Which of the following is a cue used during savasana to address the mouth or jaw area?

• A. Let go of the room, let go of my voice
• B. Inhale deeply and hold
• C. Relax your face and your jaw
• D. Close your eyes and breathe deeply

Answer: (C)

In savasana, guiding students to relax the face and your jaw directly targets mouth-area tension. When the jaw, cheeks, and surrounding facial muscles soften, it reduces overall muscle activity, ease teeth clenching, and helps the breath flow more smoothly. This sets up the body to drop into a calmer, more restorative state because the jaw is a large reservoir of habitual tension that can keep the nervous system mildly alert. By explicitly releasing that area, you invite a deeper sense of release throughout the face and neck, which supports the whole body's relaxation.

Other cues might focus on the environment, breathing, or general relaxation, but they don’t directly address the jaw. A cue about releasing the room or voice, or one that centers on inhaling or closing the eyes, moves attention away from the specific mouth/jaw muscles and won’t produce the same targeted relief. That's why the instruction to relax your face and your jaw is the most effective for addressing that area.