LeAnn Rimes broke down in a viral Instagram video this week as a practitioner performed a “deep jaw release,” an emotional reaction experts say can follow the physical release of long-held tension. The 43-year-old singer’s clip has been viewed about 2.8 million times and shows her visibly moved as gloved hands work along her jawline; toward the end she regains composure and touches her face, saying, “Oh my god, you just don't realize how much tension is in there.”
The Instagram caption accompanying the video frames the moment as a literal unburdening: “You can see the exact moment the tension breaks and the emotional weight lifts.” Footage shows the immediate, tearful response many viewers found striking, but clinicians say the connection between muscle tightness and emotional states is well documented. Jessica Watrous, a clinical psychologist and chief clinical officer at mental health platform Modern Health, told USA TODAY that peer-reviewed research supports links between stress and jaw tension and that releasing that tension can move the body out of a high-arousal state, producing feelings of calm or tears.
Licensed mental health counselor Jenn Turner, co-director of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment, warned that while emotional releases are common during bodywork or yoga, such responses are not the goal of those practices and should be handled carefully. “Tears can come up, emotions can come up. Sometimes memories can come up,” Turner said previously. Trauma-informed approaches aim to support clients without pushing them toward intense emotions, she added.
The clip revives public attention on Rimes’s long-standing openness about the mental-health impacts of early fame. Rimes, who won a Grammy at 14 for her debut album Blue, has spoken in past interviews about “surviving childhood stardom and thriving past it,” calling her ongoing healing journey among her greatest accomplishments. The new video, then, is seen by some fans as another moment in that process — a physical manifestation of emotional work she has discussed before.
Although robust clinical data are limited on how frequently people experience tears or strong emotions after tension-releasing treatments, professionals point to anecdotal evidence and targeted research that supports somatic approaches in trauma care. A 2021 study described trauma-sensitive yoga as a “game-changer” for veterans with sexual abuse-related PTSD, underscoring that body-centered therapies can complement traditional psychological treatments for some survivors.
Rimes’s video prompted wide online reaction primarily for the immediacy of her emotional response and for the visible relief she expresses afterward. Clinicians emphasize that, whether in a clinic, a yoga studio, or during a hands-on procedure like a jaw release, practitioners should be trained to work safely and attuned to a client’s boundaries, and clients should seek providers who use trauma-sensitive methods when past trauma is a concern.