Tight Jaw, Tight Hips? Where Your Body Holds Stress

Tight jaw, shoulders up by your ears, waking at 3 a.m.? Somatic movement teacher Liz Tenuto, author of When the Body Speaks, joins Dr. Chris Motley to explore where the body holds stress, why she favors tiny, lazy movements over force, why animals shake it off, and how to recognize when you’re still bracing. Dr. Motley adds the Chinese Medicine perspective on the jaw and waking at 3 a.m. Sources and corrections are included in the show notes. Content note: This episode discusses trauma, emotional healing, and the mind-body connection. Take care while listening, and feel free to pause or skip around if you need to. Educational only, not medical advice. Chapters: 00:00 Cold open: where your body holds stress 00:44 Welcome: Liz Tenuto, somatic movement teacher 02:45 Ten years without sleep, and everything she tried 03:51 "People rolling around on the floor in their pajamas" 04:47 Inside a somatic class: the laziest movements possible 05:52 From workhorse to gentle, and what surfaced 07:06 A dancer, disconnected from her emotional body 08:45 Does the body remember? 11:55 Dance, EMDR, and life before The Body Keeps the Score 13:23 Is fascia a highway for emotion? 15:00 Shoulders at her ears, and the saran wrap picture 16:58 Tiny lazy movements and new pathways 18:30 Calm, wired, or shut down: the "Goldilocks" state 19:41 Why people keep going back to the chiropractor 20:46 Calm takes reps 22:09 How your body learns tension 25:02 Can a stuck joint slow your lymph? 26:17 Dr. Motley's method: meridians, muscles, and the liver 30:17 An old basketball injury and three months of brain fog 33:10 How Liz starts with a new client 34:41 Why animals shake it off 38:04 Where your body holds stress: hips, shoulders, neck, jaw 39:48 Jaw tension, TMJ, and the Gallbladder channel 41:17 How long does it take? 42:29 Why forcing a release backfires 44:37 Why Dr. Motley tells patients a year 45:31 Signs you're storing stress 46:40 3 a.m., your lungs, and the Chinese medicine clock 47:35 What letting go feels like 49:24 Where to find Liz 50:50 Closing thoughts 52:09 Disclaimer Want more of The Ancient Health Podcast? Subscribe to the YouTube channel. Follow Doctor Motley! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doctormotley TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@doctormotley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctormotley/ Website: https://doctormotley.com Follow Liz Tenuto: Website: https://theworkoutwitch.com/  YouTube:  theworkoutwitch.com/s/youtube Instagram: theworkoutwitch.com/s/instagram Book: https://theworkoutwitch.com/pages/book *Join Doctor  Motley’s newsletter for TCM insights and regular podcast updates https://www.doctormotley.com/ *Do you have a ton more in-depth questions for Doctor Motley? Check out his course on emotions and the body in his membership. You’ll find other courses full of his expertise and clinical wisdom, plus bring all your questions to his weekly lives! To try risk-free for 15 days click here https://www.doctormotley.com/15 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices