January 4th 1998
HEAL YOUR MOUTH AND JAW.
Our mouth muscle is a so-called ring muscle. There are ring muscles around the throat, the intestines, the arteries, the genitals, just to name a few of them. All the ring muscles in the body are working together like an orchestra. If we improve the tone of the mouth muscle, it will have an effect on the tone of the throat muscle and the other ring muscles.
If you exercise for example the mouth muscle in a special way, then after a while other ring muscles start to move as well. Remember that it is essential for a muscle to be in a "good tone" - that means not too tight and not overrelaxed. We can see people with lots of different mouth shapes. Some lips are very small and tight, others are full of fluid and too loose, others look a bit worn out like an old rubber band.
The shape of the mouth is slightly changing all the time. A mouth with a good tone has got the shape of a heart. Quite often people with a heart shaped mouth stick out from the crowd and as you look at them you find yourself wondering if they have been singing, acting or practising any mouth exercises.
A lot of people - mostly women - smile too much. Of course in some professions it might be necessary to smile. Nevertheless, it is true that too much automatic smiling can wear out the mouth muscle.
Some people have an habitual smile and as soon as it goes, the corners of their mouth are hanging down and make them look depressed.
We often talk without using our lips enough to form the sound. Therefore it is a good exercise to start with pronouncing a poem by forming every syllable with shaped lips, as if a deaf person would have to be able to read the words from the lips. If your muscle tone is too loose, then this simple exercise might already give you the sensation of a togetherness of the lips, a sensation of security and safety. The tight "O" where you tighten every bit of the muscle and hold the tension for a minute is the best sound for a loose tone.
Lip muscles that are too tight and thin need a big opening of the mouth instead. The best is to go from the big open "lion's mouth" in very slow motion to the very tight "O", and back again. After a few minutes of practising, stay in the "in between state" and tighten and loosen little bits of the mouth muscle again and again.
Then practise an "U" where you curl your upper lip around your nose (it is enough to work towards it.....) and support it with the lower lip. Hold this shape tight for a minute., then relax. Blow your lips with a "brrrr" if possible. That is a good and relaxing exercise for trumpet players.
People who smile too much usually do not use words where they have to shape their mouth to an "o", such as "go away","no, I don't", "I won't". They would rather say "Yes" and "very nice" instead.
A smile is opening you up to your environment. You take the energy in and that means you are vulnerable. If you get hurt and you are still smiling it might be a good idea to use some words that close you down and push the world away from you, such as those mentioned last paragraph.
Some people have a body posture that invites others to drain or hurt them. It is good to be consciously open to the world and to take it in, when it is gentle, loving and safe. But if you are feeling tired, worn out or hurt it is time for you to close yourself down effectively. Quite often very old habits caused by parental or teachers' influences can be changed once you start noticing them properly. For example you might have been asked to smile at teachers as you were greeting them - but you don't really have to do that anymore as an adult. You can choose to smile in your own way. Of course, there are some people who never smile.
A good flower remedy for the ones who smile too much is Agrimony. And the ones who never smile might need Mustard, Gentian, Wild Rose or Holly.
The following exercise, if practised in a relaxed way, might be useful for people who suffer from incontinence, indigestion, and for women who have given birth and suffer from too loose vaginal muscles:
Lie down on your bed. Have your legs up, heals touching the buttocks. Then start pronouncing the "u" and the "eeh" alternatively. Shape your lips like a comb as if you would say "cheese" for the camera for the "eeh" part of the sound. Tense the lip muscles properly. Do the exercise twice a day for 5 to 10 minutes until you get the result you want.
Vocal Expression.
I sometimes run voice workshops where we work with sound, breathing and massage for a whole day. But I will only suggest a few exercises here. After having practised a few of the vowel sounds you might want to do a creative exercise now. If you are inhibited, you might find this one too difficult and would rather stick to some more precise instructions. In my voice workshops I always have to watch the people carefully and then decide if I am going to offer this creative exercise to them because it only needs one person to be inhibited in order to stop the whole group.
If you have been practising the "moving your arms freely to music" exercise, you might like this one as well.
Babies are usually babbling all the time before they learn to say words. Young children still have this ability to use "gibberish" or sing and hum along without words, as they are playing.
If you think that you are not creative, if you think that you cannot sing, dance or draw, if you think that you always have to be told how to do things, then this exercise is for you. But you might not be able to do it straight away. It might take you a few days or weeks to learn and you might need a safe space where you are alone and nobody can hear you. Do not think that this exercise is childish and not for adults, and do not underestimate it.
Find a space where you are alone and nobody can hear you. Lie dowm on a comfortable matress and close your eyes. Then start to pronounce the vowels "a", "e". "i" ,"o" and "u". Then imagine that you are a toddler and start to make sounds. Take your time and do not forget to breathe. Here are some guide lines for people who feel a bit inhibited:
Try to make a few of your favourite animal sounds, then imagine that you are eating and make some eating sounds. Finish off by imagining that you are singing in a choir. Try to make your own individual sounds. Try to have fun.
This exercise can release a lot of suppressed emotions. Therefore it is advisable not to go too far on your own. If you need help, contact me or another therapist who works with emotional expression.
Chanting the vowels.
This exercise can help you to center yourself. Sit down on a cushion with your back straight and breathe. Visualize the spine and the chakras or energy centres. For the base chakra use the sound "u" three times. Then go up to the hara, the chakra which is situated five fingers under your navel. Use the sound "o" three times. Then move to the heart chakra with the sound "a". Move further to the throat chakra with the sound "eeh" and shape your mouth like a comb. The last sound is "e" for the third eye chakra, which is situated between the eyes. Then visualize the top chakra on the top of your head and be silent for a few minutes. Feel the energy moving through your body.
This exercise is like a meditation. It can change the energy in the room within a very short time. Notice that there is no sound being used for the abdomen chakra. Notice that the sound "eh" is different from "e".
Next week we will practise mouth and face massage.