jaw can relax the most.
Place your hands on your belly and close your eyes if that’s comfortable to do. Imagine opening the central channel of your body from your throat to your genital region. Imagine that channel opening and softening, the breath free to move as it likes.
Allow your teeth to separate and the tongue to soften in your mouth. Relax your throat as much as you can. At the same time, relax your pelvic floor region. Imagine a small diaphragm (like a trampoline) around your genitals, similar to the diaphragm under your ribs. Imagine a third diaphragm at the back of your throat. Imagine each of these three shapes moving together softly, easily, almost as if they were sheets on a line, opening and closing with the wind. Don’t worry too much about which direction they are going or what, exactly they are doing. Just imagine the throat, breathing diaphragm, and pelvic floor softly rising and falling with the breath. The belly should also softly rise and fall under your hands with the breath. The more you relax, the more this will happen naturally. Focus on allowing. Give yourself 10-20 minutes to rest in this exercise.
Because emotion plays such a large role in the spiritual meaning of jaw pain, emotions may come up during this exercise. That’s okay! See if you can keep breathing and just let the emotions flow.
emotional causes of jaw pain
Emotional factors (e.g., anxiety, fear, frustration, and anger) play a significant role in the etiology of TMJ disorders, in that they elicit muscular tension and oral habits. Although it would appear unlikely that emotionally induced muscle activity is a “necessary” factor, it is probable that it will be found a “sufficient” cause for TMJ disorders.
emotions stored in jaw
There is a growing body of evidence in the scientific community to support what ancient healing traditions have known all along, which is that the body stores emotion. The body, mind and our experience of the world are all inextricably intertwined. Think about the last time you were angry, and bring your attention to what your physical experience of that emotion was. You likely gritted your teeth, tightened your jaw, furrowed your brow, and clenched your fists, on a conscious or subconscious level.
Now, cast your memory back to a time when you experienced grief. Your upper body perhaps collapsed forwards and inwards. Maybe you recall the space around the front upper part of your chest felt really small. If you cried, you might remember the sense of breathlessness in your throat and chest, and the irregular spasms of the lungs as the tears fell.
These powerful emotions, and so many others – including traumatic experiences – are felt and expressed in the body in an undeniably physical way. They can also become trapped in the body, as we are often socialised to suppress our feelings, swallow our words, hold back anger and grief, and not prioritise our need for pleasure. Instead of allowing emotions, which is energy in motion, to flow through our bodies, we end up accumulating them in particular parts of the body, which can then manifest in physical discomforts and ills.
THE BODY STORES EMOTION IN DIFFERENT AREAS
WHAT DOES IT MEAN IF THE BODY STORES EMOTION IN THESE PLACES:
JAW
Emotions of anger and resentment are often held in our jaw and around the mouth. If you often have a sore throat, mouth ulcers or grind your teeth at night, it could be a sign that there is an excess of overactive or stagnant energy in this part of your body.
HOW TO RELEASE EMOTION IN JAW
A quick and simple way to unlock tension from the jaw is to simulate the act of yawning – open your jaw as wide as is comfortable and take in a big breath, keeping the mouth open as you exhale, perhaps connecting the vocal cords to make a sound as you sigh out. You can do this whenever you notice tightness in the jaw space, whether it’s your check in before your self-care practice, or soon after a confrontation or high-stress situation.
If the pain is around your temples and temporomandibular joint (the point where your jawbone connects to your skull), try a self-massage that begins at your temples, then working your way down the bottom edge of your jawline with your thumbs and index fingers.