Avalon Wellness & Performance

Is your jaw moving evenly? Try this quick self-check! 👀

Place one finger on your chin and slowly open and close your mouth. Does your jaw travel straight—or does it shift, hesitate, or click?

A deviation doesn’t automatically mean something is wrong, but it can reveal how your jaw is coordinating and where tension or restriction may be present.

This is just one of the self-assessments inside my upcoming TMJ Relief Blueprint. We’re putting the finishing touches on the landing page, and I cannot wait to share it with you! ✨

Meet the Boomerang Stretch—one of my favorite ways to create space through the ribs, upper back, and side body. 🌙

Place your hands on the wall and gently shift your body into a long “banana” shape.

🌬️ Inhale: Direct your breath into the open side of your rib cage. Imagine the ribs expanding and the spine gently lengthening.

💨 Exhale: Press your hands into the wall and reach your hips away, actively creating even more length between the ribs.

This stretch can be especially helpful for:

• Rib and upper-body tension
• The postural changes of pregnancy
• Asymmetry associated with scoliosis
• Anyone who needs more lateral rib-cage mobility

Move gently, breathe slowly, and avoid forcing the range. With scoliosis or pregnancy, the two sides may feel very different—and that’s okay. This stretch is about exploration and expansion, not forcing symmetry.

Save this tutorial and give your ribs a little more room to breathe. ✨

That post-training feeling ✨ Moving your body naturally releases feel-good hormones like endorphins, helping reduce stress, clear your mind, and reset your entire system. Sometimes movement really is the best medicine. 💪

Same body. Same squat. One little wedge—and a BIG difference. 👀

In the first squat, I’m barefoot without a wedge. Watch where my pelvis and low back land as I reach the bottom.

Then I elevate my heels, which reduces the amount of ankle dorsiflexion required. Suddenly, I can sit deeper while keeping my torso, pelvis, and low back in a much stronger position.

Finally, I add load while wearing lifting shoes, which provide a similar heel elevation and allow me to squat more efficiently under weight.

A heel wedge can be a valuable tool—but it also reveals how much ankle mobility influences your squat. If your ankles cannot move forward adequately over your feet, your body has to find that motion somewhere else.

The goal isn’t to force everyone into the same-looking squat. It’s to understand what your body needs to squat comfortably, efficiently, and safely—especially before adding load.

How does your squat change when you elevate your heels?

Just sharing a win 🤗🎉🙌

After YEARS of training, but lacking consistency I finally did a 20 kg military press at 40 years old 😅

Training and lifting for longevity is the goal and it’s fun to make gains 🥰

Happy Monday!

TONGUE-GUIDED JAW GLIDE 👅

This simple exercise encourages smooth, controlled movement of the jaw.

Place your tongue gently on the roof of your mouth, just behind your upper front teeth. Keeping it there, slowly open and close your mouth within a comfortable, pain-free range.

The tongue acts as a guide, helping you slow the movement down and become more aware of how your jaw tracks.

Move gently—never force your mouth farther than it comfortably wants to go. Stop if the exercise increases pain, locking, or other symptoms.

Try 5–8 slow repetitions and notice: Does your jaw move evenly, or does it shift to one side?

Your jaw doesn’t always need a deeper stretch—sometimes it needs a gentler approach. ✨

This mandible release uses light, steady contact to encourage the jaw to soften and decompress. Move slowly, breathe deeply, and allow the tissues to release without forcing the movement.

Try it when your jaw feels tight, tired, or tense from clenching. It should feel gentle and comfortable—never sharp or painful.

Save this tutorial for your next jaw-care reset!

Does your jaw click, feel tight or become uncomfortable when you chew or yawn? You’re not alone.

TMJ dysfunction is commonly discussed—but often misunderstood. One important distinction is that the TMJ is the jaw joint, while TMD describes a group of conditions affecting the joint, chewing muscles and surrounding structures.

Symptoms can differ from person to person. They may include jaw or facial pain, difficulty chewing, limited movement, locking, headaches, or painful clicking and popping.

A whole-person osteopathic assessment can explore how the jaw, head, neck, breathing mechanics and surrounding tissues are functioning together. When appropriate, gentle manual therapy may form one part of an individualized, multidisciplinary care plan.

Save this carousel for later or share it with someone who frequently experiences jaw tension.

Have you noticed clicking, tightness or discomfort in your jaw?

This content is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical or dental advice.

Source: National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research