In this equalization workshop, I share the features of one's mouth to help the audience understand the uniqueness of one's mouth. Then, I teach some exercises that help to improve equalization. Find out more about our work at https://equalizationgym.com/

1. Getting to Know your Mouth Better:
Mouth, Jaw and Cheek Exercises to Improve Equalization

2. Why a special interest in equalization?
• As a beginner freediver, I could not equalize, so I
spent a lot of time thinking about and experimenting
with equalization to overcome my limitations.
• It cause me to view things through an equalization
lens and to always ask: How does this link to
equalization? How can I improve my equalization?
• Earlier this year, I took a myofunctional therapy
course and started to look at equalization through
this lens.

3. Content
• Recap: Earlier in the week: Tongue, Sinuses
• Today: Mouth
1. Jaw and Cheek Assessment: Series of Self-
Assessment Questions
2. Five Exercises to Explore Mouth, Jaws and
Cheeks Learning how each mouth is unique may give insights
to why the process of learning equalization can be so
different for each person.

4. Jaw and Cheek Assessment

5. 1. How wide can you open your jaw?
How many fingers can
you fit into your
mouth?

6. Narrow Palate
Wide Palate
Lack of
space for all
32 teeth,
including
wisdom
teeth
2. How wide is your hard palate?
1. How many teeth
can you see when
you smile?
1. Did your jaws have
enough space for
all 4 wisdom teeth
to grow into?

7. Narrow Palate
Wide Palate
Buccal Corridor
2. How wide is your hard palate?
Do you have buccal
corridors?

8. 3. Do you have scalloping of your
tongue?
How wide is your hard
palate in relation to
the size of your
tongue?

9. 4. Do you have bite marks on your cheeks?
Use the tip of your
tongue to feel the
sides of your cheeks.
Do you feel lines or
bite marks on them?

10. 5. Do you grind your teeth?

11. 6a. Do you clench your teeth?
Feel your hard palate with your tongue. Do you
have a bump on the hard palate?

12. 6b. Do you clench your teeth?
Feel the sides of your inner gum line with your tongue.
Is the surface smooth or do you feel two bumps sticking out?

13. Four Exercises

14. Teeth Appreciation
1. Many nerves connect
to the teeth.
2. They are sensitive yet
strong – allow a
mother tiger to bite
gently to carry her
babies by the scruff of
their neck but also
enough strength to bit
the necks of her prey
to kill them.

15. Exercise 1: Holographic Breathing
• Purpose: To reduce the urge to clench – help
reset the default mode of strength to close the
jaws.
• How?
1. Put tongue up against the hard palate
2. Seal your lips close
3. On inhale, open your teeth by about 2 mm
4. On exhale, close your teeth to touching

16. Exercise 2: Humming and Opening E-Tubes
• Purpose: To work towards doing the constant
pressure hands-free technique
• How?
1. Start Humming
2. Open your E-tubes
3. Change of sound when E-tubes open

17. Constant Pressure Hands Free

18. Exercise 3: Cheek Puffs/Blowfish
• Purpose: Strengthen pharyngeal (cheek and back
of throat) muscles
1. Blow up left cheek and hold for 5 counts
2. Proceed to blow up philtrum (above upper lip
area) and hold for 5 counts. Repeat with right
cheek and chin, going one round
3. Try both directions, try moving the air in a
continuous movement

19. Exercise 4: Eye-Jaw Coordination
1. Lower and relax your lower jaw (mandible)
2. Move jaw to the left, while you move your
eyeballs to the left.
3. Then, move jaw to the right, while you move
your eyeballs to the right.
4. And repeat 20 times

20. Exercise 5: Chewing Muscles Massage
• Purpose: Even out muscle imbalance between
left and right side; reduce facial tension
• Lateral Pterygoid Muscles
• Masseters Muscles

21. Chewing Muscles: Lateral Pterygoid
Moves mandible
forward, left and right.

22. Chewing Muscles: Masseters
Moves mandible up
and down.

23. Open Discussion and Q & A