How To Tell If You’re Mewing Correctly: Signs To Look Out For

Ah, mewing. A simple practice that promises to improve the way you look and the way you breathe, all for the better (and yes, it can help fix a receding chin, too). There’s only one drawback. If you’re not familiar with maintaining tongue posture (i.e.: mewing), then it can be difficult to know if you are actually doing it correctly. 

You are mewing correctly when your tongue is pressing against the roof of your mouth. There are several signs you are mewing correctly; the simplest sign is whether or not you can still breathe with your nose plugged, and a subtle tension in the muscles of the face. Mewing practitioners should use a variety of techniques to determine if they are mewing correctly, especially in the beginning. 

Mew correctly, and you’re setting yourself for health and beauty gains. Mew incorrectly, and you could be wasting your time—or worse. Here’s what you need to know. 

It’s Easy To Mew Incorrectly

It can be hard to figure out just where to place your tongue when mewing. This is especially true if, like me, you grew up with bad tongue posture. I used to always keep my tongue slack at the bottom of my mouth (I know, I know)  Mewing didn’t come naturally to me—and it’s not natural for a lot of people. 

To reiterate: to mew, you need to get your whole tongue, including the posterior third (i.e.: the very back of your tongue), pressing up against your whole upper mouth, or palate. And yes, that can be challenging if you’ve never done it before. So one of the simplest signs you are mewing properly for the first time is if it feels a bit weird, awkward, or uncomfortable (don’t worry – that goes away). 

Unfortunately, when many people first attempt to move their tongue up, what they actually just do is move the tip of their tongue up. And just pressing with the tip of your tongue is going to do next to nothing. 

Mewing works because when you press your whole tongue into your palate, you’re exerting pressure onto your maxilla (which is the bone that forms your upper jaw). It can take awhile, especially if you’re older than 25 or so. But bone is very susceptible to very light, long duration forces (which is why braces work). 

“It always amazes me just how moveable bone is,” says Dr. Mike Mew, the originator of mewing. But this only works if you’re really pushing your whole tongue—-which can be easier said than done, especially when you’re just starting out. How can you know if you’re ‘doing mewing’ correctly?

How To Check If You Are Mewing Correctly—Dr. Mew’s Suggestion

Dr. Mew has a technique that he recommends to his patients that can help you determine whether you are mewing correctly. Better still, it can help you get better at mewing in the process. In fact, he says he believes this is one of the most important videos he’s made:

The basic premise is that maintaining proper tongue posture is this close to blocking your airways so that you can’t breathe. 

Of course—you should be able to breathe when you’re mewing. But you should also be able to move your tongue just a little bit more, so that you can’t breathe. Not only is this a way to check if you are mewing correctly, it can also help you get better at mewing. 

Dr. Mew also recommends flipping back and forth between the two, so you can start to get more familiar with using the posterior third of your tongue (which is so important to mewing correctly). 

More Signs You Are Mewing Correctly

Another popular sign you are mewing correctly is to use the ‘Sing Technique.’

Basically, the tongue posture you need to make the ‘ng’ sound in English is the same posture you need for mewing. 

So if you’re struggling to figure out how to mew, say the word ‘sing,’ and really draw out the ‘ng’ sound at the end. What does it feel like? Can you keep your tongue in the same place, without making the sound? Then congrats—you’re mewing! 🙂

Another technique is to hold your nose. Can you still breathe? If so, then you probably don’t have the right tongue seal in your throat (you should only be able to breathe through your nose if you are mewing properly).

I should mention another technique, even though I don’t recommend it. It’s called the swallow hold. The idea is that you swallow, and then try to hold your tongue in the same position. By all means, give it a go. But not everyone swallows properly, and I find this technique can be a little more confusing than helpful. 

I also like a technique created by popular mewing Youtuber Marr Phelps. As he explains in this video, if you lie on your stomach, then tilt your head up, it gets a little easier to move your tongue up in the right position. So you could try to mew in this position, to get a feel for what you should be doing.  

Look In The Mirror To See If You’re Mewing Correctly

Finally, here’s my favorite way to see if you are mewing correctly. Stand in front of your mirror with another handheld mirror, so you can see your profile. 

Now, mew. Does your chin automatically pull up? Does your jawline look sharper? If it does, then you’re probably mewing properly. 

Why do I like it so much? Because it’s the perfect illustration of why you want to mew in the first place! Look how great you look when you’re mewing!

In fact, when you get jealous of all those gorgeous celebrities walking the red carpet with their chiseled jawlines, know that they’ve all got great tongue posture. It’s doubtful you’ll ever see a celebrity or model who isn’t actively mewing. There’s your inspiration!  

Like I always say, if you’re trying to change your face shape, that is possible with mewing—but it’s going to take a long time, especially if you’re an adult. “Work on it, it is not easy, and it takes years of hard work to make a difference,” says Dr. Mew.

But if you just want to look better right now? Start mewing! 

Related Posts:

• Is Mewing When Sick Possible?
• Where To Place The Tongue When Mewing
• Mewing: How Long Until You See Results?
• Can Mewing Fix A Receding Chin?

Related Questions