Unlocking Your Body: The Hidden Connection Between the Tongue and Hips
- Nov 13, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 26
Understanding the Psoas and Its Impact on Your Well-Being
If you lift weights, run, or spend long hours at a desk, your psoas is often under chronic tension. A tight hip can ruin your posture, restrict your movement, and drain your energy. The usual suspect in this case is the Psoas — yes, that guy again; the twin deep juicy hip flexors often blamed for all sorts of issues—back pain, stiffness, emotional distress, or uneven alignments.
But here’s what most people don’t realise: The tongue might be the missing key to freeing the hips.
A Line That Runs Deep
The human body is a continuous network of muscle, fascia, and nerve connections. One of the most powerful of these pathways is the Deep Front Line, as described in myofascial anatomy, Tom Myers’s "Anatomy Trains." This structure of fascia runs from the tongue and throat through the diaphragm and psoas, all the way down to the pelvic floor and inner thighs—and beyond.
When any link in this chain gets restricted—whether from jaw tension, shallow breathing, or physical and emotional trauma—the whole system compensates. That means a tight jaw can translate to tight hips. A clenched tongue can contribute to a locked pelvis. And when this happens, no amount of stretching or foam rolling will truly reset your alignment.
My Personal Journey with Tongue and Body Alignment
I know this connection personally. I was born with my tongue stuck to the lower jaw, unable to move it freely. This restriction affected my learning abilities; I couldn’t learn to speak or communicate effectively. In primary school, things worsened. I repeated the second and third grades, struggling to learn how to speak, read, or write properly—not because I wasn’t trying, but because my tongue literally couldn’t move the way it needed to.
Family, kids, and teachers misunderstood me. I was nearly placed in a special needs school until one kind teacher simply asked me to stick out my tongue and saw that I couldn’t. After years of being mistreated and misdiagnosed, at age 10, I underwent surgery to free my tongue. My speech and learning process—though not without difficulties—finally kicked off. And last but not least, I finally got to know what it felt like to lick an ice cream!
However, that tongue restriction had already shaped my life, posture, and hips. One leg had shortened slightly, pulling my body out of alignment.
That personal experience has encouraged me, both personally and as a practitioner, to investigate how deeply the tongue, core, and hips are linked.
How Tongue Release Can Help the Hips
Now, back to your tongue. The tongue is anchored to deep structures at the base of the skull and the front of your neck. These connect directly into the front of the spine and, via fascia (connective tissue), the diaphragm and psoas.
When the tongue and jaw soften, the body’s central line begins to decompress. Breathing deepens, the diaphragm drops, and the psoas naturally and gradually follows, releasing tension from the inside out!
Conversely, when the tongue and jaw are tight:
The diaphragm can’t descend fully (leading to shallow breathing).
The psoas stays shortened and tense.
The hips tilt forward, and the spine compresses—just to mention some of the imbalances.
This is why gentle tongue pulling or jaw release can have such a huge effect on hip alignment. It bypasses the surface layers and works on the body’s internal "suspension system," the part that stabilises your posture from the core. Releasing tension at the top helps decompress the entire chain. Yes, it works!
A Practical Alternative to Psoas Stretching
Instead of digging into your hips or forcing stretches, you can reset the system from above. Here’s a simple self-release you can try:
Sit or stand tall, keeping the spine long.
Place your tongue on the roof of your mouth, just behind the front teeth.
Slide it back slowly toward the soft palate as you breathe deeply into your belly.
Feel the connection between your tongue, throat, and core.
After several breaths, let your jaw and mouth soften and notice any shifts. Do you feel any changes? Is your belly more tense or relaxed? Any tightness? Any sensations in the base of your belly? Just notice.
You can also gently massage under the chin and along the jawline with your fingertips. These small muscles link directly to the deep front structures that influence hip mobility.
As Above, So Below
Rather than chasing tight muscles, the work here focuses on rebalancing the body’s inner architecture, where tension, breath, and alignment meet.
This approach can support:
Better hip mobility and posture
Improved recovery after workouts
Relief from desk-related stiffness and back pain
A calmer, more focused mind
So, how does tongue pulling actually work? Does it hurt? How is it done? Great questions. It’s not about force; it’s about encouraging release. Gentle, precise work helps the body reconnect its internal lines. If that sounds unusual, it’s because it is—and it works.
Experience it for yourself and see how small changes at the top can shift the entire structure below and align your whole body—gently and gradually.
Conclusion: Embrace the Connection
Understanding the connection between the tongue and hips can be transformative. By acknowledging this link, you can take steps toward better alignment and overall well-being.
So, why not give it a try? You might be surprised at how much relief and improvement you can experience.
That's All Folks - Stay Tuned!
Sergio Alexander Norton.
References:
¹ Myers, T. W. (2014). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists (3rd ed.). Elsevier. ResearchGate summary with diagram of the Deep Front Line
² Bordoni, B., Zanier, E., & Lintonbon, D. (2018). The Anatomical Relationships of the Tongue with the Body System. Cureus, 10(2): e2135. Available on PubMed Central
³ Ferrante, M., Ferrante, V., et al. (2019). Is There a Relationship Between Body Posture and the Tongue? Acta Medica (Hradec Králové). Full PDF on Chinesis.org
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