10-minute gratitude meditation for jaw tension, on the morning of an interview

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 10 minutes of gratitude for jaw tension, on the morning of an interview. A guided session of about 10 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: jaw tension

The jaw is a stress-holding site for many people, often without awareness until it aches. Grinding at night and clenching by day are the same response.

It tends to show up as:

• Clenched teeth, especially in the evening
• Aching or clicking jaw joints
• A dull headache at the temples

Repeatedly checking and softening the jaw through a session teaches you to catch the clench during the day.

Doing this before an interview

• Do it where you will not be interrupted, even if that is a stairwell
• Have the first sentence of your answer ready afterwards
• Keep it short — there is no time for a long session

Nerves before an interview are normal and not something to eliminate. You need access to what you know, nothing more.

How gratitude works

Gratitude here is an attention practice, not a demand for a positive mood. Attention defaults to threats because they are urgent, so pleasant and ordinary things get skipped simply for being safe.

• Pick one ordinary thing rather than something impressive
• Stay with it for two breaths — depth beats length of list
• Do not aim at feeling grateful; aim at noticing

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00You don't have to empty your mind. Nobody has ever managed that, including the people who wrote the instructions.
2. 0:16Pick one ordinary thing from today — a warm drink, a dry walk, a message — and let it count.
3. 0:33Notice the pause at the end of each breath. It's short, but it's there.
4. 0:47We'll be quiet for a bit longer than usual. Stay with whatever shows up.
5. 1:01Count four breaths silently. Then stop counting and just follow.
6. 1:13Notice that you don't have to start a breath. It arrives by itself.
7. 1:26Feel the skin around your eyes. Let the muscles behind them go loose.
8. 1:39Move to your forehead. Let it be smooth instead of gathered.
9. 1:51Start at the top of your head. Notice the scalp, which you almost never notice.
10. 2:05Notice your shins, which take small knocks all day and never complain.
11. 2:18If the grinding that follows worry shows up, let it be there without arguing with it. You are not trying to remove it, just to sit beside it.
12. 2:38Let the exhale carry a little of the clenched teeth at night with it. Not all of it. Just a little, one breath at a time.
13. 2:57If you feel restless, that's a feeling, not a failure.
14. 3:09There is no need to feel grateful. Just look, and see what is actually there.
15. 3:23I'll be quiet for a moment. Stay with the breath.
16. 3:35Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
17. 3:47Stay with it for two breaths. Gratitude deepens by staying, not by listing.
18. 4:00A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
19. 4:11If you're thinking about the next thing on your list, that list will still be there.
20. 4:26We are not forcing positivity. We are just noticing what went right, however small.
21. 4:40Let me stop talking. Follow the breath instead.
22. 4:51Notice if your breathing is faster than you expected. Don't correct it. Just note it.
23. 5:05Let the quiet do its work.
24. 5:15Feel the outline of yourself, from the top of your head to your heels.
25. 5:29Let your breathing get quieter rather than deeper.
26. 5:40Take the next breath slowly.
27. 5:49Notice your wrists. They bend a lot in a day.
28. 6:01Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
29. 6:12Let your body keep settling.
30. 6:21Feel the back of your neck. That's a place that holds a lot.
31. 6:34Notice the small pause before your body decides to breathe in again.
32. 6:47I'll leave a gap here. Use it however you like.
33. 6:59Think of the tight jaw that speaks for your stress as a guest that arrived without knocking. You can let it stand in the hallway.
34. 7:18You have been carrying the grinding that follows worry for a while. You can set it down for the length of this session and pick it up after.
35. 7:38Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
36. 7:52When the clenched teeth at night presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
37. 8:11If you're sleepy, sit up a little. Or let the sleepiness be there.
38. 8:24If your body wants to move, let it move, then come back.
39. 8:37Silence. Let your shoulders drop again if they've crept up.
40. 8:49If nothing comes, notice that something did not go wrong. That also counts.
41. 9:02A few seconds more.
42. 9:11Take your time opening your eyes. Nothing is waiting urgently.
43. 9:23If you drifted off, that was rest, and rest counts.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.