Working on the face

[freeform]

Does anyone do any cultivation that's focused on the face?

 

I remember Hearing a lecture by Vilayanur Ramachandran, a famous neurologist, where he describes how the face is mapped in the brain, and in fact shares parts that also map other areas of the body (in some people with damaged brains if you hurt the hand they can only feel the pain in a part of their face).

 

I also remember reading a book by a Reichian therapist (cant remember the name at the moment, but I'll have a look) who says that our faces carry a lot of armouring and habitual expressions - these are what gives us our ego 'mask', and working on the face can have dramatic changes in how we behave. He also stated that the part of the brain that controls and recieves signals from the face is very large, and is very important when de-armouring the body.

 

I also had an older friend that looked barely 30 but was in her late 40's swear by a facial excersise routine, where she would contract certain muscles, and pull with her fingers to create resistance - although it seems that this may cause residual tension and in fact promote facial armouring... but there is something to it...

 

I know many people massage the face after extended qi gong session too...

[Taomeow]

Does anyone do any cultivation that's focused on the face?

 

I remember Hearing a lecture by Vilayanur Ramachandran, a famous neurologist, where he describes how the face is mapped in the brain, and in fact shares parts that also map other areas of the body (in some people with damaged brains if you hurt the hand they can only feel the pain in a part of their face).

 

I also remember reading a book by a Reichian therapist (cant remember the name at the moment, but I'll have a look) who says that our faces carry a lot of armouring and habitual expressions - these are what gives us our ego 'mask', and working on the face can have dramatic changes in how we behave. He also stated that the part of the brain that controls and recieves signals from the face is very large, and is very important when de-armouring the body.

 

I also had an older friend that looked barely 30 but was in her late 40's swear by a facial excersise routine, where she would contract certain muscles, and pull with her fingers to create resistance - although it seems that this may cause residual tension and in fact promote facial armouring... but there is something to it...

 

I know many people massage the face after extended qi gong session too...

Your friend is not likely to reinforce her Reichian armor with physical exercises, since it is brought about by defensive repression of traumatic experiences, not by any physical endeavours. I am familiar with this system but find it boring (maybe I'll change my mind if/when I'm desperate someday ). I do a few face routines rather irregularly, e.g. wiggle my ears, change my race... not really, but I like to check all my facial muscles for mobility and make all sorts of faces, making mine look Oriental or African... change my species, making my face look like that of a cat or a fish... change my age, making my face look like my favorite picture where I'm six months old... I like expressive, alive faces, and believe letting one's face accurately and freely reflect one's inner feelings is the best "routine" -- while a habitual fake smile of politeness (rather than of genuine inner pleasure) is conductive to wrinkles, and pompous solemn expressions of self-importance, to sagging.

Edited June 29, 2007 by Taomeow

[karen]

Yup, two of the blocks that Reich described are in the facial area - the ocular block and the oral block. Reichian-based therapies like bioenergetics, Rosen method, etc., can work with this, especially if the armoring isn't too deep. SCENAR electrical stimulation is also great for dissolving armoring.

 

But these methods can be limited, because they're working with an energy field but can't destroy the underlying force field behind deep emotional trauma. So it can be like letting off some steam from a kettle on the stove - helpful for sure, but if the heat is still on, more steam keeps being generated. Some armoring can have deep emotional underpinnings, and a soul/spiritual purpose so that working through that takes quite some work.

 

-Karen