Awareness

Moshe Feldenkrais elegantly argued that we act in accordance with our self image. If you by any chance suffer from TMJ difficulties you might find this bit of mischief increases your self understanding. Which might, perhaps, be useful. Pop your little fingers pad side forward (back of the hand towards you) inside your ear. The ear is related to that little hole on the left of the picture. If you gently think your fingers forward you will be - through feeling- in contact with the joint which is forward of it - your jaw joint. Now open your mouth. The joint rotates for a few degrees but if you continue opening a curious thing happens and your contact changes. To me the bone of the jaw (the condyle) seems to fall away. It’s moved down and somewhat over that little bump. It’s this movement - facilitated by a helpful little disk - that allows you to open the mouth wide enough to eat a big sandwich or to yawn or to shout or or or. And this is where clicks and pops and sometimes serious discomforts occur : something in this mechanism goes a little - or a lot - awry. You may notice many things if you try his many times and give it your full gentle attention and, who knows, it may even somehow - help.