Proper tongue posture, also known as mewing, is the latest internet fad. With claims that it’ll improve your facial appearance, breathing habits, and more, you may have already tried mewing for yourself. Now, mewing can be uncomfortable, but should it hurt?
While it may be uncomfortable, mewing should not cause any pain. There are a number of reasons why some individuals may find mewing painful, and the solution is often practice.
Why Mewing Shouldn’t Hurt
Dr. Mike Mew, the creator of mewing, says that proper tongue posture involves resting the tongue against the roof of your mouth, also called the palate.
According to Dr. Mew, proper tongue posture should be maintained for as much of the day as possible. Ideally, you should be mewing all day and all night. It should be your default tongue position, even when sleeping.
As such, mewing should not cause you any pain. If it did, how could you be expected to maintain that tongue position all day? That’s simply unreasonable.
That’s my take on the situation. If mewing is supposed to be our default tongue posture for most of the day, it definitely shouldn’t hurt. If it did hurt, it could mean one of two things:
- We’re not mewing correctly, directly causing ourselves pain
- There’s something seriously wrong with our body, preventing us from maintaining proper tongue posture without feeling pain
If Mewing Hurts for You
Unfortunately, some individuals may find mewing painful. If you’re one of these people, you may be a little frustrated. How can you make progress with adopting proper tongue posture if it hurts?
In this section, we’ll discuss some of the most common causes for mewing causing pain, as well as the solutions you can try out!
Possible Causes
As I touched on above, it can mean one of two things if mewing hurts: we are not mewing correctly, or there is something wrong with our body.
At this point, it’s worth double-checking that what you’re experiencing is actually pain. Many individuals feel discomfort when they start mewing, or even after practicing it for a few months. Discomfort is OK — and should disappear with time — but pain is not.
Back to the possible causes:
- Mewing can hurt if we’re not doing it correctly. The most likely mistake that beginners make is applying too much pressure to the palate with their tongues. Apply large amounts of pressure with the tongue is called hard mewing, and often causes headaches or jaw pain.
- Mewing can hurt if there is something wrong with our body. It’s hard to know what exactly could cause this pain. The best case scenario is that our body simply isn’t used to proper tongue posture.
The Fixes
If mewing does hurt for you, there are a couple of fixes to try. Here they are, in no particular order:
- Check your technique. The first place to start is your technique. If you find mewing painful, you may be practicing proper tongue posture incorrectly. Review my complete guide to mewing, and, if necessary, check out some YouTube videos for a visual aide.
- Apply less pressure. The next thing to do if mewing hurts is to apply less pressure to your palate. Remember, your tongue should be held lightly against the palate. You shouldn’t have to apply much pressure; there should be just enough to form a seal between the tongue and palate, but not more!
- Keep practicing. Yes, you’ve heard it a thousand times before, but practice really does make perfect. If mewing is causing you pain, the effects of practice are two-fold. For starters, as you practice, you’ll learn how to mew correctly. More importantly, your body will get used to the light pressure on your palate.
- Consult a medical professional. If none of these solutions work for you, the only other suggestion I have is to consult a medical professional. According to Dr. Mew, proper tongue posture should involve your tongue lightly resting against your palate. If you are unable to do this, you may have a more serious anatomical or physiological problem that needs correcting.
When Will Mewing Stop Hurting?
You might be curious when mewing will stop hurting if you try implementing one of the solutions above. That’s a great question, and here are some general guidelines which I’ve picked up from the research I’ve done:
- If you were mewing incorrectly or applying too much pressure, mewing should stop hurting almost immediately. As soon as your existing head, jaw, or other pain subsides, the pain should be gone for good.
- If you just need more practice, mewing should become less painful within a few weeks. For some people, all it takes is a few hours to get used to mewing. For others, it can take several months. You’ll have to wait and see for yourself.
For those who opted for the last solution (consulting a medical professional), I can’t give you any single answer. You’ll have to wait and see what they say!
Alternatives to Mewing
If you find mewing painful and none of the ideas in this article has helped, you’re not left with a lot of options. That’s why I thought I’d quickly cover some of the alternatives to mewing.
To improve your facial aesthetics, there are a few alternatives to mewing. These mostly include facial exercisers (or chewing gum), which can help with building a stronger, more defined face — or at least giving the impression of having a stronger, more defined face.
Unfortunately, there’s no complete replacement for mewing. As the alleged, single “correct” tongue posture, you will always have “incorrect” tongue posture unless you are mewing. That’s why I suggest you read over this article once more and give all of the solutions another try.
Final Thoughts
It’s settled: mewing definitely shouldn’t cause you any pain. If it does, it’s most likely a sign of inexperience or incorrect technique. In any case, you should be able to resolve either of these issues pretty quickly!
For some individuals, it’s not as easy. You may have a more serious issue with your anatomy or physiology which is preventing you from mewing without pain. If this is the case, you should consult a medical professional and get their expert opinion.