3-Minute Tongue Decompression Technique For Better Breathing & Brain Health

The tongue is a much larger muscle than most people think about most of the time, because we only see the top part.

However, this means that what the tongue does can have a big effect on many nearby things, ranging from breathing to neck tension and more.

Here’s how to ensure it doesn’t work against you:

Don’t get tongue-tied

This technique is designed to release tension in the tongue and surrounding tissues to support lymphatic drainage, blood flow, and tongue mobility.

Here’s the step-by step process:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly, and trim your nails if necessary
2. Sit upright, relax your jaw, and breathe through your nose if possible
3. Slide your third and fourth fingers of both hands inside your mouth and rest them on your inner gums below your teeth
4. Curl your fingertips slightly so the pads contact the soft floor of your mouth beneath your tongue
5. Draw your hands away from each other to broaden your jaw while lightly pressing your fingertips downward into the soft tissue
6. Inhale for four counts and exhale for six counts, keeping your shoulders relaxed
7. Lift the whole top surface of the tongue (not just the tip*) to the roof of your mouth to “suction,” then release and repeat in a steady pulse
8. Keep the outward traction, downward pressure, and tongue pulsing continuously for about three minutes
9. As the tissue softens, sink your fingertips a little deeper while staying pain free
10. Lightly re-moisten your fingertips with your tongue if needed and slide them out gently rather than pulling straight out

*if you do it with just the tip, this will be worse than useless and will actually have the opposite effect; sounds strange, but it has to do with what the rest of the muscle is doing to position the tongue, and the internal force that results being in the wrong direction

For more on all of this plus a visual demonstration, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

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Take care!