Somatic Exercises

Somatic Release for Anger & Jaw Tension

Unclenching the Fight: Somatic Release for Anger and Jaw Pain

When you feel angry or frustrated but can’t express it, your body holds that energy in specific “fight” muscles: the jaw (ready to bite/yell) and the hands/shoulders (ready to punch/push).

Chronic jaw tension (TMJ) and neck pain are often just unexpressed anger or frustration trapped in the body.

You don’t need to “calm down.” You need to let the energy out safely.

3 Ways to Release Stored Anger

1. The “Lion’s Breath” (For the Jaw)

  • Why it works: This stretches the facial muscles and releases the tension around the throat and vocal cords where we hold back words.
  • How to do it:
    • Inhale deeply through your nose.
    • Open your mouth as wide as possible.
    • Stick your tongue out firmly towards your chin.
    • Exhale forcefully with a “HAAAAAA” sound (like a roaring sigh).
    • Widen your eyes.
    • Repeat 3 times. (It looks silly, but it works instantly).

2. The Wall Push (Mobilizing the Fight Response)

  • Why it works: When you are frustrated, your brain wants to push against something. This exercise lets you physically exert that force without hurting anyone.
  • How to do it:
    • Stand facing a wall.
    • Place both palms flat against the wall at shoulder height.
    • Step one foot back into a lunge.
    • Push the wall as hard as you can for 10 seconds. Engage your chest and arms.
    • Crucial Step: As you stop pushing, notice the strength in your arms. Feel your own power.

3. The Ear Pull (Vagus & Jaw Reset)

  • Why it works: The jaw bone connects right near the ear. Gently manipulating the ears can relax the deep masseter muscles and stimulate the Vagus Nerve.
  • How to do it:
    • Pinch your earlobes gently with thumb and pointer finger.
    • Pull them down and slightly out.
    • Open and close your jaw slowly while pulling.
    • Massage the cartilage all the way up to the top of the ear.

Neck Tension Relief: If your anger settles in your neck (the “weight of the world” feeling), I swear by using a Cervical Traction Pillow. You lay on it for 10 minutes, and it uses gravity to gently pull your head away from your shoulders, releasing that deep, chronic tightness.