Unravelling the Tension: The Face, the Jaw & the Trigeminal Nerve.

Have you ever noticed how your jaw clenches when you’re feeling overwhelmed? Or how tension seems to gather in your face without you even realising it? Our faces hold so much more than expression. They’re maps of sensation, emotion, and experience, and at the heart of this intricate network is the trigeminal nerve, the largest cranial nerve in the body.

The trigeminal nerve is responsible for both sensation and movement in the face. It has three main branches, one for the upper face and forehead, one for the midface and cheeks, and one that controls the jaw, including the muscles we use to chew. These branches allow us to feel temperature, pressure, and pain, but they also play a quiet role in how we respond to stress and emotion. The jaw, in particular, often becomes a silent container for the weight we carry. Clenching, grinding, or holding tension in this area can become a deeply ingrained pattern, and it’s often a pattern we don’t notice until pain or discomfort sets in.

When we experience stress or feel under threat, whether physically, emotionally, or even socially, our nervous system shifts into a state of high alert. The trigeminal nerve is closely connected to the body’s fight-or-flight response. That means when we feel stressed or unsafe, the face tightens, the jaw may lock, and our overall sense of ease disappears. For some, this may lead to facial pain, headaches, jaw dysfunction, or a sense of general unease and tension in the upper body.

In Yoga Therapy, we work gently with the nervous system to cultivate safety, awareness, and release. Bringing softness to the face and jaw is often one of the first steps in shifting from a state of stress to a state of rest. Simply bringing attention to the muscles of the face, relaxing the forehead, softening around the eyes, unclenching the jaw and we can begin to unwind deep patterns of holding. I often say in class: “Unclench the jaw, and the mind may follow.”

There are also specific practices that support the health and regulation of the trigeminal nerve. Lion’s Breath, where we open the mouth wide, stretch out the tongue, and release a big exhale, can be a playful and powerful way to let go. Gentle massage or acupressure around the temples, cheekbones, and jaw can soothe the nerve endings and bring comfort to tired muscles. And of course, slow diaphragmatic breathing remains one of the most accessible and effective ways to support the whole nervous system, helping the body move from tension into calm.

Sometimes, in our quieter moments, during savasana, in meditation, or even while brushing our teeth, we can tune into the face and simply ask: what am I holding here? What could soften? Often, just asking the question begins the process of release.

The face is more than just skin deep. It holds stories, sensations, and signals. It offers us a doorway into deeper understanding of the body’s subtle messages. When we approach the face and jaw with awareness and kindness, we begin to care for the whole self, one breath at a time.

Naomi Hurst