Kristen Knecht helps people heal themselves through neuromuscular habits of the mouth and nose. Kristen earned a degree in psychology with a minor in biology, following her curiosity of what one thing was that could help improve everyone's health, she earned a second degree in dental hygiene. Continuing to seek out biological and functional healthcare practitioners and looking into ways the human body can heal itself she received training in nasal breathing, jaw growth and jaw function and is now an Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist (OMT). 

​What is Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy?

​OMT is a neuromuscular retraining of the mouth, jaw, tongue and throat muscles. You might think of it like mouth physical therapy. OMT works with all the muscles of the head, neck, mouth, and throat. When some muscles are not doing their jobs, other muscles must compensate. This leads to disfunction. 

Highlights from this conversation with Kristen: 

• Breathing through the mouth activates the bodies emergency systems - fight flight. 
• The importance of building muscles in the mouth, jaw, tongue and throat to support the overall function and flow in the body. 
• Send signals of safety and calm to the brain by focusing on nasal breathing.
• The brain tells the body what to do via nerves.
• How to calm the nerves and send signals of safety to the brain. 
• HRV's (heart rate variability) importance and connection to the vagus nerve. 
  • The importance of vagal tone. 
  • Feeling compassion, joy and reminding our faces that we are feeling these emotions can tell our brain to tell our heart that we are safe. 
• RBF, that's just how we are, is that true or a sign that our vagus nerve needs attention? 
• The importance of keeping the tongue to the spot on the roof of our mouth. 

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Links + Contact Information Mentioned in this Episode: 

Connect with Kristen

Instagram: @kristenkarapopolis

Website: https://www.headshouldersteethandtongue.com/

Connect with Tisha

Instagram : @beautifullyunwinding

Website: www.beautifullyunwinding.com

*By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating. Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having. 

With love, light + gratitude….