12-minute guided body scan practice for jaw tension — before sleep

About this practice

A 12-minute body scan session for jaw tension, before sleep. No app, no account — press start. A guided session of about 12 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 sleep

• Dim the lights and put the phone out of reach
• Do it in bed if that helps you stay there
• Let yourself fall asleep rather than finishing it

Checking anything afterwards undoes most of it. Let this be the last thing.

How body scan works

A body scan moves attention systematically through the body, region by region. It does not try to change what it finds — it builds a map of what is actually there, which is often different from what you assumed.

• Move slowly, head to feet or feet to head, and do not skip the uncomfortable areas
• Meet each region with plain curiosity rather than a verdict
• Numbness and absence of sensation are findings too

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00If you're lying down, let the mattress hold all of you. You can stop holding yourself up.
2. 0:15We'll take this slowly, and there's no version of this where you get it wrong.
3. 0:29Let your attention rest on the out-breath. The in-breath can take care of itself.
4. 0:43Bring your attention to where your body meets the surface underneath you.
5. 0:56Notice how many breaths you take in a minute. Don't change the number, just check.
6. 1:10Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
7. 1:23Feel the parts of you that have gone quiet.
8. 1:34Feel your upper back against whatever is behind it.
9. 1:45Feel the middle of your back, the part that never gets attention.
10. 1:58Notice your ears, which mostly just receive things.
11. 2:09You 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.
12. 2:29When 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.
13. 2:48Let the breath get soft, the way it goes when someone is reading beside you.
14. 3:02If your mind has wandered, that's not a mistake. Noticing is the practice.
15. 3:15We'll keep it quiet and unhurried.
16. 3:25A few seconds of nothing now. That's on purpose.
17. 3:36Notice how quickly your mind labels things: good, bad, boring, nice.
18. 3:48Small efforts are the whole method.
19. 3:58Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
20. 4:10If nothing much is happening, that's not a problem. Nothing much is often the point.
21. 4:24There's no need to try harder than this.
22. 4:35Quiet for a moment. No need to fill it.
23. 4:46Notice any part of you that wants this to be over.
24. 4:58If you only manage half of it, that's half more than nothing.
25. 5:11A gap. Don't rush to fill it with thinking.
26. 5:22If you feel restless, that's a feeling, not a failure.
27. 5:34Nothing here needs to be efficient.
28. 5:44Notice the space between your shoulder blades.
29. 5:54Let the breath move at the speed of a sleeping person.
30. 6:06A few seconds more.
31. 6:15Notice your shoulders, one at a time. The left one first.
32. 6:27Let the exhale fall out rather than pushing it.
33. 6:38Keep following the air.
34. 6:47Notice the small movement in your belly when you breathe.
35. 6:59Notice the small pause before your body decides to breathe in again.
36. 7:12Stay a moment longer than is comfortable.
37. 7:22Notice where your body is still holding something. Leave it alone.
38. 7:34Let your shoulders stay still while your ribs move.
39. 7:45Let it be this simple.
40. 7:54Now feel both feet at once. That's a lot of contact with the world.
41. 8:08There is no correct amount of the tight jaw that speaks for your stress to be feeling right now. Whatever is here is the honest amount.
42. 8:27A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
43. 8:38You do not have to win against the grinding that follows worry. You only have to breathe until the next moment arrives.
44. 8:56Follow three breaths and let the fourth one go unobserved.
45. 9:08If you catch yourself fighting the clenched teeth at night, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
46. 9:26Think of the tight jaw that speaks for your stress as a guest that arrived without knocking. You can let it stand in the hallway.
47. 9:45Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
48. 9:58If a worry shows up, name it quietly and let it sit beside you.
49. 10:12If a song is stuck in your head, let it play in the background.
50. 10:26No words for a moment. Only the next breath.
51. 10:37Let this be easy, if easy is available.
52. 10:48Let the quiet do its work.
53. 10:58Let your breathing go back to whatever it does when nobody is watching.
54. 11:11Come back to the room through your senses, one at a time.
55. 11:24No rush to move on.

Questions people ask

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