Exploring Wellness for Body, Mind and Self: What's that Expression?
From Anne Meneghetti, MD, 3/11/2009 12:54:39 PM
Have you ever been surprised to see your own expression in a candid photo? The face, with its many delicate muscles, is one of our primary communicators of thought and emotion. Like any set of muscles, if we use them over and over again in the same way, they can form engrained patterns. For example, repeatedly knitting one’s brow can sometimes lead to noticeable frown lines on the forehead – lines that are visible even during lighthearted moments. Most of us carry more tension in the face than we realize. Squinting to view small print, puzzling over a crossword, frowning at the news – our faces register our experience of life.
Relaxing the face can go a long way to relaxing the entire body. This simple face massage draws on an ancient technique from India that emphasizes special tension-holding points called marma points, similar to acupressure points. Following these steps, your fingers are sure to pass over some of the marmas. Explore whether a face massage benefits your entire body’s state of relaxation.
Face massage. Use gentle pressure throughout, and avoid pressure around the delicate areas of the eyes.
Scalp massage. Place the thumbs at each temple and lay fingertips along natural hairline at the top of the forehead. With gentle pressure, drag the thumb and fingers slowly toward the top of the head. Continue to rub the entire scalp with gentle circle motions, as if washing your hair.
Forehead massage. Place the thumb of one hand at the temple and lay the other fingers across the forehead to the other temple. Gently drag the fingers and thumb together, scrunching the skin of the forehead toward the center, then spreading the forehead out toward the temples a few times. Then place the index, middle, and ring fingertips of each hand just above each eyebrow. Drag the fingertips up to the natural hairline and back down to above the eyebrows, gently dragging the skin. Continue the up and down motion.
Brow rub. Join both middle fingertips at the point between the eyebrows. Make tiny circles with gentle pressure right on top of the eyebrow. Slowly progress the tiny circles toward the temples, staying right on the eyebrow. Give extra attention to the inner start of the eyebrow and the middle arch of the brow. Gently massage the temples. Starting again at the point between the brows, drag the middle fingertips very slowly straight along the eyebrows toward the temples, pausing at any sore points. Repeat.
Around eye. Place the middle fingertips on either side of the upper nose by the inner corners of the eye. Press the nose very gently, avoid touching the eyeball. Move the fingertips down a centimeter, following the natural curve down along the bone of the eye socket, pressing every few centimeters across the cheek until arriving at the temple. Stay along the bone, avoiding the delicate tissue under and around the eye.
Along nose. Begin again with index fingertips alongside the upper nose by the inner corners of the eye. Drag the fingertips slowly between the cheek and the nose, until you pass the nostrils. Then continue outward, following the natural hollow underneath the cheekbone, curving around and up to rest at just in front of the ear.
Around lips. Place the middle fingertip of one hand in the natural curve between the upper lip and the nose and hold for a few seconds. Move the fingertip to the natural horizontal crease between the lower lip and chin; hold.
Ear Rub. Lay the index fingers, pointing upward, just in front of the ears. Drag the skin gently up and down in front of the ear, letting the jaw drop slightly. Cup the palms over the ears for a moment. Rub the earlobes, progressing up to the upper curve of the ears. Gently pull the outer ears slightly away from the head.
Occiput rub. Place the fingertips of both hands just behind the ears. Locate the curved bones at the lower back of the head. Massage the back of the skull in large circles, progressing inward until the two hands meet at the back of the head.
Notice whether this face massage has an effect on your state of mind.
Wishing you deep relaxation,
Dr. Anne
This information is purely educational and does not replace a physician's advice that may be unique to each individual. For all medical concerns, please see a physician to establish a diagnosis and explore proven treatments.
