Podcasts about clenching

Tom and Jacob play a round of ‘Clinching or Clenching' to determine which current NFL division leaders should feel calm or concerned with their hold on their division, and they do a full recap on all the Week 12 NFL action.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Highlights With Dr. Sharon DickersonWhat TMJ is — tempromandibular joint How TMJ affects the nervous system and can show up as chronic headaches or migraines Clenching and grinding teeth can be a sign of a possible TMJ issue affecting the nervous system How TMJ can affect the nervous system, even at night, and be a long-term stress response Her opinion of mouth guards and whether they help at nightHolistic options to heal, treat, and relieve TMJ pain and pressureRed light therapy may be helpful for TMJHer take on mouth breathing, mouth taping, and similar practices Resources We MentionDr. Sharon Dickerson, DDSTMJ HandbookWellnesse Oral Care

Dr. Ellyn Halley is a chiropractor, doula and coach. She is deeply passionate about women's health and is a pelvic health enthusiast. She has been in the strength and conditioning world as a coach for over 10 years. She received her bachelors of science in exercise and sport science as well as a minor in nutrition from UW-La Crosse. She went on to receive her doctorate in chiropractic at Northwestern Health Sciences University. She has completed extensive continuing education in women's and pelvic health, as well as nutrition. In addition to chiropractic care and coaching, she is a birth doula and provides local + virtual birth support services. She focuses on the whole person, and loves being able to blend her skill set through her business – Doc Halley Solutions. When she is not busy improving women's health, she loves lifting weights, trail running, gluten free baking, and adventuring with her life partner, Jack, and golden retriever, Lucy. She is currently accepting clients looking for pelvic health support, birth prep + exercise, and postpartum rebuilding.    In this episode, we talk about: Dog adoption Butt clenching What is the pelvic floor Warning signs your pelvic floor needs help Fecal smearing Medical anthropology and orgasmic birth Birth control and IUD's Loss, miscarriage ,+ preconception Postpartum and timing Exercise during postpartum and pregnancy Nutrients while breast feeding Recovering from macro counting Learn more about working with me  Shop my masterclasses (learn more in 60-90 minutes than years of dr appointments for just $19.99) Follow me on IG Learn more about working with Dr. Ellyn Follow Dr. Ellyn on IG 

Mat_Germain_ & Mark at BaseballBiz On Deck take a look at the closing of 2024 season and the future of the Rays.Tampa Bay facing hurricane Helene strong winds, storm surges – stay safe2019 Rays won 96 games and spent 60 million2024 Rays exceed $100 million and they don't make the playoffsRays strategy to spend less and perform better has been provenWinning streak was neededMissing LH BatsJonathan Aranda, shining star at the end of the season for Rays. His hitting abilities can make a difference for the Rays futureRays are pleased with Siri defensively & hope for more consistency at batSiri is a good value for $1 million – but keep your eyes open on who may be coming up through the Rays Minor League Bowling Green Hot Rods won their league championshipChandler Simpson – 103 Stolen bases with the Montgomery BiscuitsMinor League love to Mike Birling & Durham Bulls organization for hosting the All-American Women's Baseball Classic October 11 – 14thWBSC – Women's Baseball World Cup Championship. Japan won the Gold, The US won the Silver and Canada the Bronze.Canadian, Sena Catterall won 3 WBSC Individual awards  - Most Stolen Bases (6), Most Runs Scored (9), and Best Defensive PlayerMLB Wild Card Standings who has Clinched a spot for the post-season, National League Division winners include the Brewers & Phillies. Dodgers are leading the West with 94 wins. Top NL Wild Card contenders include: Padres, Mets, Diamondbacks. The Atlanta Braves nipping away with 1 game back behind the D-backsAmerican League Division winners include the Astros & Guardians with the Yankees as the likely AL East division champs.  The Baltimore Orioles have clenched a playoff spot with the Tigers, Royals and maybe the Twins & Royals as potential playoff teams.Cinderella Stories?  - The Tigers are looking good and what about those MetsX-Rays still likely in contention from the Brewers, Matt Arnold, Willie Adames & Jake Bauers, Tobias Meyers, Hobie Milner & Tyler BlackWhat will 2025 look hold for the Catching positionLogan Driscoll's potential for the future  - A look back at past catchers & injuries with Wilson Ramos, Travis d'Arnaud & Mike ZuninoKenny Piper has a lot of power and gets a lot of key hits in clutch situationsDominic Keegan  - could he become an option – maybe starting at AAA for 2025How will Catcher's framing skills be impacted by an electronic strike zoneMaybe the catcher will become a 2nd DH positionPitchcom, collisions at the plate, electronic strike zones may change catching position to a Utility PlayerShohei Ohtani – can a DH Offense only player be a MVP winner. Will the 50 home runs / 50 stolen bases be enough for Ohtani to win the MVP.Even Babe Ruth could not overcome what Ohtani has been achievingWho could be other AL MVP considerations – Aaron Judge, Bobby Witt Jr., Gunnar Henderson“The Ohtani” awardOhtani will want to return to the mound.Thanks to the Rays Minor Leaguers including the Bowling Green Hot Rods Build MLB popularity by putting all team levels under 1 roof Australian Baseball LeagueA gift the Rays with a 6-man rotationMat would like to see a real team leader on the team and recommend Pete Alonso. What a difference it would make for the Rays's franchise.Arizona Fall League will see Xavier Isaac & Tre Morgan from the Rays All-American Women's Baseball Classic being held in Durham, October 11-13Several of the players will be from the WBSC women baseball champions will be there to play You can find Mat on Twitter x.com @Mat_Germain_   Special thanks to XTaKeRuX for the music “Rocking Forward"

Welcome to another episode of the pain and performance podcast. In this episode, I explore Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) dysfunction, its symptoms, and treatment options. I cover how TMJ issues can cause headaches, neck pain, and jaw problems. I discuss the anatomy of the TMJ, causes like grinding and clenching, and various treatments such as dry needling, laser therapy, and exercises. I also highlighted stress management and posture improvement as important for relief. For severe cases, regenerative therapy may be needed to restore joint function.Takeaways-- TMJ dysfunction can be caused by grinding, clenching, jaw injuries, and malalignment.-- The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) affects and is affected by the head, neck, and jaw.-- Treatments include dry needling, high-intensity laser therapy, manual therapy, and exercises.-- Stress management techniques and posture improvement are vital for TMJ relief.-- In severe cases, regenerative therapy may be needed to repair the joint and disc.Chapters00:00 Introduction to TMJ Dysfunction 01:49 Anatomy of the Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) 04:03 The Role of Nerves and Their Communication with TMJ 06:21 The Connection Between TMJ, Neck, and Head Pain 09:08 Causes of TMJ Dysfunction: Grinding, Clenching, and More 12:00 Treatment Options for TMJ Dysfunction 15:30 Recommended Exercises and Posture Improvements 18:03 Stress Management Techniques for TMJ Relief 22:23 Regenerative Therapy for Severe Cases 23:47 ConclusionLinks: DERRICKTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@drderrickInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/derrickbhines/Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@DrDerrick

The Jets were sloppy, the defense was not great the offense took a while to get going and thehy sustained a major injury on defense. With all that said, the team found a way to win and come home 1-1. Aaron Rodgers does not look like the guy the Jets traded for, but Rami says he is more than good enough to lead the Jets to the Super Bowl. How will this team replace Jermaine Johnson? Rami thinks the answer is already on the roster.

Send us a textThis week on The Less Stressed Life Podcast,  I had the absolute pleasure of diving deep into the world of breathing, sleep apnea, and all things airway with the fabulous Dr. Kristen Geist. She's not just a dentist; she's a sleep and breathing guru who turned her own health battles into a mission to help others breathe and sleep better. Whether you snore, grind your teeth, or just feel tired all the time, this episode is your wake-up call to the wonders of airway health!Special Offer: Kristen has got a limited number of discovery calls up for grabs—mention you're a podcast pal for a chance to snag one! KEY TAKEAWAYS:Are your breathing issues being missed because you're a woman? Learn the surprising reasons why!Snoring isn't just annoying—it's a major red flag for hidden airway problems.Think tongue posture doesn't matter? It could be the secret to better sleep and breathing!Mold and allergens in your home might be silently wrecking your sleep quality—here's how to spot the signs.Tired all the time, anxious, or grinding your teeth? Don't ignore these warning signs of deeper health issues!ABOUT GUEST:Kristen has been practicing dentistry for 8 years, but during the last 5 she has been narrowing her focus to airway, sleep apnea, and adult laser tongue tie release. Several years ago she was struggling with exhaustion, lightheadedness, anxiety, and trouble breathing before she was properly sleep tested and diagnosed with something called upper airway resistance syndrome, which is on the spectrum of sleep apnea. Now, she works together with other providers to help those with sleep apnea, tongue ties, etc. feel their best. She lives in upstate NY with her husband, son, and 2 adorable rescue pups. She is excited to spread awareness about the issues that things like sleep apnea and tongue ties can cause in adults and what signs to look for to see if you should be screened.WHERE TO FIND:Website: https://pranasleepandwellness.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pranawithdrkristenInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/smiling_with_confidence/WHERE TO FIND CHRISTA:Website: https://www.christabiegler.com/Instagram: @anti.inflammatory.nutritionistPodcast Instagram: @lessstressedlifeYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lessstressedlifeLeave a review, submit a questions for the podcast or take one of my quizzes here: ****https://www.christabiegler.com/linksNUTRITION PHILOSOPHY:Over restriction is deadWhole food is soul food and fed is bestSustainable, synergistic nutrition is in (the opposite of whack-a-mole supplementation & supplement graveyards)You don't have to figure it out aloneDo your best and leave the restI have a few spots left for the farm to table business retreat I'm hosting in a couple months in Bozeman MT--Where we'll rejuvenate, realign with vision & values, pursue our zone of genius, improve all business relationships (w self, money, coworkers, clients/customers), and plan for less stress in 2025. https://www.lessstressedliferetreats.com/mountainretreat

Amid gardening questions galore, Amber and Sab take a deep dive into the many fantastical functions of a caterpillar's bum. 08:56  What can caterpillars teach us about a well-timed and sustained bum clench? 19:14 There's nothing healthy about a tan: Wollemi Pine edition. 46:28 Reviving a poorly mandarin tree with a witchy cow poo brew.Listen to the program live on Saturdays at 9:00AM on ABC Radio Perth and ask your questions by calling in on 1300 222 720 or text 0437 922 720Subscribe to the podcast through the ABC Listen App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you like to listen.

Up - the financial Revolution that's got young Aussie's backs presents...  Fuck it was slow but sheeez it made for some riveting corn tightening action as our very own Vortex Shaman Jack Robbo took on Finals Day at sleepy with odd-cone End of the Road. In the end the Irukandjis bring home a well earned Silver medal for Straya while Marksie Brah claimed gold for the yanks and Kauli Vaast secured an immortal hometown victory for the ages. Get on the Up Swellians!!! Download the ‘Up' app and sign up in minutes. Use code 'UTFS' for $10 on signup (do it all from the comfort of your phone, no need to go to the bank or any of that bullsh*t). T&C's @ up.com.auSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What to do when you feel the Universe is Picking on YouThe first step is to get yourself into a state of calm, or at least calmer! If you're really agitated, then the reframing and introspective techniques are difficult to access. The tide of emotions is just too strong, and the next bit will just frustrate you rather than free you, which is the whole idea of this process, anyway.It is okay to feel all of the feelings when things are not going your way. Instead of pushing those feelings down or feeding them with ruminating thoughts, try to focus on the physical sensations in the body. Notice where you feel tight or clenched and let it all go with big sighs of relief. Stay present and notice your breath and energy without trying to change it at first. Just make room for all the feelings to have space and receive comfort. It will be difficult to look at any deeper patterns in this situation until you are calm and grounded. So take a moment to simply feel everything without judgment. Just make space for it all to be.Making space for your FeelingsWhen the energy is high in a situation, usually more thinking won't calm you down. Instead of thinking your way through it, try feeling it all instead. Our minds create thoughts that either feed the anger or try to suppress it. But if you direct your focus on the feeling sensations in the body, it creates space and awareness of where your energy is at.Get yourself to a safe space. Sit down if you can and turn anything off that creates a distraction or disruption. Screens off. Music off. Phone off. Unplug from the external and give yourself a calm, quiet space.Spend a few minutes just noticing the energy in the body. Are some places hot? cold? buzzing? smooth? What is the quality or texture of the sensations? Are you holding your breath? Clenching your jaw? Notice where in the body each thought is living. How is your body holding this experience?At first, don't try to shift or change anything you are feeling. Just make a safe space for each sensation and practice turning your focus towards the body and away from the thoughts or situation at hand.Everything you feel is okay.There are no judgements or labels at this step. Just space, and awareness, and breath.You might like the Releasing Anger Meditation to help you through the strong energy and make space for your feelings. Or the video "How do you release anger from your energy?" can help walk you through this process.Shifting your Energy through GroundingNow, move into grounding. We've got a Grounding Meditation that can help you connect to the Earth. But mainly, you can go for a walk outside or connect to the present moment by allowing your energy to balance with the flow of energy from the Earth. Just take a few settling breaths and let your energy flow down your body and through your feet.It is happening FOR you, not TO you. How to See the Bigger Picture.Ask yourself, "What is the hidden gift here?"; "What if the outer world pattern is mirrored by the inner world pattern?"This is what I do when I see an outer world pattern, and I suspect that the Universe may be picking on me. You can take it or leave it. It's just something to ponder. I always think that if I see something happening on repeat outside of me, then I will look to see if that pattern is mine. Is that happening within me? Or is there some way that I am also doing that behaviour?For example, if I'm frustrated because someone isn't getting back to me, I'll look to see if I need to return someone else's message. Am I not getting back to someone?Then, I leave the initial situation alone and just go do my work. I'll contact the people I need to contact, and I'll correct my own behaviour rather than try to get someone else to change (since that is impossible).I look for the pattern in other areas, too. Is there somewhere else in my life that the same thing is happening, and I'm not seeing it? Maybe it's part of a larger pattern. Maybe it goes way back to childhood and isn't really about the present situation at all. If that is the case, I'll do some Reiki on my inner child and take care of myself with gentleness.It is impossible for the Universe to pick on you.Even though it might feel like you're being thwarted, the Universe is actually full of love and supports you through all kinds of situations.If you've been redirected by the Universe, look for the magic it is pushing you towards. The hidden benefit of the feeling that the Universe is picking on you is that it immediately takes you out of autopilot so you can look deeper into your patterns and your life.When you look deeper into the patterns, it gives you an opportunity to see where you can focus your healing efforts. Then you start shifting your energy and that is when the magic starts happening.Any change to your inner pattern will have a ripple effect through the quantum nature of the Universe. If you change, the pattern has to shift.This helps you take back the power where you can. You always have control over your thoughts, feelings, and actions. This helps you let go of control over everything else.Using the Reiki Ideals to shift your point of attractionI also go to the Reiki ideals like a baby blanket. I grab onto them and let them comfort me. I use them to give me space to acknowledge how I'm feeling, where I might feel stuck or scared and then start bringing in a new energy.The five Reiki Ideals are: let go of anger; let go of worry; be grateful; do your spiritual work; and be kind. When you put them all together, they are The Secret Art of Happiness.In particular, when I get stuck, this is how I work through the Reiki Ideals when I feel like I'm blocked or stuck in quantum weirdness.I let go of anger and frustration (easier when I see that I also sometimes behave that way or that there is something important to learn).I let go of worry (that this will always keep happening or because it is because of me for some reason. It's not.)I become grateful (maybe this is actually a positive thing, and it is helping me in some way that I can't see yet)I do my work ( I meditate and do Reiki and focus on what I want, my intention. I remember that I am a powerful manifestor and I can change my vibration in an instant)I lean into kindness ( I am gentle with myself about the whole situation. I see myself in the other, and I'm kind to them. They are doing their best, and it's okay that it isn't what I'd prefer. If I need to speak up I will, but with a calm and clear energy.)I look for the positives because the negatives dig me in and make the pattern worse. I clear the energy and do an energetic reset. Then, after I've done all that, that's when I see if I need to make any changes. If I leap to making changes before I do the inner work, I'm just too reactive, and it doesn't work out well. But if I do Reiki, meditate, ask my Divine Team about it, and do a check of the Reiki ideals, then I'm clear. I make more grounded changes when I'm grounded.Be kind to the part of yourself that is reacting to the situation. Everything you feel is okay.Try a few moments of listing out what you're grateful for that you are maybe taking for granted, like clean water to drink and fresh air to breathe. It's tiny but creates big shifts.Even grumpy gratitude is still gratitude, and it has the power to change everything. Gratitude puts you in the energy of creativity and problem-solving. Then, the way forward often opens up.Want more help? We've got you. Book a Reiki Session

Do you grind your teeth or clench your jaw while sleeping, or even during the waking hours? Jaw clenching is a common response to emotions such as stress, anger, anxiety or frustration. Sometimes we can hold so much tension in our jaw, we do not even realise we are doing it. Clenching your jaw over an extended period of time can result in headaches, neck or shoulder pain - as well as sensitive teeth and gums! So if you are a fellow jaw clencher, press play and let's release some of that unwanted tension away from your body mind! Namaste. ------------------ For even more sound healing magic, follow me on: ⁠⁠@trusoundhealing⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Insight Timer⁠⁠ (find more sound baths here) YouTube (longer meditations, sound baths and instructional videos here) If you're interested in participating in a sound healing class, or would like to organise an exclusive, tailored private group event (either in person or via Zoom / MS Teams), please reach out to me by⁠⁠ sending me a DM⁠

What if I told you that waking up to pee in the middle of the night is not necessarily normal and there were things you could do about it? Today I have on Pelvic Floor Expert, Dr. Kassie Dewitt.  She joins me to talk about issues that a lot of women are really afraid to talk about, and that is our pelvic floor and bladder health. We are going to lay it all out there and talk about what is normal and what is not normal. We also touch on postpartum care, training for pregnancy, perimenopause and so much more. Check Out Dr. Kassie Dewitt Website Instagram Facebook Urine Good Company The key moments in this episode are: 01:40 - Dr. Kassie Dewitt's background 05:35 - Misinformation and lack of research around women's health 08:53 - Clenching, breath work, and letting go of tension 15:01 - Importance of nutrition and hydration 21:26 - Training and educating for pregnancy 26:56 - Postpartum care 29:03 - Trust and listen to your body's communication 31:25 - Every woman should see a pelvic floor therapist 35:57 - Going into pregnancy strong  38:47 - Perimenopause 42:20 - Training daytime bladders and healthy goals 50:13 - Side effects from age and medications 52:20 - Using safe products 58:30 - Importance of nutrition and avoiding sweeteners 01:02:51 - Training to trust your bladder 01:04:15 - Tips for caffeine consumption 01:08:56 - Taking a look at your overall health 01:09:42 - Pelvic floor rehabilitation course Sponsored By: Vivarays Use code YOGI to save 15% at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ vivarays.com/carnivoreyogi ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Upgraded Formulas Use code YOGI12 or YOGI  at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.upgradedformulas.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ This video is not medical advice & as a supporter to you and your health journey - I encourage you to monitor your labs and work with a professional! ________________________________________ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to get all my free guides and product recommendations to get started on your journey!⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Check out all my courses to understand how to improve your mitochondrial health & experience long lasting health! (Use code PODCAST to save 10%)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sign up for my newsletter to get special offers in the future!⁠⁠

Paula Anderson has been my son's myofascial therapist for the past year. She joins me today for the second part of a two-part series where she speaks about the importance of quality sleep, the benefits of nasal breathing, and the role of oral posture in maintaining an open airway, preventing illness and pain, and improving sleep quality.  Today, in Part 2, she explains why snoring is neither healthy nor normal and discusses what sleep-disordered breathing may lead to. Issues caused by upper airway resistance (a form of sleep-disordered breathing): Clenching or grinding teeth Tossing and turning Waking frequently Waking up feeling exhausted  Brain fog after waking up Paula Anderson's Bio: Paula Anderson is a Qualified Orofacial Myologist and a Registered Dental Hygienist. She has worked in the dental profession for over 20 years. After taking several continuing education classes on craniofacial development and sleep-disordered breathing with her husband, she came across the field of myofunctional therapy.  She instantly realized how that field could be applied to everything they do in dentistry. She also realized that her entire family, including herself, could benefit from this therapy.  From mouth breathing and snoring, ortho relapse, and TMJ, she dove in and learned from the best in the field.  She has always loved holistic health, and working with a team approach to whole-body health and myofunctional therapy is her contribution to this field.  She is IAOM (International Association of Orofacial Myologists) trained and is also a member of the International Association of Orofacial Myologists.  She is also a certified MyoMunchee practitioner. She has lived in the Quad Cities her entire life, and she and her husband have four daughters, two sons-in-law, two grandsons, and several fur babies. They also run a successful dental practice (Anderson Dental), and in her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, especially at her cabin in Wisconsin.  In this episode: Why nasal breathing is so important (1:24) How nasal hygiene can help adults keep their airways open and healthy (8:17) What is sleep-disordered breathing? (9:24) Why is snoring not normal? (10:30) The results of sleep-disordered breathing (11:28) What are tongue ties and lip ties? (15:40) How Paula determines whether or not tongue and lip ties need to be released (14:35) How myofascial therapy benefits people of all ages (16:58) Links and Resources: Follow Your Longevity Blueprint  On Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray  on Facebook | Instagram | Youtube | Twitter | LinkedIn Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic Podcast production by Team Podcast  Relative Links: https://www.myomatters.com/ https://www.facebook.com/myomatters  https://www.instagram.com/myo_matters/ https://andersondentalqc.com/ https://myospots.com/ https://myomunchee.com/ https://www.mrjamesnestor.com/breath-book AIR DOCTOR: Use the code GRAY15 on any Air Doctor Pro website for discounts, or use thislink 

 Attention! Apparently there is a 16 second silent period from 8:54. Until I can work out how to fix it now it's published please be aware. Thanks! MadMatt 4WD and I chew the fat about 4WD Training and the new course Matt has developed, making it super easy to learn 4WD skills and techniques and save yourself a long and slow learning curve on the tracks. From what I've seen of the course I reckon it's good and I'm not getting paid to say that. You make your own mind up. Check it out at the link below.4WD Training with MadMatt

Bruxism, also known as teeth grinding, is a sleep-related movement disorder that involves clenching jaw muscles to grind upper and lower teeth together. This condition causes symptoms, like a sore jaw, facial pain, and chronic headaches. It can also negatively impact your oral health and lead to the need for expensive dental work. So…why do you grind your teeth? Dr Rachel Hall Brisbane Holistic Dentist explains and covers causes of bruxism and how to treat it. www.holisticdentistry.au www.evolvedental.com.au

Welcome to Your Mouth Matters, the podcast where dental professionals and experts share insight into the world of dentistry and its impact on our lives. In this episode, our host, Barry Napier, and cohost, Dr. Rebecca Taylor, invite an extraordinary guest to the show – none other than the newest team member, Dr. Carroll. As they delve into the topic of cosmetic dentistry, Dr. Carroll shares moving personal experiences and discusses the art and science of transforming smiles. With a focus on the holistic and biocompatible approach, they explore the benefits of cosmetic dentistry and the potential impact on individual well-being. Join us as they share stories, insights, and expert advice on embracing confident, healthy smiles. Stay tuned for an engaging, informative, and transformative conversation. Remember, your mouth matters! 00:00 Passionate left-handed dentist finds beauty in dentistry. 03:21 Technology merges art and science for beauty. 06:48 Embrace your identity and love yourself confidently. 12:23 Clenching and grinding wears down teeth over time. 15:09 Patients' preferences for dental work vary by skin tone. 16:29 Teeth condition affects function and overall appearance. 20:46 Ensure biocompatible materials, sterilize teeth with ozone. 24:17 High-quality, meticulous dental care for $500 less. 26:19 Emotionally resonant message of hope and healing.

What use is brute strength when the mind is under siege?A 5-part story By Blind_Justice & Loqui Sordida Ad Me. Listen to the Podcast at Explicit Novels.Preface: A grim, brutal sword-and-sandal adventure in the style of Robert E Howard, creator of characters like Conan the Barbarian, Soloman Kane, and Red Sonya (whom we pay homage to in this tale).The grim visage of a snarling war goddess carved into the prow cut a foaming trough through a particularly high wave as fifty slaves grunted with the effort of dragging their oars through the churning waters, spurred on by the pounding drum and the sting of the lash. Slicing through the choppy sea with the practiced grace of a harem dancer, the sleek bireme stalked her prey, her sail taut and a firm hand on her tiller. With the salt wind in his hair and the brine spray on his face, Ambrose smiled.Gods willing, the Tyrant’s Blade, would finally overtake Kelgore the Despoiler today, putting an end to the pirate king’s bloody rampage and filling Ambrose’s purse with coin. The dreaded pirate had pillaged his way along the Xhastrian coast, uncannily avoiding his pursuers through guile, bribery and masterful seamanship. The merchants and nobles of Xhastria called out for the God-King to put an end to Kelgore’s atrocities. Despite unleashing the considerable naval might of Xhastria upon him, Kelgore still evaded justice.And so the heavy bounty levied on Kelgore’s head was enough to pique the interest of every mercenary who could stomach a rolling deck beneath their feet.Ambrose counted himself lucky to have cut a deal and joined forces with a warrior-witch whose renown, if not already legendary, was certain to become so. He had once seen Red Tsonia’s prowess in battle for himself and it made his heart glad that she sailed under his banner, and not Kelgore’s.Tsonia, flame-haired, long-limbed and clad in a woolen cloak against the stinging wind and spray, shot him a fierce glare. “The storm draws closer, Captain,” she stated flatly. In any other, Ambrose would have expected at least a note of worry in the statement.“Aye, and Kelgore sails into its teeth!” he replied.Leaden clouds hung but a hand’s breadth above the slate-gray, foam-crested waves and the sky between was hidden behind a curtain of distant rain. Less than a scant league ahead of them the silhouette of Kelgore’s ship drew low in the water, over-burdened by its plundered cargo. A lance of lightning bisected the sky to the west but still Kelgore’s crew pulled hard for the rain shroud.“He means to lose us in the maelstrom,” Ambrose continued, barely audible over the groan of the oars, the howl of the wind and the roar of the waves around them. “But Tyrant’s Blade is lighter. Faster. We’ll be on him before he’s swallowed by the storm.”“We’ll both be in the gullet of that storm if the winds change,” Tsonia observed, bracing a hand against the rail as a heavy swell rolled the deck beneath her feet. “But I’d rather die than let the last fortnight’s hunt go to waste. Kelgore the Despoiler dies today, come hell or high water.”Ambrose, steady as always, leaned against the rudder to climb the steep swell and keep Kelgore in sight. “You might have both if that storm catches us,” he replied. Then to his crew he shouted “Make ready to cut away the sail lines! We’ll not waste time furling if the winds shift!’The bireme pitched up another undulating hillock of water, smashed across its foamy crest, and plunged down the far side towards a deep valley. For the moment, Kelgore was lost to sight in the sea’s rolling hills. Tsonia cursed and clambered snarling up the aft castle but Ambrose merely grinned. A great warrior she might be, he thought to himself, but she cannot brook losing sight of her quarry because she cannot read the ocean.Down and down the Tyrant’s Blade dived, gaining speed as the oarsmen pulled and the sail snapped. Down, until the valley floor rose to meet them, as Ambrose knew it would. The deck yawed hard and pitched up suddenly. Above him, Ambrose heard Tsonia curse again. The rising swell had caught the ship on its back and bore her aloft towards the iron clouds above.As the turbulent waves fell away on either side, a great shout went up from the crew, for dead ahead was Kelgore’s ship, her sail fallen slack, as the wind had turned."Cleave the lines!” shouted Ambrose, though he needn’t have bothered. His crew knew their jobs and let heavy axes fall across the hempen cables at the first sign that the sail might falter and drag. The heavy canvass flapped away in the headwind, an expensive sacrifice, but dreams of wealth beyond counting had made Ambrose and his crew reckless in their thirst for Kelgore’s blood.“He turns!” shouted Tsonia from the aft castle. “Kelgore means to fight!”Thunder exploded and another fork of lightning stabbed at the sea, as if to portend the inevitable battle to come. Ahead, Ambrose could see the broadside of Kelgore’s ship turning towards them, two banks of oars dragging in the water on her port side. Kelgore’s limp sail suddenly snapped taut as it caught hold of the shifted headwind.“Ramming speed!" Ambrose bellowed. The tempo of the drum quickened and the oars beat a staccato rhythm through the violent sea. Tyrant’s Blade lurched forward into the wind like a mad dog broken free of its lead."To the bow Tsonia, and ready your blade!” he shouted up to the top of the castle.She leapt down from the roof and threw off her spray-sparkled cloak. In nothing more than a cropped halter of tarnished chainmail and a kilt of the same, Tsonia sprinted towards the front of the ship. Her sandaled step held her balance on the capricious deck and she drew a wickedly curved scimitar from its scabbard as she ran, the perfect weapon to maul unprotected flesh with quick, wide slashes.From the tiller, Ambrose couldn’t help but admire Red Tsonia’s shapely figure as she stood at the head of the mercenary crew, one hand braced against the ship’s high prow, the other idly testing the weight of her sword, her crimson locks tossed behind by the shrieking gale. Once again, lightning split the sky and thunder rolled a warning omen as the ship bore heedlessly down on its prey.“There’s a sight to daunt a man’s soul,” Ambrose said to the figure in the bright tangerine cloak who emerged from the castle. “Two fell goddesses bearing down on you with murder in their eyes. By the gods man, that’s a scene you ought to paint!”“Yes,” agreed Joras, taking in the volatile chaos unfolding before him and clinging tightly to a rail. “But to capture the proper perspective, I’d need to be on Kelgore’s ship.”Even amidst the roar of the waves and the booming thunderclaps, the impact of Tyrant’s Blade against Kelgore’s galley was ear-shattering. The heavy bronze-clad ram that the war goddess figurehead sat astride pierced the side of Kelgore’s ship in a cacophony of bursting planks, splintering oars, and wailing men as wood and flesh were torn asunder.Tsonia, nimble like a prowling cougar, used the force of the impact to propel herself onto the other ship’s deck feet first, toppling a bleeding sailor feebly clutching at half an oar sticking from his gut. She hoisted his mangled body up by an arm and tossed it towards a cluster of dumbfounded pirates stumbling in from the wounded ship’s prow, creating a gap big enough to allow Ambrose’s men to follow her onto the deck.And follow her they did, using a precariously placed boarding plank, hacking and stabbing at everything their short blades and heavy bludgeons could reach.“Keep them off me while I fetch Kelgore’s head!” she bellowed over the chaos just as sheets of rain began to pour from the roiling clouds above. Another peal of thunder rolled above the din, the deck heaved erratically beneath her feet, and Tsonia charged blindly into the deluge with no doubt she would find Kelgore at the helm, wrangling the ship and his men both.Her scimitar darted this way and that, finding ample bodies to carve open. Across the perilous deck Tsonia danced through the rainfall, plucking a wickedly barbed harpoon from the feebly twitching hand of a pirate she had just eviscerated.Over the cries of the wounded and dying and the drumming of the rain she heard a gurgling moan. Through the turmoil emerged a hulking, misshapen brute bearing down on her. A head taller and twice as wide as she, the grotesque creature hefted a gargantuan mace, the head a sharp-edged lump of dark matter lined with scintillating veins of a viridian mineral. Heedless if it hit friend or foe, the giant swept the weapon across the deck, felling a handful of his allies and clearing ample space for Tsonia.The visage of the brute was truly hideous, his features half-melted and covered in purulent boils of some fell disease. One eye was of a sickly green hue, the other of a brilliant blue. Unbridled rage flared in both as he roared, spit flying from swollen lips, rivulets of rain water trickling over thickly corded muscle. The mace came up to drive Tsonia through the deck like a nail but the flame-haired warrior was faster. With the force of a ballista she hurled the harpoon, the ghastly weapon tearing through the giant’s throat in a shower of gore. Like a grisly monument, the barbed head protruded from the back of his neck. Spewing blood and madly flailing at the object jutting from his jugular, the giant went to his knees. At last, he managed to grasp the heft of the weapon and pulled, ending his own miserable existence in self-defeating agony.A hail of arrows came down around Tsonia. Some missiles hit the fallen giant's back, others vanished overboard and into the roiling sea below. Tsonia peered through the torrent at the shadows of men atop the aft castle trying to unleash another volley of feathered death her way. For all the guile their master had displayed during his cunning evasion of the God-King’s might, his minions seemed to lack the fundamentals of warfare. No sound tactician would even consider archers in weather like this, but here they were.Chuckling to herself, Tsonia dashed towards the aft castle, her bloodstained weapon and fierce gaze enough to give pause to many a defender. Those too brave or foolish to flee she cut down as she ran, her curved blade carving horrible wounds into their bodies, only protected by wet cloth and unholy sigils tattooed onto their skin by blasphemous artists.By the time the third salvo scattered onto the precariously tilted deck, she dove headlong through the sodden curtain covering the castle’s entrance tucking into a shoulder-roll to avoid any hidden ambush. The sharpened prongs of a barbed trident scored the rain-splattered planks behind her and the anticipated defender readied his weapon for another attack. Tsonia lithely came to her feet. Her opponent, a half-naked Xhastrian with oiled skin and ceremonial braids in his coal-black hair had the greater reach, but he didn’t have her strength. She flung her scimitar spinning pommel over blade, causing him to evade to the side just as she expected. Grabbing his trident behind the viciously barbed tips, Tsonia pulled, breaking his balance and forcing him to stumble forwards or lose his weapon.The Xhastrian decided not to relinquish the trident and, thinking her unarmed and less dangerous, even put his weight behind it, hoping to put her off-balance. Tsonia let him push, allowing the weapon to glance off her shoulder. Too late the Xhastrian realized what her true plan was, but by the time he tried to pry her hands off his temples, it was too late. One quick snap to the side and the man’s neck broke. Tsonia tossed his limp body aside, scowling at the gash the trident had carved into her fair skin. The wound was already closing, her black blood hardening into a protective scab. In an hour, only the ghost of a scar would tell the tale of this exchange. A day later, even that ghost would only be a memory.Reclaiming her sword, Tsonia looked around. Another curtain covered the only other exit from the castle’s main cabin. Above the patter of rain and frantic footfalls on the roof above, Tsonia heard urgent muttering from beyond the curtain, syllables of a knotty language she knew all too well.Snarling in anger, Tsonia burst into the room beyond the curtain. Runes and sigils had been smeared onto the planks and the stink of death and magic was heavy in the air. A wizened old crone, naked but for bloody symbols painted onto her saggy skin, held the bleeding corpse of a young girl in her arms. A crimson gash on the girl’s throat told Tsonia all she needed to know. The storm tossing them about was not borne of nature, but of demonic forces.“Do not trifle with me, sell-sword,” the hag wheezed, brandishing a knife made from some large predator’s tooth. “I alone hold the storm’s true fury at bay.”The weather-witch rammed the blade into the girl’s chest, drawing thick red heart-blood. Like a living entity, the trail of blood curled upwards like a charmed serpent while the crone sang, enticing unspeakable powers from beyond the veil to do her bidding. Tsonia lunged forward to interrupt the unholy spell being invoked before her, the scimitar in her hand a crimson-stained arc of steel as she aimed for the crone’s neck.The weapon tore through flesh and bone, separating the still muttering skull from the neck it had sat upon. Blood fountained and the grinning head bounced off the floor, coming to rest near the veiled exit.“Take your lies to the Pits for all I care,” she growled, just as the planks beneath her feet rocked as if struck by an angry titan and the drumming rain above her intensified.There was a horrified yell from outside, even audible over the roar of the waves and the howl of the wind piercing every tiny opening in the ship’s hull. A moment later a horrible impact ripped through the aft castle. Beams cracked and planks split as a large weight slammed into the ceiling.“What in the Burning Hells have you done?” a cultured voice demanded to know.Tsonia tore her gaze away from the torrent of water sluicing through the shattered castle and pooling around her ankles. She saw his eyes first, black like twin obsidian beads piercing her with a gaze of dark nothingness. Behind those eyes, the man who clambered through the castle wreckage was tall and handsome despite sodden, battle-worn raiment. Long hair of sable hung wet and dripping past his sharp cheekbones and an angry snarl curled his thin lips as he snatched the severed head from the surging foam.“I have given your demon-kisser what she damn well deserved,” Tsonia spat, struggling to place her feet for a quick strike. But the heaving deck gave no quarter and left her clutching at the broken walls for balance.“You have damned us all, you stupid cow!” the empty-eyed man growled. “Like demons, storms are easy to summon but nigh impossible to control. And you just slew the one person who might have done so!”If possible, the hungry storm outside intensified, howling wind cutting through every tiny gap in the ship’s hull like the wail of unquiet dead. Ferocious waves tossed the ship. With a crash of splintering wood, a seismic wave shook the broken structure as the fragile ships were smashed together in the turbulent gale. There suddenly was the rush of water, very loud and very near.Tsonia found herself drawn to his stoic magnetism, and recognized the force of his presence instinctively. This man could be none other than Kelgore himself. His ebon eyes marked him as demonically debased, just as her own black blood marked her. It explained much about his wild success against the Xhastrians.“Since you seem to know so much about demons and storms, you must be Kelgore,” Tsonia bellowed over the clangor of the storm. “My hunt has come to an end at last!”Heedless of the precarious surroundings, Tsonia lunged, her blade aiming for the dread pirate’s heart. But the blow never connected.A murderous god’s fist shook the world as another mighty wave crashed down upon the interlocked and damaged ships. Already crippled, Kelgore’s vessel finally broke. Wood tore like paper, friend and foe were tossed like rice grains in a tornado. A widening circle of debris was tossed about by the raging waves. And Tsonia was in the midst of it all, sinking into the fathomless depths, the taunting smile of Kelgore still before her eyes.How had it all gone so wrong, Joras wondered as he clung to the rail of the tossing ship. Two weeks ago it had started out as such a pleasant adventure. The ocean breeze was warm and spiced with the scent of salt and pitch. The sea birds heralded Tyrant’s Blade as they followed the coastline under sail, saving the strength of the oarsmen. He’d filled pages of his sketchbook with Tsonia, Ambrose, and the crew.Why, he’d even managed to sketch a school of gamboling spout-fish as they playfully followed in the ship’s wake.But then two days ago the lookout had spotted the billowing smoke over the ruins of a fishing village, and soon after the lone ship that sailed away. The pleasant hunting cruise had turned into a grim pursuit as all aboard saw the Xhastrian reward close enough to claim. The seas grew choppy and the skies grew dark. The seabirds fell behind and the salt spray threatened his sketches as they chased Kelgore out into the open ocean.Joras was glad to have his precious pages wrapped in oil cloth and stowed safely in the aft castle, but it meant the image of Tsonia leaping from the crashing prow into the throng of pirates had to be roughed out in his memory alone and he always seemed to lose the little details that brought a painting of his muse to life.He wished he had the fortitude to follow Tsonia to the bow, to see and record the way Tyrant’s Blade pierced the other ship like a violent lover. From aft, he lost sight of Tsonia in the skirmish. All he could see was the feeble attempts of Kelgore’s oarsmen to dislodge the intruding ram. But the two small vessels were too tightly conjoined. Kelgore’s sail dragged the pair spiraling through the tempestuous waves and Ambrose held his rudder to pry deeper into the broken hull.With a crack of thunder the sky suddenly tore open and a deluge of rain overwhelmed sight and sound. Joras couldn’t make out more than shadows through the downpour. He clung to the railing as the deck dropped away beneath his feet, and then heaved upwards again.“The storm’s gotten worse,” he remarked with as casual a tone as he could muster while shouting to be heard.“It has,” agreed Ambrose, leaning all his weight against the tiller while straining to see the battle at the front of his ship.“Of course, I’m sure you’ve seen worse,” Joras added, trying to sound confident. “I’m sure you’ve survived dozens of squalls worse than this.”Thunder ripped the air again, and through the veil of rain Joras saw a blinding spike of lightning drive through the mast of Kelgore’s ship, shattering it like summer hay under the flail.“No,” Ambrose turned to face Joras and Joras saw the fear in the captain’s eyes. “No, this is the kind of storm that turns fishermen into farmers.”“It’s funny,” Joras yelled. “The farmers have the opposite saying about droughts.”Ambrose didn’t laugh. He abandoned the tiller to swing wildly to and fro at the whims of an angry ocean and joined Joras at the rail. Reaching into his soaking tunic, Ambrose tore a large key from the lanyard around his neck and forced into Joras hand.“Go below and free the oar-slaves,” he shouted. “None of us may survive, but I’ll not condemn them to certain death. I’ve got to tell the crew to save themselves.” With that grim instruction, Ambrose drew a brass-hilted cutlass and fought his way forward against the tide of the raging storm.The terror Joras had been wrestling with broke free and he felt its oppressive weight on his chest, buckling his knees and squeezing the air from his lungs. He’d faced peril and death often enough since he had decided to follow Red Tsonia on her quest for fame and glory, but always at the hands of a foe that could be defeated. How does one slay a storm? He could not depend on the unmatched prowess of his muse to save him this time. It was up to him.Joras summoned what courage he could find, and steeled himself to the task at hand. After Kelgore’s ship had been rammed, the crew had all gone to fight and had left the oar-slaves to recover their strength. Below his feet were fifty souls chained to their benches and Joras alone held their fates quite literally in his hand. Willing himself to release his iron grip on the rail, he charged across the pitching deck, lost his footing and tumbled through the open hatch and down the steep flight of stairs.He landed with a splash and clambered to his feet gasping for air in waist-deep water. If the maelstrom above was chaotic, the bedlam below was nightmarish. The howls of terrified men in the sightless dark drowned out the creak and groan of the stressed timber and the splash of churning water. The slaves pulled at their chains and beat at their restraints with chunks of broken wood or even their raw flesh. They knew Tyrant’s Blade was sinking, and that they had been abandoned to die.“Where are the locks!?” Joras cried over the din, desperately trying to get someone’s attention. “I have your key! By the gods, where are the locks?”As the water continued to rise, sloshing from side to side as the forsaken ship rolled in the angry storm, Joras was blindly herded towards the bow. With grasping hands guided by barely coherent cries of instruction, he found a stout padlock securing a heavy brass chain. It ran the length of the ship, passing through the shackle of each slave manning the twelve upper oars on that side. Fitting the key by touch, he turned it and released the chain.With a frantic jangle of metal, the first lucky group of oarsmen freed themselves and clambered over each other in a frenzied flight for the hatch. Those who remained bound wailed for their release even louder than before as Joras sought desperately in the dark for a matching lock on the opposite side of the hold. He found it at last, fumbled with the key, and was rewarded with a satisfying metallic clank.But as the second group of slaves fled the doomed vessel and the water crept up towards Joras’s chest, he realized with horror that the men on the lower banks of oars were secured with their own chains and locks, locks that were fastened under the churning floodwaters. Trapped below the benches of the upper oarsmen, the lower slaves were unable to even stand fully, and craned their necks to keep their shrieking faces above the rising water.Taking a deep breath, Joras dropped below the surface and found himself battered about by the surging flood. He clung to any handhold he could find in the dark, groping blindly for the hidden lock with the taste of metal on his tongue as he clenched the key in his teeth.His lungs began to burn and he feared his quest was in vain. His instincts screamed for the surface and life-giving air, but his will dwelt on the plight of those men who had no hope beyond him. Just as his will was foundering and his fear grew beyond his control, Joras’s fingers found the familiar curve of a padlock ring. Feeling for the keyhole with his thumb, he gracelessly jammed in the key and managed to turn it just as his instinct drove him back to the surface.There was no time to catch his breath. He had to go back for the key he’d left behind before he could even begin to search for the last lock. The inches of air that remained for the agonized men bound to the last oar benches waxed and waned as the waters sloshed back and forth with the rolling of the storm-tossed ship.And so back down Joras went, but in the swirling currents of the flooded hold he found that he had no more idea where to find the lock than he had the first time.Panic and guilt gripped Joras’s heart as he clawed desperately in the dark for the missing key. Had he really been so foolish as to lose it? Why had he not held his breath but a scant second longer? He endured the agony in his lungs to his very limit but had to come up for air empty-handed. The pitiful pleas of the doomed men that filled his ears sent him right back under the water with barely a breath.Then, through the crude woodwork he clung to, Joras felt more than heard the terrible creaking of timber and the shattering of the ship’s beam. He was suddenly seized by a mighty current that tore away his grip and flushed him tumbling through the dark water head over heels into the ravaged ocean until he lost all perception of up or down.Lungs aflame with need, Joras thrashed and fought in vain, weighed down by his sturdy traveling clothes and heavy orange cloak. He felt his consciousness collapsing, his limbs growing heavy, the water seeping towards his lungs. As the silence and the blackness took him, Joras found some small justice in knowing that he shared the same fate as the chained men he had failed.And suddenly there was blinding light and thunderous noise and wracking pain in his chest as he hacked and sputtered on the surface of the turbulent sea.“I should never have mocked your garish wardrobe!” shouted a familiar voice over the prattle of the rain. “The orange of your cloak is the only thing to be seen in this downpour!”“Kaela!" Joras gasped! "Gods be praised!”Tsonia dunked Joras back under the water before he had found breath. “I’ve told you not to call me that,” she admonished when she’d pulled him coughing back into the air. “And don’t give thanks too soon. This storm is ravenous, and we are still in its maw.”With powerful strokes, Tsonia dragged Joras through the rolling swells to a broken chunk of flotsam and there they clung as the witch’s storm raged around them.The first thing Ambrose saw when his senses returned was the war goddess, now a malformed, headless husk of bronze sitting astride a bent ram pointing at the churning skies above. Coughing up briny water, he forced himself into a sitting position and tried to comprehend the enormity of the destruction surrounding him.Tyrant’s Blade was no more. The prow, reinforced as it had been, loomed like a macabre monument over the bone-white beach he had found himself on. Dark shapes had washed up on the sand, splintered planks, scattered bodies, their limbs and spines twisted and broken, gulls pecking at their remains. Nothing seemed to move apart from the clouds overhead and the waves rushing up to meet the sand, occasionally depositing another piece of flotsam on the shore.Ambrose had been through his fair share of catastrophes, some self-inflicted, some visited upon him by his enemies or the capricious nature of the sea. None had even come close to the horrors he had witnessed in those last, lightning-struck moments. Torrential waves had washed men overboard screaming. Both ships had broken apart under the churning sea’s relentless assault. Ambrose too had been ripped from the deck of his trusty vessel into the pitch-black maws of the raging ocean and battered between broken timbers.Somehow, he had survived. The denizens of the deep didn’t fancy his soul this time. They didn’t let him off easy either.Moaning softly, he clutched his throbbing head. His fingers found a long gash along his temple. The cut was shallow but burned like the fires of hell. Breathing hurt too. With trembling fingers, Ambrose examined his sore rump, encountering bruises and cuts but thankfully no broken bones. Carefully testing his limbs, Ambrose fought to his knees and then his feet. His left ankle ached when he put weight upon it, but then his whole body sang in pain.Grabbing half an oar to steady himself, he dragged himself up the beach, away from the greedy ocean. Maybe fifty yards ahead, a veritable wall of green awaited him. Towering trees, sail-sized leaves and vines promised a nigh-impenetrable thicket, probably rife with sharp-toothed predators longing for easy prey. And beyond those viridian fortifications, spitting an ominous plume of smoke, a steep-sloped volcano loomed.Ambrose sighed. Finding his way off these inhospitable shores would be no easy feat. He had to assume he wasn’t the only survivor and there was a good chance that others might be Kelgore’s men, out to finish what the storm had started.Now further away from the crashing waves, Ambrose could hear other noises too, most of them unsettling and ominous. Echoing screeches or howls emanated from the jungle and a low, sonorous rumble seemed to come up through his feet, announcing that the volcano was much less quiet than he had hoped. His hand went to the sheath at his belt, but his prized blade had vanished in the maelstrom, torn from his fingers by the ravenous waters.He cast his gaze about in the vain hopes to spot it or something similar nearby, now keenly aware that he was among the few things moving on that beach and therefore easily spotted by friend and foe alike. Cursing his ankle, he hobbled back towards the shoreline, aiming for the closest pile of debris. There was no storage chest, no rack of weapons with blades, spears and axes to be found. Only a couple of pews, their construction sturdy enough to withstand a slave revolt were close at hand. A section of hull was still bolted to them. Ambrose couldn’t tell if it was a part of Tyrant’s Blade or Kelgore’s ship. There were no bodies he recognized either way. Sighing, he sank onto one of the pews, taking weight off his aching leg.Once more the stranded captain gazed at the sky. It was hard to tell the time of day, with the clouds roiling overhead. Even worse, it was hard to tell where he was. They had followed Kelgore’s ship along the Xhastrian coast before the pirate had steered away to the west, towards the open seas and out of the reach of the Green Cities. There shouldn’t have been any land in that direction, not even scattered islands were marked on the maps he had memorized so well in his years at the helm of Tyrant’s Blade. Yet here he was, on an unfamiliar beach with one leg impaired, no weapons to speak of, and a growing feeling of vulnerability and unease creeping up his spine. He would need food, water, and shelter to survive, warmth to dry himself and weapons to guard against his enemies, be they two- or four-legged.About to resume his trawl of the beach, he steadied himself for the inevitable stab of pain from his ankle when he heard voices coming closer. Muffled by the thick wood between himself and the voices, he couldn’t tell friend from foe. Bating his breath, he allowed them to pass him by, his body hidden in the shadow of the torn hull.And then Ambrose’s heart leapt with joy, for the scarlet tresses he saw could belong to only one person.“Tsaugh,” he croaked, not realizing how dry his throat was, or how blistered his lips. “Tson,” he tried again, but loud enough now to be heard over the crashing surf.Tsonia turned, and Joras with her. Both were sunburned and blistered, crusted with salt and sand. Joras leaned heavily on her shoulder, his footsteps faltering in the loose sand. Her hands were bloody to the wrist, and in one she carried a sandy thigh-bone that Ambrose preferred not to contemplate. Yet the smile that graced her lips was perhaps the loveliest thing he had ever laid eyes upon.“Do not try to speak,” she whispered when she had come back close enough to be heard. Her voice was dry and hoarse as well, but she gently sat Joras down upon the bench and leaned the two men into each other for support. The bloody femur she placed in Ambrose’s hand, closing his fingers around it like a cudgel.“Look after each other,” she wheezed. “I’ll find water and be back.”From his shoulder, Joras unslung an empty water gourd in a woven hanger, its stopper dangling by its tether. They must have found it washed ashore among the wreckage, or perhaps bobbing along with them as they drifted on the waves. Just as Joras handed the gourd up to Tsonia, they all looked up with a start.From the jungle came the sonorous rhythm of drums.“Where there are people,” Tsonia said with a smile, “there must be water.”The jungle canopy cast dancing shadows across the surface of the rippling pool that filled the hillside hollow. It was broad and deep, fed by a gurgling spring and surrounded by moss-covered stones and twisted tree roots. From the low end of the pond a trickle of water overflowed its basin and tumbled splashing down the hill, through the jungle, and eventually across the sandy beach to the sea. The small stream was too shallow and too sparse to slake a dying man’s thirst. Any who wished to drink deeply would have to follow the water upstream to the spring.And so by the spring, Kelgore waited.“The drums are moving,” he said. “They were coming from that direction. Now they’re over there.”“No, not moving,” came the reply. “Different drums. Different people. Only the message moves.”Kelgore thought about it and admitted silently to himself that it was probably true.“We should go. We should seek out those drums and turn the natives to our cause. Perhaps they can return us to civilized lands.”“No,” answered Kelgore. “We wait. Any of my men who wash ashore will find their way here. I would rather face the natives with a loyal force at my back.”“It’s dangerous. Any of the sell-swords who wash ashore will also find their way here.”“Then I will turn them to my cause or they will die.” Kelgore thumbed the blade of his knife before securing it snuggly back in its sheath.“Don’t be a fool, boy! You let your prejudice for culture and sophistication blind you. You were born to rule over all men, not just the civilized sheep of the Green Cities. Find these natives and lead them to the throne that is your destiny!”“Quiet, mother!" Kelgore snapped. "Someone’s coming.”The old corne’s severed head sat wedged in the crook of a tree branch where Kelgore hid watching the jungle pool. For too long the old witch had brow-beaten his obedience, but the tables had turned. It was she who was now dependent upon him. If he chose to feed her to the gulls or the fish, there was nothing she could do about it. He smirked with that confidence. Ignoring her scowl, he turned his attention back to the approaching footsteps.Through the jungle thicket across the pond, he spied her red hair first. He recognized her immediately, the vixen-warrior who had cut down his mother in cold blood and condemned them all to these savage shores. Unless he missed his guess, she was the mercenary known as Red Tsonia or Bloody Tsonia depending on who spun her tale. Kelgore once thought it presumptuous that she should take the name of the ancient warrior queen, but having seen her quality in person, he thought it might be apt after all.“Kill her!” hissed his mother, beneath the drone of the beating drums, the calls of tropical birds, and the rustle of the foliage in the sea breeze. “Avenge me!”“Shush!” he insisted.The flame-haired warrior spied the pool of sweet water and broke into a run. She dropped to her knees and scooped double handfuls to her mouth, letting the excess spill down her chest and stomach and thighs. When she had drunk her fill, she took an empty water gourd from her shoulder and plunged it bubbling beneath the surface.When she withdrew the gourd, Kelgore saw her hesitate before plugging it with its stopper. She looked back over her shoulder, then turned to face the drums in the distance. She sat for a moment in contemplation and then poured the water slowly over her own head, rolling her neck and massaging the clean water through her salt-stiffened hair.Tsonia closed her eyes, luxuriating in the cool water that rinsed away the ocean’s residue.Kelgore saw his chance to ambush her, to strike swiftly in her vulnerability, but he tarried.Tsonia filled the gourd again to finish rinsing her hair. She wiped the sand and grime from her face, and poured the last of the water down her chest. Kelgore could feel his manhood swell as Tsonia laid the gourd aside and pulled the ragged chainmail vest off over her head, exposing her ample breasts.“I would have her,” he murmured, as she bathed her bare shoulders, chest, and midriff by the burbling jungle spring. “I shall turn her to our cause and I shall have her.”“Fool!” spat his mother. “This is no fish-monger’s daughter, no doe-eyed waif. She is demon tainted, much as you were.”“Yes,” agreed Kelgore, feeling the lust rising in his chest as he watched Tsonia bathe. “But just think of the grandchildren she could give you.”“Dozens of bellies swell with my grandchildren all along the Xhastrian coast. How many grandchildren do I need?”“My mind is set and I shall not be dissuaded, mother. Now be silent, or will feed your tongue to the gulls!”“You’ve grown insolent since that bitch killed me,” he heard her grumble under her breath, but she said no more.Across the pond, Tsonia filled the gourd again, then stood and began to unfasten the chainmail skirt that hung from her shapely hips. Kelgore felt a certain satisfaction when he saw her jump as he stepped out from the cover of vines and thicket. He held his hands empty at his sides, but there was a hypnotic twinkle in his obsidian eyes.“You can be none other than Red Tsonia,” he called to her. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.”Her eyes roamed over him, taking his measure. They lingered on his groin for a heartbeat before wandering higher, meeting his eye. Before he could exert his formidable will through his demon-tainted eyes though, she bent low and poured water from the gourd into her palm, continuing her bath. Kelgore exhaled slowly. Dumb luck made her evade his beguiling gaze this time, but there would be ample opportunity.“Sneaking up on me while I’m bathing isn’t the wisest course of action,” Tsonia said, her wet hands roaming her muscular thighs.“And yet, you seem oddly at ease for being naked and helpless,” Kelgore said.Tsonia poured more water, slowly rinsing her hips and the faint tuft of mousy brown fuzz covering her femininity.“What makes you think I’m helpless?” she wondered. “In less than a heartbeat, I could be at your throat, gutting you with that knife on your belt and you would be helpless to stop me.”Kelgore closed his hand around the bronze-wound hilt of his knife. “Then why don’t you? You were sent to kill me, were you not?”Unperturbed, Tsonia washed her sex, her face hidden by her unbound mane of fiery tresses. “Indeed. The God-King gave me ample reason to slay you on the spot. But until I know how to return to Xhastria to claim the reward, I’d rather not have to carry around a decaying corpse.” Her head came up, flashing a cocky smile.Kelgore cleared his throat, ready to employ his charming voice as he’d done so often with officials and paupers both, nudging their inhibitions aside, making them listen to what Kelgore deemed reasonable. “I might be willing to follow you,” he crooned, his sultry voice reverberating in a certain way. “There is no reason for us to be enemies, at least not for the time being. You will find me a very willing hostage. Let it be said that Kelgore knows how to please.”He relinquished the hilt of his knife and caressed the sizable bulge in his robes, the embers of lust flaring to fiery life. Not only did he relish the sight of the naked warrior before him, her ample curves and taut limbs promising exhausting revelry, but the feeling of his mind ensnaring hers, the delicious sensation of his hypnotic tendrils exerting their subtle, yet overwhelming influence. Oh how he would delight in ravishing her, coaxing unspeakable pleasure from her body and mind both!Tsonia had stopped washing herself. Instead she swayed gently to the cadence of his words, her hands wandering her body, as if she were presenting herself for his approval, a quizzical smile on her ruby lips. “What do you have in mind?” she wondered.“Take hold of me,” Kelgore murmured, parting the salt-stiffened fabric of his clothes and offering his throbbing lance for her fingers. His free hand touched her luxurious, wet mane of fiery tresses, guiding her face towards his yearning manhood. Her breath was hot on his skin and her lust rushed up through his fingertips as they touched her scalp.At her touch, Kelgore’s vision blurred as he latched on to one of her secrets, wrapped in shadows at the edge of her mind, but right at the surface where the most important secrets are always kept. Kelgore became Tsonia. He saw through her eyes, heard through her ears, and relived the memory she wanted to bury but couldn’t.He was bound naked to an altar made from some strange green rock. The surface had been polished smooth by aeons of use. Thousands of bodies had languished here until they met their demise. Icons wrought from ribs and spines and skulls adorned torch lit alcoves. Naked priests and priestesses, their bodies painted with unholy symbols writhed around the altar, their voices brittle from hours of chanting. And towering over him, confusion and lust flickering in its monstrous eyes, was the jackal-headed demon Q'alan, his jet-black skin slick with sweat, his prodigious erection dripping with hellish seed.“More.” Kelgore heard himself beg through Tsonia’s swollen lips. The burning taste of demon seed clogged his throat. Patches of the vile stuff caked his breasts, his stomach. A veritable lake of it pooled under his behind. And his hand wandered downwards, splaying open his hungry cunt for the demon to see. Thick rivulets of demonic seeds, mixed with virginal blood dribbled over his fingers and onto the stained altar.“Give me more,” Tsonia’s voice demanded as she spread her legs as far as the chains around her ankles allowed. She rammed two fingers into her sex, displacing another gob of the foul seed. “You are not sated yet, are you?”Her voice was hoarse and rough, but there was something in it, a force even the mighty Q'alan could not resist. Growling, hot spittle dripping from its jagged teeth, it grasped Tsonia’s hips. A large, bulbous sensation pressed against her rear, demanding entry to that as-of-yet unspoiled orifice. Tsonia groaned and wailed as the demonic phallus forced her open, but her moans turned to cries of ecstasy as Q'alan’s mighty spear filled her up. The demon gasped and frothed at the maw as it relentlessly pounded her, trying to break that insolent human who dared to challenge him.And yet, he couldn’t. He was as much a slave to her body as she was helpless to escape the pummeling Q'alan unleashed upon her.Hours passed in a moment of Kelgore’s memory. The jackal-headed demon took Tsonia every which way, pouring unending streams of his demonic seed down her throat, cunt, or ass. His claws left bloody furrows in her unblemished flesh, but the wounds seemed to heal as soon as he gouged them. And instead of tiring, becoming weaker under his monstrous assault, she seemed to thrive, urging him on for another fuck.And then the unthinkable happened. Q'alan tired. His rampant shaft, which had been erect for days and able to spew gallons of his demonic fluids, flagged. Tsonia, breasts heaving in heat, grinned wantonly up at him. One of the chains holding her arms to the altar had broken and she beckoned, curling her fingers at her cum-streaked lips.“Have me drink from your well once more, oh mighty Q'alan,” she groaned, her body making disgusting, sucking sounds as she slithered on the cum-slick stones. “Your seed is sweet nectar to me.”Q'alan threw his head about in irritation. The priests and priestesses, by now only whispering their binding chants in hoarse, broken voices, were barely able to stand. Snarling, he lashed out, cutting open a priest from head to groin. Hot, bloody intestines fell to the floor in sloshing tangles. The man was too hoarse to even scream as his life cascaded onto the befouled tiles. But the deed was done. The circle was broken. Q'alan was no longer bound.Spitting curses upon his inept cult, the jackal-headed monster vanished in a gout of foul-smelling vapor, leaving behind a tangle of confused and fear-stricken priests. When they saw Tsonia reach for the second chain holding her body to the altar, the cultists clambered over one another to flee from the torch lit catacomb.The chain broke as Tsonia flexed her arm, her body infused with Q'alan’s hellish strength. There were no wounds. There was no pain, not even from her ravaged nethers which the demon had abused for uncountable hours. Her bones were stronger than the rusted shackles tethering her to the soiled stone altar and she broke them with contemptuous ease.Tsonia came to her feet, wishing she could break her mother’s neck as easily as she could break these chains. Kelgore understood how Tsonia’s own mother had offered her virgin daughter to Q'alan for the promise of influence, riches and power.His vision snapped back, the flickering images of the underground crypt replaced with the twilit glade. There were no chanting priests, just the irritated chatter of jungle birds and the unceasing beat of the distant drums. He was standing next to the spring, his fingers entwined in Tsonia’s magnificent locks, her lips locked around his throbbing manhood, her tongue a fluttering sensation almost as sweet as the taste of the secret he had plucked from her.“Yes,” he purred, slowly rolling his hips forwards. “You and I shall make a fine pair. Demon-blessed, you and I. The world will tremble at our offspring’s might!”Her answer was a hungry growl deep in her throat. Strong hands dug into his buttocks and her mouth exerted delicious suction. This was different from the scared waifs he had coerced into his bedchambers, different from the docile noblewomen he had twisted and broken for his amusement.Kelgore found it hard to find words under Tsonia’s dexterous assault. One hand dove under his clothes, finding his sac. Expertly, her calloused fingers caressed his balls.He didn’t dare use his voice, for fear of inadvertently breaking the spell he had just put upon her. None of his prior victims had displayed such vigor under his control. But then, he never had tried charming another demon-touched being before.Tsonia’s growl had turned into a playful purr. One hand pumped his shaft, her other was busy between her own thighs. Kelgore slowly fucked her glorious mouth, amazed at how deep she was able to take his lance. She spurred him on with moans, with a clawed hand to his buttocks and he obliged, feeding her his shaft until his loins curled up in that all-too familiar sensation of imminent release.Once more he drove his lance home, eagerly devoured by the red-headed temptress kneeling by the spring, and hot spurts of seed poured from him. Kelgore loosened a triumphant yell as his body shook from an almighty climax, more satisfying and visceral than anything those tepid Xhastrian whores had been able to coax from him!A low, ominous growl answered him, shattering the magic of the moment. Kelgore’s spell, tenuous as it had been, faded away. Tsonia, Kelgore’s seed dripping down her chin, shook her head as if she had just woken from a perturbing dream. Her eyes caught him, robes wide open, his erection still proudly on display and a grim expression settled on her beautiful face, promising the inevitability of untold torment.A flicker of comprehension dawned and she flung herself at him, tearing his knife from its sheath as she barreled into him. They tumbled into the grass. Tsonia, gloriously naked and wet sat astride his prone form, one hand a crushing vise around his throat, the knife hovering above his eye, poised for a lethal descent.“I don’t know what fell magic's you employed on me, but I hope for your sake there is a good reason why I have your taste all over my mouth!”Kelgore, stunned by her sudden fury and for once at a loss for words, noticed movement in the branches above. A tall, man-like shadow watched with unknowable intent. Two more shades silently joined on adjacent branches. They carried nets made from vines and short spears tipped with stone points. Inquisitive eyes flicked this way and that. Their heads inclined as if in conversation, but whatever whispers they uttered were unheard over the rumble of the drums.There was no air to breathe. There was no air to bargain with. He could wait and hope the strangers would free him from Tsonia’s grasp, but Kelgore doubted he could hold on for that long. He’d rather take his chances with her than the ominous strangers. Croaking a warning, he raised his arm, pointing.Tsonia opened her mouth in a stillborn question. Before she could give words to her thoughts, a feathered dart sprouted from her neck. On instinct, Tsonia pulled it free, relinquishing Kelgore’s throat. Greedily, he sucked air into his burning lungs as Tsonia came to her feet, warily searching for the attackers.Ever the opportunist, Kelgore grasped the chance at freedom. He mustered his voice. “Drop the knife!”Tsonia obeyed, relinquishing his blade. Then her fighting instincts took over and she tumbled to the side, just as tall, muscular shapes arose from the undergrowth around them. Kelgore plucked his weapon from the ground and came to his feet in a scrabbling run, sprinting towards the tree where he had left his mother’s head. The first dart missed him by a finger’s breadth, but the second found its mark.A soothing calm fell over Kelgore as he stood there, watching Tsonia naked and grappling with a green-skinned savage. Slowly sinking to his knees, he was certain he saw Tsonia’s hips roll in a particular motion against that man’s groin. An irrational burst of jealousy gripped his heart. How could she still be so full of energy while he only wanted to sprawl on the floor and sleep until that beautiful tranquility had passed? How was she so willing to copulate with a beastly savage while he was here, still horribly aching for her body?The last thing Kelgore saw before sleep took him was a grinning face, tongue wagging as someone or something slung him over her shoulder.The stone blade was aimed at her ribs but Tsonia held it at bay and threw her weight to the left. The man or beast or whatever it was that grappled her shifted his feet to compensate. For the brief moment he was off balance, Tsonia caught hold of a jungle root, anchored herself, and with a mighty twist of her hips she sent her attacker sprawling to the ground.Was this creature even a man? Only the leather skin wrapped around his loins and the strap slung over one shoulder suggested any degree of civilization. His skin mottled in shades of olive, sage, and lime, was unlike anything he had seen before.Atop his powerfully muscled torso the head had a feral, beastial quality. Short fur rippled in the breeze and thin flews curled around canine teeth in a face that was more muzzle than mouth. The man’s arms ended in strong, clawed hands. A sinuous, striped tail curled from a shapely backside and the hind legs bent backwards were built for long, powerful strides and ferocious jumps.As Tsonia stood, the jungle seemed to twist around her, a verdant kaleidoscope of madness. The beast man didn’t regain his feet as much as he sort of oozed into an upright posture. The short spear undulated in his grip. The tangle of jungle roots beneath her feet shifted as if she stood upon a lattice of ship’s cables and the constant drum beat became muddled and lethargic.Tsonia shook her head to clear the dart’s poison from her vision, but it did no good.With a growl of anger, the beast man charged flapping like a banner in the wind. Tsonia leapt away from his attack leaving her feet and hands behind. She found herself next to the bouncing pool, next to her discarded chainmail top, which crawled into her hand and wrapped itself around her fingers.Before she could reorient her senses, her foe was upon her, clawed fingers at her throat and the point of his spear driving into her shoulder. Black blood hissed against the flint.With a roar of pain, Tsonia bashed him across his stubby snout with her handful of rubbery chainmail knocking loose a fang from his slavering lips. It left an arc of crimson hanging in the air like a sanguine rainbow. She brought a knee up into his groin where his twisted loincloth provided no protection. The beast howled but did not release his grip. She could feel his claws piercing her throat like gimlets twisted into cork. Again she brought the chainmail flailing down on his head, this time ripping away a pointed ear.The beast man released her throat, and caught her wrist in a grip like twine wrapped around bread dough. It was the opening Tsonia had hoped for, and she followed his motion adding her own considerable strength to his momentum, rolling the pair of them down the colorful brook that scarpered idly away from the spring pool.They tumbled down the slope and the world seemed reluctant to drag itself around in a spiral. Tsonia felt as if everything was made of honey as green and brown and claw and chain were mingled by a slow spoon. She saw the breath expelled from her lungs as she landed hard on top of her attacker, his fuzzy chest against the bare skin of her neck and shoulders. His arms wrapped around her and his clawed hands raked at her exposed throat and midriff.A bloody cry caught in Tsonia’s throat. She clutched at the beast’s pulpy arms, hoping to arrest their assault when she noticed the long, trailing appendage wavering gently from her shoulder. It must be the spear haft, still embedded within her like a spent lover.With all the focus she could muster, Tsonia released her attacker and took the spear in her grip. Clenching her teeth and straining wary thews with all her demon-blessed might, Tsonia forced the spear point through her shoulder, out of her back, and into the heaving chest of the screaming creature beneath her.For another moment he fought on, even as his life slipped away from him.Tsonia felt the flesh of her throat and her stomach melding, knitting together like a weaver’s handiwork. She yanked the spear out of her own body, black blood hissing and steaming along its length, and she pushed herself up and up and up to her feet. She hadn’t realized the ground was so low.The jungle continued to swirl around her, twisting and undulating. The spear felt pliant in her hand, as if made of soft leather, but she knew it could not be so. She shook her head again to clear the fog of the dart’s poison, but to no avail.Above her, a coarse series of syllables were barked in a language Tsonia didn’t know. She blinked into the twining tendrils of the jungle and saw another man, like this one, waiting by the flat ground by the pool. He carried a short spear in one hand and a net in the other. Both seemed to flutter in time to the sonorous beat of the distant drums.“So your people have honor of a sort?” Tsonia asked, mounting the hill. “You could have joined your friend and ganged up on me, but instead you waited for single combat. You have my respect, but not my mercy.”She was battered and bloody, her skin caked with mud and what must have been Kelgore’s seed. But she recognized a challenge when it was issued and while she didn’t know what would happen if she declined, she knew she was too vain to find out.“I don’t suppose you’d let me dress first?”The second foe barked a single word, hefted his spear and began to circle Tsonia cautiously, a wary eye on the captured spear and the chainmail hauberk she wielded.“No? No, I suppose you’re almost as naked as I am. Fair is fair after all.”Tsonia lowered her weight and readied for his attack, trying to hold her opponent in focus as the jungle blended and kneaded itself around them.The beast man lunged, stabbing with his spear, an experimental strike to gauge Tsonia’s speed. She parried it easily, although the spear shafts felt supple as they met, the clack of contact numb and muted. Whipping her handful of chainmail, she attempted to catch her

are you clenching your butt cheeks? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/xojoannaalexis/message

కొందరికి పళ్లు బిగపెట్టడం ఓ అలవాటు. చిన్నగా తోచే ఈ అలవాటు వెనుక ఓ ఉద్వేగం ఉండవచ్చు. అది చిగుళ్ల, పంటి సమస్యలకు దారి తీయవచ్చు. పళ్లు కొరకడం లాంటి మిగతా అలవాట్లూ ఇంతే! ఈవారం ఇదే సమస్య గురించి విశ్లేషించబోతున్నారు డాక్టర్ హరీష్ తెన్నేటి. కేవలం దంత వైద్యంలోనే కాకుండా, మానసిక శాస్త్రంలోనూ నైపుణ్యం ఉన్న హరీష్ గారి మాటలు వినితీరాల్సిందే! Clenching and biting of teeth isn't just a habit. It might be the expression of a hidden or suppressed emotion. Such habits would result in damaging our teeth and gums. Here is renowned Doctor Harish sharing the reasons behind such habits and ways to deal with them. Being an emotional expert, Dr. Harish is going to share an interesting analysis about these habits and ways to cope with them. Host: Jayasree Expert: Dr.Harish Tenneti Dr. Harish Contact Details: Mobile number: 9182674723 Website:https://www.violetera.in/ #talradiotelugu #DenTALCare #DrHarishTenneti #BadOralHabits #OralHealth #touchalife #talradio

Tune in to the DenTAL Care special show with host Jayasree and Dr. Harish Tenneti, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeon, for an insightful discussion on "Grinding & Clenching Your Teeth? This Pain is Inevitable Then." Explore the reasons behind teeth grinding, its inevitable pain, and gain expert advice on managing and preventing this common issue. Enhance your oral health knowledge with valuable insights from the experts on this engaging episode. Host : Jayasree Expert : Dr.Harish Tenneti Dr. Harish Contact Details: Mobile number : 9182674723 Website :https://www.violetera.in/ #talradioenglish #DenTALCare #OralCare #DrHarishTenneti #Jayasree #touchalife #TALPodcast

Griffin's favorite feeling beyond logic! Rachel's favorite maternal poet! Music: “Money Won't Pay” by bo en and Augustus – https://open.spotify.com/album/7n6zRzTrGPIHt0kRvmWoya Fair Elections Center: https://www.fairelectionscenter.org/

Dr. Iman Sadri wrote an article in 2012, 'Botox at the Dentist' - describing the clinical implications of getting botox at the dentist. One of the major reasons Botox helps with dental treatment is for the treatment of clenching and grinding. Botox helps reduce hypertrophic masseters by decreasing their width via muscle shrinkage. Clenching and grinding in fact can enlarge the jaw muscles. Botox administered at the dentist or at a medical office or med spa greatly helps clenchers and grinders. Botox at the dentist also helps reduce gummy smiles. This happens by dropping the upper lip down reducing how much gum tissue is shown.Follow Dr Iman on social media @DrImanSadri 

9.29.23.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Many of us hold our tongues or clench our teeth to protect ourselves from saying what you really want to say. Or feel. And for most of us, that works and we go about our day. But if you are clenching and grinding your teeth on a daily basis there is going to be a problem.    Sometimes with your jaw. Or wearing away your teeth. Or having headaches or something worse.   In this episode, a look at what jaw clenching and teeth grinding and some of the things you can do to reduce the symptoms. The medical term is called bruxism.    I do want to mention that I did not make any references to medication. That is because there can be non-anxiety related forms of bruxism. There can be structural problems with the jaw or mouth.   If that is the source of the problem, then that is more of a dental treatment issue. I'm looking at jaw clenching and teeth grinding from a stress and anxiety point of view.    If you need support contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or 1-800-273-8255, the Trevor Project at 1-866-488-7386 or text “START” to 741-741. Resources Mentioned:  No Time To Panic: How I Curbed My Anxiety and Conquered a Lifetime of Panic Attacks" By Matt Gutman, who is an ABC news national chief correspondent. You can listen to a sample of the book at the publisher web site.   National Public Radio 1A podcast interviewed Matt Gutman and talked about his experiences having panic attacks on the air. It is a 36-minute conversation.  The Journal of the American Dental Association page on Bruxism has a patient PDF that you can download. It explains what it is and what you can do about it. Colgate Bruxism Exercises to Reduce Teeth Grinding. All about BRUXISM  via Dentalk! on YouTube.    Sleep Foundation page about Bruxism. Sleep Foundation is not associated with the non-profit National Sleep Foundation. This company is in the business of selling sleep products. That being said, they do have factual information regarding sleep issues.   Healthline jaw exercise post with gifs to show you how to do it.   Disclaimer:  Links to other sites are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsements.  Always seek the advice of a qualified health provider with questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health disorder. This blog and podcast is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Nothing in this program is intended to be a substitute for professional psychological, psychiatric or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Teeth grinding and jaw clenching are becoming more common due to the increased amount of stress people are under, says an assistant professor in the Marquette University School of Dentistry. We talk with Dr. Yasser Khaled about facial pain.

Many people who clench their teeth don't even realize they do it. Chronically clenching and grinding your teeth can lead to some serious dental issues, including cracks, wearing, and even tooth loss. Periodontist David Okano, MD, talks about the potential problems of teeth clenching and how your dentist can help prevent further damage to your smile.

DESCRIPTION In this week's episode of our podcast, we switch things up a little and bring back Season 1 guest, Hayley Wildsmith from Auckland Hypopressives. She shares her recent experience with pelvic organ prolapse surgery and talks about her latest creation, The Booty Kit, which focuses on glute strength to improve overall health and support core and pelvic floor function. Hayley shares a unique and helpful analogy called the 'jellyfish' technique for better pelvic floor control. This episode is perfect for those who want to learn more about pelvic organ prolapse management, strengthening glutes for proper function, deep core strength, breathing mechanics for the pelvic floor and respiratory system, structural support for the pelvic floor, collagen, body self-love, and more. If you are interested in seeing what is in the Booty Kit, head over to our Youtube Channel to watch the video.  This episode is for you if you want to know more about:  pelvic organ prolapse  how to manage prolapse symptoms  strengthening your glutes for function   deep core strength  respiratory system and pelvic  breathing mechanics  structural support for your pelvic floor  strong deep core, transverse abdominis  collagen   pelvic floor stress and trauma  cellulite and aesthetics  body self-love  The Booty Kit 'Mum bum'  Clenching with prolapse  function first - aesthetics are a by-product  Levator-ani avulsions  Weakening muscles and atrophy if you stop moving to function  Emssella Chair  EMS - Electronic Muscle Stimulation  Pilates for pelvic organ prolapse  Kegels  Hypertonic pelvic floor  Pessaries  Online programs for prolapse  Jelly Fish analogy - how to regulate your pelvic floor The banana roll Special Guest: Hayley https://alwaysbootyful.com/ As a special gift to our Bravemumma community, Hayley offers a discount code, "PODCAST," for $50 off Slim Waist Packages, Gym Deluxe Packages, and Online Training Programs.  Stay tuned for updates from my experience with using the Booty Kit in the coming weeks.  Links For You: We're also excited to share The Empowered Motherhood App is supporting our Bravemumma Community by providing 10% off the lifetime of your membership when you use the code BRAVE10.  *This needs to be purchased via their website (not the app).  1. The Empowered Motherhood Program: https://www.empoweredmother.com.au/ 2. Podbean: Use code Bravemum30 for the first 30 days of podcast hosting for free. 3. Instagram: @bravemumma Credits: Host: Stephanie Thompson Podcast logo artist: Khrystyna Lukashchuk Brand Designer: Brodie-Rose Original Soundtrack: Steven Robinson

Please make sure you're in a safe place before starting the meditation/hypnosis. If you're driving a vehicle, turn off the podcast until you're able to listen to it at a better time. The version of this hypnosis that includes background music is episode 264, the one right before this one. If you have ever clenched your jaw or were grinding your teeth while you slept, you know how painful it can get. It doesn't just cause jaw pain but can also cause radiating pain in the neck and head, resulting in headaches. This hypnosis is for you! Dr. Liz give a free hypnosis to stop bruxism and clenching your jaw! About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and Online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.

Please make sure you're in a safe place before starting the meditation/hypnosis. If you're driving a vehicle, turn off the podcast until you're able to listen to it at a better time.  The version of this hypnosis that has NO background music is episode 265, the one right after this one. If you have ever clenched your jaw or were grinding your teeth while you slept, you know how painful it can get. It doesn't just cause jaw pain but can also cause radiating pain in the neck and head, resulting in headaches. This hypnosis is for you! Dr. Liz give a free hypnosis to stop bruxism and clenching your jaw!   About Dr. Liz Winner of numerous awards including Top 100 Moms in Business, Dr. Liz provides psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and hypnosis to people wanting a fast, easy way to transform all around the world. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology, is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and has special certification in Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy. Specialty areas include Anxiety, Insomnia, and Deeper Emotional Healing. -------------- Do you have Chronic Insomnia? Find out more about Dr. Liz's Better Sleep Program at https://bit.ly/sleepbetterfeelbetter Search episodes at the Podcast Page http://bit.ly/HM-podcast Help yourself with Hypnosis Downloads by Dr. Liz! http://bit.ly/HypnosisMP3Downloads --------- A problem shared is a problem halved. In person and Online hypnosis and CBT for healing and transformation. Schedule your free consultation at https://www.drlizhypnosis.com. Listened to in over 140 countries, Hypnotize Me is the podcast about hypnosis, transformation, and healing. Certified hypnotherapist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Dr. Liz Bonet, discusses hypnosis and interviews professionals doing transformational work Thank you for tuning in! Please subscribe to auto-download new episodes to your listening device.

In This Episode Brought to you by the Atmosphere Weather app Guest(s): Jamie Winterstern, writer/director of Supercell and special guest, actor Johnny Wactor Storm Chaser Safety Tips - CPR Training Lightning Round - Nado #weatherfools - We present the fools doing stupid things in weather situations Next Episode's Guest Presented by the Atmosphere Weather app - The forecast like you've never seen before.  Visit atmosphereweather.com Check out our Patreon page for exciting ways to support our podcast and interact with us more!  www.patreon.com/stormfrontfreaks   Our Guest: Jamie Winterstern Jamie Winterstern completed his MFA & BA from USC film school in 2011. Upon graduation, he went on to direct, edit and produce the primetime drama series Siberia for NBC. On March 17th, Winterstern's feature directorial debut will be released. Supercell is a modern-day storm chasing movie starring Alec Baldwin, Anne Heche, and Skeet Ulrich. It premiered at the Newport Beach Film Festival last fall & won the grand jury prize in cinematography. Find out more about where to see the film at: Supercellmovie.com   For more storm chaser/spotter safety tips, visit the weather.gov ACES Weather Spotter Safety Program #weatherfools Links: MJ - Dan Wallace Shares Too Close Tornado MJ - Jen Walton Shares Hair Raising Experience Phil - Sam Schreier Morning Show Play on Words Phil - Jordan Smith Morning Show Play on Words Phil - Whatever You Do, Save the Dog Phil - Slippery Driveway Phil - Bad Weather Takes on Twitter Dina - Snowboarding Behind Vehicle Dina - Mother Interrupts Reporter Take our Listener/Viewer Survey at stormfrontfreaks.com Submit your questions or comments about this show to questions@stormfrontfreaks.com or on our social media accounts and we may read it on our next episode! Twitter: @stromfrontfreak Facebook: @stormfrontfreaks Instagram: @stormfrontfreaks YouTube "RAW":  YouTube.com/stormfrontfreaks Next Episode…We'll be LIVE with Meteorologist Jason Fraser of the NEW Fox Weather digital broadcast network.  Become a member of our patreon.com/stormfrontfreaks to tune in LIVE and watch the RAW recording.  Look for the audio podcast on your favorite podcast player the following Sunday. Credits: Opening Music: Brett Epstein Closing Music: Gabe Cox Other Music: “Pecos Hank” Schyma from El Reno Blues

We are back from LMT Lab Day Chicago 2023 with an episode we recorded before the epic event. Dr. Mark Nation is a prosthodontist out of Louisville, Kentucky in a practice called Advanced Dental Solution (https://adslouisville.com/)s. Dr. Nation is known for the one to fix the unproperly planned full arch restorations. Working with all the ones that "don't work", he is able to work with patients to get them restored the way they should. Dr. Nation talks about getting into Oral Surgery, his time in school, understanding how the patient's symptoms or complaints are not just teeth, and how doctors and labs can work together to better treatment plan and restore full arches. The new PrograScan PS3 and PS5 (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us/products/digital-equipment/prograscan-ps5-and-ps3-laborscanner) provide true-to-detail, high-resolution and accurate scans for coordinated digital workflows that are precise, fast, and always accurate. The PS3 and PS5 are powered by the popular and intuitive DentalCAD software from Exocad (https://exocad.com/). Whether you are looking for your first scanner, to upgrade or add to your existing scanners, the PrograScan may be the one for you. Reach out to your friendly Ivoclar (https://www.ivoclar.com/en_us) sales representative to select a scanner that matches the needs of your lab Today and tell them you heard about it on the podcast! Does your lab use Magic Touch? If not, you should think about switching just so you can use icortica (https://icortica.com/). Icortica is a program that uses all the data you already collect in Magic Touch and puts it in one easy to see, use, and understand dashboard. Look at every account and see trends, sales, notes, payments, and even remake percentages. Use the data you already have to take your lab and your customer service to the next level. Elvis uses it daily and swears it is a huge part to his success working at the lab. Head over to icortica.com/voices (https://icortica.com/voices-from-the-bench/) to learn more or send an email to Rob Nazzal at rob@icortica.com and tell him you heard about it on Voices From the Bench! Special Guest: Dr. Mark Nation.

Amy Rose fills in for Nicola in this week's episode, in which we say thank you for your service to a fantastic Ambassador, quickly whizz through the new parkrun 5-year strategy paper, Amy simply didn't parkrun and Danny revisited Crane parkrun and affirmed the value of parkwalking.

This week I'm talking with my dentist, Dr. Larry Stanleigh, all about the benefits of retraining how you breathe and how breathing better can help you move better. Hear the relationship between sleep apnea, grinding, clenching, and issues with other parts of your body and why understanding how it all weaves together can help you assist yourself and your clientele more effectively.   Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.functionalsynergy.com/149

Release physical and emotional tension with this soothing meditation designed to alleviate tension headaches, relax tight shoulders, and ease facial and jaw pain. Experience a rejuvenating mind, body, and soul massage as you immerse yourself in tranquility.Tension headaches and jaw clenching are often interconnected, as muscle tension in the head and neck can lead to jaw clenching, and vice versa. To effectively address these issues, consider the following approaches:Practice relaxation techniques like deep breathing and progressive muscle relaxation to calm your mind and body.Incorporate healthy lifestyle habits, such as sufficient sleep, regular exercise, and stress reduction.Explore stress management strategies, including counselling or therapy, to cultivate mental and emotional resilience.Support the show

Dentists say they're seeing more patients who grind or clench their teeth. Also known as bruxism, the condition happens unconsciously, usually when people are asleep, and can lead to teeth being ground-down, nerves exposed, as well as jaw and headaches. So what is the main cause and how can bruxism be treated? Susie speaks with Dr Mo Amso, a dentist and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Dental Association and Wellingtonian Olivia Hope-Simcock who has experienced bruxism for the last few years.

We are back and Brooke has a new voice and today we are sharing about the recovery, the emotions and all the things pertaining to the surgery. walk in love. Playlist: Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/walk-in-love-podcast-songs-of-the-week/pl.u-MDAWvGGFWam3YDj Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4cS6C5UM6K5g59Yp1CEgIB?si=GzAY5bUpTV6SjjvreJrskw walk in love. Worship Playlist Apple Music - https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/walk-in-love-podcast-worship-songs-of-the-week/pl.u-06oxDgysWBe7z1D Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1xH43TlVkHzNMAscH8bU7h?si=lxAyvzZMTkKF98CiiF_o4Q Other Links Brooke's Beauty Counter - https://www.beautycounter.com/brookemousetis Digit Savings App - https://digit.co/r/WyyPi5KW1U?ab What We Record Our Podcast with - https://amzn.to/39Xz1Oo --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/walkinlove/message

Introducing a new format to the show – we will be publishing the extended ‘Beer or BS Segment' as an individual episode. Have a listen as the team attempt to tease out the bullshit from a number of facts (beers). This weeks ‘Beer or BS' is about weddings and some of the stranger customs that have evolved over the years; like throwing shoes at the newly married couple or the bride wrapping a penny in a nettle leaf and shoving it up her ass! Enjoy!The Beer and One Bullshit:Let's get the sexiest one out of the way… the word BRIDE derives its meaning from the word COOK, in that the bride was to be a cook for the husband. Talking about the 14th of May - Folk law says that May is the most unlucky month to marry in. Medieval brides would place a single penny wrapped in a nettle leaf between her buttocks. Clenching tightly onto the stinging parcel - this was thought to deter and drive away evil spirits that sought to devour her before her prospective groom. One British tradition dictates that males present at the wedding should throw their shows at newly married couple – for good luck. Vena Amoris – or the vein of love! It is thought we wear the ring on the fourth digit as the vein runs straight to the heart. The groom would, after the bride throws her bouquet, use his teeth to take of the brides garter… and throw it to the males at the wedding. The man who catches it… is supposed to go up the dress of the woman who caught the bouquet and have her wear it. Traditionally this pair were meant to share the next dance. The wedding ceremony traditionally ends with a kiss because, according to ancient Rome, the kiss is a legal bond that seals the contract. 

Each month, we select one of the #askHalePule submissions for Myra answer live and share it with you毎月「＃askHale Pule：ハッシュタグHalePuleに聞こう」へ寄せられた質問の中から一つ選び、マイラがライブで回答して皆さんとシェアします。

There's a whole lot of "playoff clenching" going on in the first ever fantasy MLR league...because with only two weeks left until our fantasy playoffs, NO TEAM has secured a playoff spot, which means...NO TEAM is safe. Things are getting a little toasty for some league managers! Ryan and Devin breakdown the fantasy playoff picture after Major League Rugby's Round 13 matches and give our league managers everything they need to know for their final playoff push.  For the video version of the show head to our channel on Youtube.Interact with The Fantasy Ruckers community and stay up to date with The Fantasy Ruckers Rugby League on our discord channel!Stay up to date with the league by following us on socials!Twitter: @FantasyRuckersInstagram: @thefantasyruckersFacebook: @thefantasyruckers

Dr. Graham's Dental Wellness Center (310-742-6088) is a general dentistry clinic serving Hawthorne, CA. We offer treatment plans for sleep apnea and bruxism. Learn more at https://www.hawthornedentalpractice.com (https://www.hawthornedentalpractice.com)

Each month, we select one of the #askHalePule submissions for Myra answer live and share it with youif you haven't already checked it out, #askHalePule was created to provide you with one-on-one support from our team at an affordable price. In no way a replacement for a comprehensive Ayurveda consultation, #askHalePule can be used to receive professional guidance on a specific question that relates to Ayurveda or Yoga.→ Learn more here 

Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Opening Break - Tuesday February 8, 2022 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Hey there behaviorists! Check out this new episode on the podcast! We talk about how we can use EMG to detect and treat bruxism, as well as working through the difficulties of using and applying new technology to ABA.

Show Notes - Episode 20   Episode Introduction:  It's time to tame the beast within and manage that anger. Tune in to find out how.   Episode Summary:  In today's episode of the Rise Station podcast, we're talking all about anger: common symptoms, the two primary situations that trigger our anger, as well as nine action steps to help manage your anger.   Rise Tribe Takeaways:    Some common symptoms of anger - Clenching of the jaw. Grinding teeth. Headaches. Stomach Aches. Increased or rapid heartbeat. Shaking or trembling. Sweating. Dizziness. Tightening of the chest. Increased blood pressure. Fatigue.   Ways to manage your anger - Take note of what triggers your anger. Observe the physical symptoms you tend to display when angry. Take a deep breath. Think about how you want to respond to what's making you angry. Make “I” statements that help you take ownership of your emotions and communicate them effectively. Challenge your stinking thinking. Focus on the behavior, not the person. Take a break. Seek help from a mental health therapist for tools, tips, and a non-judgemental environment. Help us grow and reach out to more amazing individuals such as yourself by leaving a positive rating + review on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rise-station/id1565362467   Connect With Us:    Email: media@restorativefamilyservices.com Website: https://restorativefamilyservices.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/restorativefamily/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RestorativeFS

In today's episode I talk about my mouth taping experience, the benefits behind it, why you should try it and how to get started with this simple and affordable habit for only $4-5.Products mentioned/links:Micropore medical tapeJoin us in the GB Collective with a free 3-day trial here.@gabby.borgerink@the.gbcollectivehello@gabbyborgerink.com

In this podcast, Dr. Greenstein focuses on teeth clenching and grinding (bruxism). He discusses how they are a major cause of TMJ (temperomandibular joint) and are often a result of anxiety.

This week's guest is holistic doctor Dr. Brooke Stuart and she is here to HEAL US, BABY. Did you know that your physical health directly correlates to our mental health? This week we are talking about shifting our perspective in order to heal, and Dr. Brooke has some amazing takeaways. From what to change in your diet and sleep routines, to simple breathing exercises that can help you ground yourself and start to heal. Thanks to everyone who sent questions into IG! Here are the timestamps for the questions and answers: * How do I battle insomnia? 40:00 * Clenching jaw when sleeping—possible causes and how to stop: 45:45 * Psoriasis — possible causes and how to treat: 46:30 * How do I get myself to stop overcommitting? 48:00 * A fear of dying early, since my parent did (especially now that I have kids). 50:00 * Moving past fear in general. 52:10 Tons more good stories and tips (and beauty product chat) too. Follow me on IG HERE Follow Dr. Brooke on Instagram HERE Check out her website and find out how to work with her HERE --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wegottatalkwithsonni/support

Resources and Linkshttps://brushingwithbristles.com/boxI am a BURST ambassadorwww.burstoralcare.com Promo code 5ZMZBRwww.dentalhygiene411.comSchedule a free 15 minute consultationhttps://thehealthymouthmovment.as.me/ https://sheree.mynuskin.comMy BlogMy YouTube Channel