Pilates Thoughtful Tuesday: Posture and Your Tongue

Head upright, shoulders wide, tongue extended to show posture influencing tongue reach.

Your tongue stops short when you stick it out. You blame the tongue. The frame is the culprit.

Last week a teacher told me her tongue barely cleared her lower lip. We checked posture before drills. Head forward, ribs sunk, shoulders rounded. One minute later, with the skull lifted and ribs wide, her tongue reached further. No gimmicks. Different frame, different result.

Here is the simple why. The tongue pushes forward from muscles under the jaw. A small floating bone under the jaw, the hyoid, supports this action. Head drift and rib collapse pull the hyoid down and back. Space at the front of the neck narrows, so the tongue runs out of runway. One change helps fast. Lift the back of the skull and breathe into the back ribs. Shoulder width returns. The hyoid settles higher and slightly forward. The tongue meets less resistance.

Try this with someone. Ask them to stand how they usually stand. Tongue out. Note the reach. Now cue skull lift. Chin slightly down. Shoulders wide. Gentle nasal inhale into back and side ribs. Keep rib width on the exhale. Tongue out again. Most see extra reach right away. No force, no strain.

Work the base before any tongue drill. Seated decompression helps. Sit tall. Knees and big toes together, heels a touch apart. Arms forward as if holding a ball. Wrap elbows in to wake the lats. Lift from the back of the skull. Inhale through the nose into the back ribs. Exhale slowly from the low belly while you keep width. Five slow cycles calm the system and open space.

Add clavicle lift breathing. Stand with fingertips on collarbones. Keep the skull high. Inhale under the collarbones without a shrug. Shoulders stay wide. Two minutes settles nervous tension and gives the front of the neck a better line of pull. Many people feel an easier swallow right here.

Anchor the pelvis so the ribs do not collapse again. Stand tall with knees together and heels slightly apart. Press through big toes. Inner thighs draw toward the pubic bone. Breathe into the back ribs for twenty slow breaths. You will feel adductors switch on like guide wires. The base holds while the ribs expand.

Now bring the tongue into play, but keep the frame. Stay tall with skull lift and wide shoulders. Rest the tongue on the palate behind the top teeth. Slide it back, then forward to the ridge. Slow, smooth, ten reps. Keep rib width throughout. Finish with a gentle vacuum. Exhale fully. Pause. Without taking air, draw the lower belly up and back under the ribs. Release and breathe normally. Three light reps are enough. Stop if dizzy.

Here is your one-minute self-check. Stand in your normal stance. Tongue out. Count millimetres past the lower lip, or mark a tongue depressor for reference. Reset posture as above. Breathe into the back ribs for three slow cycles. Tongue out again. Note the change in reach and ease. Swallow once. Notice any extra smoothness. Record a quick side-on video if you want proof later.

Two common objections show up fast.

First, “Isn’t this tongue tie.” Tongue tie exists and sometimes surgery helps. Many adults still gain reach by improving skull lift, rib expansion, and shoulder width. Explore posture work for thirty days before big decisions, unless a clinician advises otherwise.

Second, “I teach Pilates, not speech therapy.” Fair point. You teach alignment, breathing, and controlled movement. Tongue function responds to those inputs. Better skull position and rib mechanics support nasal breathing, sleep, and a calmer neck. Your work already touches this area. You are not treating speech. You are improving the frame.

Keep delivery simple in class. Speak names. Cue skull high and shoulders wide. Ask where effort is felt. Coach breath into the back ribs without noise. Correct shrugging by widening, not pulling back. End standing so posture wins the last word.

Today’s action is small and clear. Teach the quick mirror check to three clients and record their before and after tongue reach. Then write one note on what changed when you cued skull lift and back-rib expansion.