Pilates Selfcare Saturday: The Truth About Mewing and Tongue Posture

Subtle facial imbalance highlighting the role of proper tongue placement and oral posture awareness.

The internet loves a miracle. In recent years, few have been hyped as much as mewing—the idea that simply adjusting how your tongue rests in your mouth can transform your face, fix your bite, improve posture, and even reduce sleep apnea. It sounds almost too good to be true, and that’s because it mostly is. But the story behind it is interesting, and there’s some science worth knowing.

The Origin: Mewing takes its name from Dr. John Mew and his son Dr. Mike Mew, both British orthodontists. In the 1970s, John Mew proposed what he called orthotropics, a theory that facial development could be influenced by muscle use and oral posture. He believed that when children keep their mouths closed, breathe through their nose, and rest their tongues on the roof of the mouth, it encourages better jaw alignment and balanced facial growth.

Mike Mew carried this work into the YouTube era, coining “mewing” and posting tutorials. The internet took it from there, merging scientific ideas with social media exaggeration. Videos started promising chiselled jawlines and model-like symmetry. What began as an orthodontic theory became a viral beauty trend.

What the Research Shows: Studies on oral posture and facial growth are limited, but not imaginary. Research supports the importance of nasal breathing and tongue position for children’s craniofacial development. Good oral habits in early years can influence how the jaws grow. However, there’s no solid evidence that mewing changes bone structure in adults. The bones of the face are set after adolescence, so any visible changes are likely due to fat loss, posture improvement, or simple self-awareness.

That said, some subtle benefits exist. Holding the tongue correctly can reduce mouth breathing, which can dry the throat and affect sleep quality. It may also help align the neck and head more efficiently, indirectly improving posture.

How to Practise Proper Tongue Posture with your Pilates

1. Close your mouth and keep your lips together without tension.

2. Place the entire tongue gently against the roof of your mouth, not just the tip.

3. Keep your teeth lightly touching or slightly apart.

4. Breathe slowly through your nose.

5. Maintain this habit naturally throughout the day, especially when sitting, standing, or exercising.

The Bottom Line: Mewing isn’t a shortcut to a sculpted jaw. It’s a reminder of something much simpler: good posture starts from the inside. How you hold your tongue and breathe affects how your body aligns. So if you’re curious, practise it for awareness, not transformation.

References

• Mew, J.R. (1981). The Postural Basis of Malocclusion: A Philosophical Overview. American Journal of Orthodontics.

• Harvold, E.P. et al. (1981). Primate Experiments on Oral Respiration and Facial Growth. American Journal of Orthodontics.

• Mew, M.T. (2019). Craniofacial Dystrophy and Modern Orthotropics. Clinical Orthodontics Research