7-minute guided gratitude practice for jaw tension — on the way in

About this practice

Nothing to learn and nothing to fix: 7 minutes of gratitude for jaw tension, on the way in. A guided session of about 7 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 on your commute

• Headphones on, eyes open or closed depending on your comfort
• Keep one part of your attention on your stop
• Do it standing if sitting is not possible — nobody is watching

Commuting time is already dead time. Nothing is being given up.

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. 0:00Then find the nearest sound. It's probably your own breathing.
2. 0:12There is no need to feel grateful. Just look, and see what is actually there.
3. 0:26We're going to move through the body in order, roughly from top to bottom.
4. 0:40Feel the small movements your body makes to keep you upright. They're happening without you.
5. 0:54Breathe as if you had all evening. There's no rush in this part.
6. 1:07Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
7. 1:20Notice where your body is still holding something. Leave it alone.
8. 1:32Feel your belly. Let it be soft instead of held in.
9. 1:44Feel the tops of your thighs.
10. 1:54You do not have to solve the grinding that follows worry in these few minutes. Your only job is to keep breathing while it is here.
11. 2:13If you catch yourself fighting the clenched teeth at night, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
12. 2:31Feel the back of your neck. That's a place that holds a lot.
13. 2:44Take the next breath slowly.
14. 2:53Notice where you feel the breath most clearly. Nose, chest, or belly — pick one and stay there.
15. 3:09If you're counting the minutes, that's fine. Count them and come back.
16. 3:22A few quiet breaths. That's all this is.
17. 3:33Pick one ordinary thing from today — a warm drink, a dry walk, a message — and let it count.
18. 3:50Notice if you've been frowning at your own thoughts.
19. 4:01Let your belly rise first, then your chest, then the tops of your lungs.
20. 4:15Silence for a few breaths. Nothing to do in it.
21. 4:27This is not the last time the tight jaw that speaks for your stress will visit. That is not bad news. It means you will get more practice.
22. 4:47Let the exhale carry a little of the grinding that follows worry with it. Not all of it. Just a little, one breath at a time.
23. 5:06Let the in-breath be short and the out-breath unhurried.
24. 5:17If you're irritated, that's allowed. Irritation is just weather.
25. 5:28Notice the moment you realise you've drifted. That moment is the whole skill.
26. 5:41Nothing to follow for a moment except your own breathing.
27. 5:53Stay with it for two breaths. Gratitude deepens by staying, not by listing.
28. 6:06Start to notice the edges of your body again, and the surface you're on.
29. 6:20Before you move, notice one thing that's fine right now.
30. 6:32Let it be this simple.

Questions people ask

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