So, im 17, just learned about mewing last week, went hard at it, turns out I was doing it completely wrong and even couterintuitively.
Backgroud. 17, thin, never had braces, still have wisdom team, dont have a jaw it seems, and I naturally have an overbite, plus my mouth is kind of beakish, like my seem to go out, not completely verticle. Still, they look relatively normal, and Ive taken measures that make me look halway decent despite not having a jaw. Have weird allergies, that may contribute to mouth breathing, but by all means I am a nose breather.
Have always had an overbite, have ingraned myself to move up jaw (imagine a nicolas cage smile) even though it doesnt feel natural isnt natural and I dont know what to do with it.
As I said, it may be a part of my problem. I have watched many videos on mewing and still think Im doing it wrong. I would seek actual therapy if I had the money, just moved from a really bad economic system. Two problems I have encountered in the first week. A. my jaw is always strained when trying to do tongue excercises. B. I think im needlessly flexing muscles in my lower throat, around my adams apple. I think am moving my jaw forward like i regulary did to appear not to have an overbite when I am trying to flex tongue, and dont know whether i should just maintain my natural overbite jaw position, when that is precisely what I am trying to fix. I dont know how far back i should use the back of my tongue, i could easy just suffocate myself at this point. I end up doing weird things with my tongue, and i think am accidently flexing wrong muscles.
I am not assymettrical, Im young enough, Im willing enough.
I want to fix my problem, and I think I am in a demographic that his plan is supposed to fit perfectly, of which I think mew wants more recording of.
I would gladly take photos and record my development, I just need proper development teaching. If anyone could help, that would be great. I see about 20 different exceptions or problems with just general mewing, and I dont want to be one of the people who did mewing for a year to then find out i did it completely wrong and was counterintuitive.
I have discord, skype, you ask it. I just need help.
Based on my own personal experience, as well as what I have observed on the message boards, when people first start mewing, it can be a scary process. The fear of messing up your face because you're doing it wrong seems to be quite common. Full disclosure, I have only been mewing for one month, but from what I can tell, the problems you are experiencing are quite normal.
First off, you're going to run into a lot of opinions on the best way to mew, but there are four basic rules you need to follow.
1) Keep your lips together, teeth lightly touching or slightly apart.
2) Breathe through your nose.
3) Keep the tip of your tongue on "the spot". Just above your top two front teeth.
4) Place your entire tongue on the roof of the mouth, from the front and as far back on the soft palate as you can.
Now there may be variations to rules one, three, and four, based on the characteristics of your oral structure, but these four rules are the goal.
I find rule number three to be especially important. This is because I see the tongue as the anchor of the facial structure. When you are mewing, you are correcting your structure by balancing the craniofacial muscles around the tongue. Mewing will strengthen the tongue, along with you're swallowing muscles, to create a stronger anchor.
The apparent problems you are experiencing...
A) I also experienced a lot of strain in my jaw when I first started. My feeling is that this is normal because you are exercising muscles you have never exercised before, and they are attempting to change your facial structure. My jaw used to dislocate whenever I yawned. It no longer does this. My jaw also used to open and move towards the right side of my face. Now it moves straight down.
B) When you are pressing the back of your tongue into your soft palate, it is going to lift the Adam's apple upwards. In my opinion this is normal. I also experienced this, and shortly after found that the way in which I swallowed completely changed. Swallowing correctly is an important part of mewing. https://youtu.be/gcI8CvoFxfQ
Moving your jaw forward... You likely have an overbite because your lower jaw is recessed. Again in my opinion, it is natural for mewing to bring the lower jaw forwards in order to correctly position itself. I did not have a bad overbite, but I have felt my lower jaw slowly moving forwards as I experience structural changes in my face.
Suffocating yourself... This is a common experience when people first start mewing. Push your tongue into the back of the soft palate, and when you feel yourself unable to breathe, barely release the back of the tongue so that a slight bit of air can pass through. It may sound like you are snoring. https://youtu.be/eh9OqEd5z1k
There is no way I can guarantee what your journey will be like. I have had my own difficulties, but so far I have trusted in the process, have seen some positive results, and believe I will continue to do so.
If you want to speak to a professional, Sarah Hornsby is a myofunctional therapist who does free consultations on Skype. https://myfaceology.com
put the back of your tongue on the back on your upper jaw so that the airway is slightly blocked, then pull the front of your tongue back and squezze the tongue in your upper jaw. then let the tongue there for the rest of your life and push hard from time to time the tongue against the teeth(hard mewing) and enjoy the "soothing" pain of your jaw and face correcting itself. no pain no gain :P
I've heard that you should just swallow and keep your tongue where it is. The problem is when i swallow my tongue seems to be a bit more to the right, instead of on the incisive papilla. Does it have to be directly on it, or does it not matter?
I've heard that you should just swallow and keep your tongue where it is. The problem is when i swallow my tongue seems to be a bit more to the right, instead of on the incisive papilla. Does it have to be directly on it, or does it not matter?
So when your tongue is in the resting mewing position the tip of your tongue is on the incisive papilla, but when you swallow it moves to the right? Does it also do this when you do the cheesy grin swallow described in the youtube link I posted above?
Its funny because in concentrating on mewing, I end up looking pissed, even though Im just concentrating. I also need to comment that my neck is locking under my left ear. Im trying to keep good body posture, and dont think im holding my head at any weird angle.
Its funny because in concentrating on mewing, I end up looking pissed, even though Im just concentrating. I also need to comment that my neck is locking under my left ear. Im trying to keep good body posture, and dont think im holding my head at any weird angle.
Its funny because in concentrating on mewing, I end up looking pissed, even though Im just concentrating. I also need to comment that my neck is locking under my left ear. Im trying to keep good body posture, and dont think im holding my head at any weird angle.
Its funny because in concentrating on mewing, I end up looking pissed, even though Im just concentrating. I also need to comment that my neck is locking under my left ear. Im trying to keep good body posture, and dont think im holding my head at any weird angle.
I've heard that you should just swallow and keep your tongue where it is. The problem is when i swallow my tongue seems to be a bit more to the right, instead of on the incisive papilla. Does it have to be directly on it, or does it not matter?
So when your tongue is in the resting mewing position the tip of your tongue is on the incisive papilla, but when you swallow it moves to the right? Does it also do this when you do the cheesy grin swallow described in the youtube link I posted above?
Yes. And i'm even having trouble with putting the tongue on the incisive papilla. I think the problem is that my upper jaw is asymmetrical, and thats why im concerned about pressing up against the incisive papilla since it isn't directly in the middle for me.
Its funny because in concentrating on mewing, I end up looking pissed, even though Im just concentrating. I also need to comment that my neck is locking under my left ear. Im trying to keep good body posture, and dont think im holding my head at any weird angle.
What do you mean locking? Are your muscles cramping up?
I've heard that you should just swallow and keep your tongue where it is. The problem is when i swallow my tongue seems to be a bit more to the right, instead of on the incisive papilla. Does it have to be directly on it, or does it not matter?
So when your tongue is in the resting mewing position the tip of your tongue is on the incisive papilla, but when you swallow it moves to the right? Does it also do this when you do the cheesy grin swallow described in the youtube link I posted above?
Yes. And i'm even having trouble with putting the tongue on the incisive papilla. I think the problem is that my upper jaw is asymmetrical, and thats why im concerned about pressing up against the incisive papilla since it isn't directly in the middle for me.
I have actually had similar problems off-and-on. As my palate expands, and as subtle structural changes occur, my palate actually becomes lopsided sometimes. During these times I also have trouble keeping my tongue on the incisive papilla. I would try and put my tongue there, but it would keep sliding to one side.
I have made a conscious effort however to always keep the tip of my tongue centered either on the incisive papilla or just above it. I have questioned whether or not this is correct when my palate is lopsided, because I have to consciously push my tongue to one side of my mouth which creates significant strain on both my tongue and the muscles on one side of my face. But in the end I actually felt like this helped to correct my asymmetry.
Like I was saying above, I feel like the tongue is the center point, and the structure and muscles balance themselves around the tongue. I think that asymmetries will make themselves known in the oral cavity, and it is up to the tongue to correct these asymmetries through proper tongue posture. I am assuming that the incisive papilla is the constant center and that's why the tip of the tongue is supposed to rest there.
Now this is what has worked for me. I wondered when looking at Tom Cruise's face, if he were to practice mewing, where would he put his tongue?. Since his two front teeth are not centered under his nose, would he still put his tongue just above his two front teeth? I would say yes, but I'm not sure.
You may want to ask your question as a new topic on the main forum to get some more responses.
Question… Does your jaw open straight down when you open it? Or does it open to one side?
I do not know if this applies to you, but you can try these exercises to help correct some asymmetries...
I've heard that you should just swallow and keep your tongue where it is. The problem is when i swallow my tongue seems to be a bit more to the right, instead of on the incisive papilla. Does it have to be directly on it, or does it not matter?
So when your tongue is in the resting mewing position the tip of your tongue is on the incisive papilla, but when you swallow it moves to the right? Does it also do this when you do the cheesy grin swallow described in the youtube link I posted above?
Yes. And i'm even having trouble with putting the tongue on the incisive papilla. I think the problem is that my upper jaw is asymmetrical, and thats why im concerned about pressing up against the incisive papilla since it isn't directly in the middle for me.
I have actually had similar problems off-and-on. As my palate expands, and as subtle structural changes occur, my palate actually becomes lopsided sometimes. During these times I also have trouble keeping my tongue on the incisive papilla. I would try and put my tongue there, but it would keep sliding to one side.
I have made a conscious effort however to always keep the tip of my tongue centered either on the incisive papilla or just above it. I have questioned whether or not this is correct when my palate is lopsided, because I have to consciously push my tongue to one side of my mouth which creates significant strain on both my tongue and the muscles on one side of my face. But in the end I actually felt like this helped to correct my asymmetry.
Like I was saying above, I feel like the tongue is the center point, and the structure and muscles balance themselves around the tongue. I think that asymmetries will make themselves known in the oral cavity, and it is up to the tongue to correct these asymmetries through proper tongue posture. I am assuming that the incisive papilla is the constant center and that's why the tip of the tongue is supposed to rest there.
Now this is what has worked for me. I wondered when looking at Tom Cruise's face, if he were to practice mewing, where would he put his tongue?. Since his two front teeth are not centered under his nose, would he still put his tongue just above his two front teeth? I would say yes, but I'm not sure.
You may want to ask your question as a new topic on the main forum to get some more responses.
Question… Does your jaw open straight down when you open it? Or does it open to one side?
I do not know if this applies to you, but you can try these exercises to help correct some asymmetries...
My problem is actually the exact same as tom cruise. I think you're right about the incisive papilla still being the center, even though my upper jaw is asymmetrical. I'm wondering if you're supposed to feel the ridge, or how it feels like, just to know if i'm doing it right. And when i open my mouth it goes straight down, but makes a small movement when i close it again to adapt to my asymmetry.
My problem is actually the exact same as tom cruise. I think you're right about the incisive papilla still being the center, even though my upper jaw is asymmetrical. I'm wondering if you're supposed to feel the ridge, or how it feels like, just to know if i'm doing it right. And when i open my mouth it goes straight down, but makes a small movement when i close it again to adapt to my asymmetry.
According to this article you should be able to feel a difference when the tip is on the incisive papilla.
/community/guide-to-proper-tongue-posture-mewing/
I would just feel around with your tongue and see if you can tell.
As my palate expands and contracts it is constantly feeling different. But most of the time I can feel a little line coming from the middle of my two front teeth and I can trace it back along the roof of my mouth. If I cannot find it, I place my tongue on the biting edge of my two front teeth and then place my tongue above them. I'm always careful not to push on my front teeth however, as I don't want to make them crooked. It is also why I usually place the tip of my tongue slightly higher than Dr. mew recommends.
There have been times when I feel like my tongue is pointing in the wrong direction, like it is not natural. But I just went with it, and so far it has somehow corrected itself.
My problem is actually the exact same as tom cruise. I think you're right about the incisive papilla still being the center, even though my upper jaw is asymmetrical. I'm wondering if you're supposed to feel the ridge, or how it feels like, just to know if i'm doing it right. And when i open my mouth it goes straight down, but makes a small movement when i close it again to adapt to my asymmetry.
According to this article you should be able to feel a difference when the tip is on the incisive papilla.
/community/guide-to-proper-tongue-posture-mewing/
I would just feel around with your tongue and see if you can tell.
As my palate expands and contracts it is constantly feeling different. But most of the time I can feel a little line coming from the middle of my two front teeth and I can trace it back along the roof of my mouth. If I cannot find it, I place my tongue on the biting edge of my two front teeth and then place my tongue above them. I'm always careful not to push on my front teeth however, as I don't want to make them crooked. It is also why I usually place the tip of my tongue slightly higher than Dr. mew recommends.
There have been times when I feel like my tongue is pointing in the wrong direction, like it is not natural. But I just went with it, and so far it has somehow corrected itself.
I think i can feel the incisive papilla now, theres just one problem. My bottom front teeth are pretty crooked, so when my tip is on the incisive papilla it's touching my lower teeth. even if i move further above the incisive papilla, it's still touching the teeth. I'm considering braces at this point, but i've heard that mewing will not work with braces on.
I think i can feel the incisive papilla now, theres just one problem. My bottom front teeth are pretty crooked, so when my tip is on the incisive papilla it's touching my lower teeth. even if i move further above the incisive papilla, it's still touching the teeth. I'm considering braces at this point, but i've heard that mewing will not work with braces on.
Is your tongue fully on the roof of your mouth? Does it fit between your upper molars?
When I first started mewing, my tongue was also touching my bottom front teeth. I did not realize it at first, but it was doing this because my tongue was not fitting between my first bicuspids bringing the front part of my tongue downwards. The first two or three weeks I would find ways to get my tongue between my upper molars and used a lot of suction holds. After achieving some expansion, I was able to get my tongue up into the roof of my mouth and it no longer touched my bottom teeth.
I have no idea if this is the case for you, but try and observe your tongue and see if you have it fully in your palate. You can try and slide your tongue along the roof of your mouth towards the back, and then try and slide it between your teeth.
I do think that you can mew with braces. It is not ideal but it is better than nothing. If you decide to get braces, I would try and find a practitioner who is understanding of the importance of tongue positioning and will help you to achieve the goals of myofunctional therapy and orthotropics.
I think i can feel the incisive papilla now, theres just one problem. My bottom front teeth are pretty crooked, so when my tip is on the incisive papilla it's touching my lower teeth. even if i move further above the incisive papilla, it's still touching the teeth. I'm considering braces at this point, but i've heard that mewing will not work with braces on.
Is your tongue fully on the roof of your mouth? Does it fit between your upper molars?
When I first started mewing, my tongue was also touching my bottom front teeth. I did not realize it at first, but it was doing this because my tongue was not fitting between my first bicuspids bringing the front part of my tongue downwards. The first two or three weeks I would find ways to get my tongue between my upper molars and used a lot of suction holds. After achieving some expansion, I was able to get my tongue up into the roof of my mouth and it no longer touched my bottom teeth.
I have no idea if this is the case for you, but try and observe your tongue and see if you have it fully in your palate. You can try and slide your tongue along the roof of your mouth towards the back, and then try and slide it between your teeth.
I do think that you can mew with braces. It is not ideal but it is better than nothing. If you decide to get braces, I would try and find a practitioner who is understanding of the importance of tongue positioning and will help you to achieve the goals of myofunctional therapy and orthotropics.
Well, now i've been putting my tongue on the incisive papilla for some days, it went really well at first, i saw a change with my cheeks, but now my nose has begun to turn more to the left side. It's probably because my incisive papilla is more to the left, so more pressure is being applied there. This just makes me really stressed out, because now i really don't know if i should put it on the incisive papilla, or more to the right. If i do it more to the right there isn't gonne be enough pressure, which will lead to nothing. I'm on the urge to give up, and just let it be at the bottom right now.
Well, now i've been putting my tongue on the incisive papilla for some days, it went really well at first, i saw a change with my cheeks, but now my nose has begun to turn more to the left side. It's probably because my incisive papilla is more to the left, so more pressure is being applied there. This just makes me really stressed out, because now i really don't know if i should put it on the incisive papilla, or more to the right. If i do it more to the right there isn't gonne be enough pressure, which will lead to nothing. I'm on the urge to give up, and just let it be at the bottom right now.
I hear you. It is possible that if you just kept at it with continued effort, everything would eventually balance itself out. But I can understand that it is scary to see changes like the ones you describe, especially since there is no absolute certainty right now as to what is actually going on with your oral and facial structure.
Your best bet would be to see an actual orthotropic doctor. You can use the map on the bottom of this page to try and find one in your area.
Even if you have to make a road trip somewhere, it would probably be worth it.
You could also just go see an orthodontist who may be able to tell you why you have the asymmetry. They may or may not be sympathetic with orthotropic and tongue positioning, and you may not agree with their solutions, but more information could help you make better decisions moving forward.
Well, now i've been putting my tongue on the incisive papilla for some days, it went really well at first, i saw a change with my cheeks, but now my nose has begun to turn more to the left side. It's probably because my incisive papilla is more to the left, so more pressure is being applied there. This just makes me really stressed out, because now i really don't know if i should put it on the incisive papilla, or more to the right. If i do it more to the right there isn't gonne be enough pressure, which will lead to nothing. I'm on the urge to give up, and just let it be at the bottom right now.
I hear you. It is possible that if you just kept at it with continued effort, everything would eventually balance itself out. But I can understand that it is scary to see changes like the ones you describe, especially since there is no absolute certainty right now as to what is actually going on with your oral and facial structure.
Your best bet would be to see an actual orthotropic doctor. You can use the map on the bottom of this page to try and find one in your area.
Even if you have to make a road trip somewhere, it would probably be worth it.
You could also just go see an orthodontist who may be able to tell you why you have the asymmetry. They may or may not be sympathetic with orthotropic and tongue positioning, and you may not agree with their solutions, but more information could help you make better decisions moving forward.
I will defenitely contact my orthodontist, but i don't have the money to see an orthotropic at the moment. It just frightens me that already from 3 days to now my nose has changed negatively. I'm hoping that it can't get worse from now and it will correct itself, but if i'm not sure i really don't know if i should continue it.
Take it easy on yourself and don't give up. I was very confused too, at first, and I'm almost 50. Been Mewing since Aug 2017. So there is a lot of hope for you!
If you go to a specialist, that is great. If you look on YouTube, you will find people who also explain. Sometimes the way a person explains it in their own personal way helps. I like How To Achieve Ideal Tongue Posture by YouTuber: Gray.
Take it easy on yourself and don't give up. I was very confused too, at first, and I'm almost 50. Been Mewing since Aug 2017. So there is a lot of hope for you!
If you go to a specialist, that is great. If you look on YouTube, you will find people who also explain. Sometimes the way a person explains it in their own personal way helps. I like How To Achieve Ideal Tongue Posture by YouTuber: Gray.
The thing is, when i actually do it right i get positive results, but at the same time worsens my asymmetry, because my incisive papilla isn't in the middle of my face. That's where i question, where i should place my tongue instead. I've actually talked to gray, but not about this topic... maybe he has an answer to this.
Skull and Jaw Correction
Join hundreds who are Tensegrity Mewing, enhancing the good results of mewing and reversing damage. Free Newsletter and Classes
Your email is safe with us, we don’t spam