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Chinese Face Reading
Do you tend to look in the mirror and cringe
when you see wrinkles developing or changes to your face as you grow older? Then
you're like most of us! This isn't surprising since our culture has such a
limited definition of beauty, and with enormous pressure to fit into narrow
parameters of what's considered attractive. And as we see signs of our aging,
we're also reminded that we're coming closer to the end of our lives here, which
can contribute to our viewing getting older with fear and resistance.
But I still find it fascinating that our culture's reaction to aging is so
extreme. What if we approached other stages of life with this mindset? What if
we felt our children, on the brink of adolescence, should delay puberty? What if
there were drugs and procedures, creams and potions to stop their bodies and
faces from developing into this next natural stage of life? What if we tried to
prevent our babies from learning to walk, and churned out books for parents
about how not to let your children look their age? How ridiculous and horrifying
that sounds!
And yet we look at the later phases of life with their associated changes as
bad, to be delayed and resisted for as long as possible. But Chinese face
reading reveals that many of the wrinkles and other changes to our faces at this
stage are actually powerfully positive signs of the lessons we've learned,
experiences integrated, and wisdom gained.
For instance, those lines by the corners of our eyes, that the West calls
"Crow's Feet", are termed "Joy Lines" in Chinese face reading. They're the sign
of someone who's been able to keep an open heart in life, to be able to be
loving with other people. These lines develop through frequent smiling, as a
genuine smile involves both the muscles around the mouth and the eyes. These
lines are often the sign of a courageous heart, that despite having been hurt in
the past, this person has been strong enough to maintain their open-heartedness.
So this is a wonderful sign on your face, and certainly not one you'd want to
make disappear!
Now, there ARE signs of aging that develop on our faces when our energy becomes
out of balance in life, due to our falling into patterns of negative emotions,
such as pessimism, anger or sadness. Our faces are just reflections of who we
are inside, the history of our reactions to our life experiences, our choices
about how we feel, and our expectations about the future.
For instance, by middle age, it's not uncommon for a person's mouth to be turned
down, or with lips held very tightly, or even with vertical wrinkles above their
upper lip. This can be a reflection of how stressed they are overall, and
frequently it also shows they're holding on to the disappointments they've had
in their lives, and carrying a more negative attitude as a result.
They may have had a truly difficult time, had important hopes and expectations
go unfulfilled. But by developing a pattern of negativity, they're almost
ensuring these experiences will continue. One of the many things our mouths
represent is how well satisfied we feel and how receptive we are to other people
and life in general. A turned-down mouth or tight lips basically gives the
message, "I've been disappointed so many times in the past, and I'm sure I'll be
disappointed again." And the universe will certainly comply!
This certainly is a sign of the kind of aging that we want to avoid. One thing I
suggest is to occasionally become aware of how you're holding your mouth as you
go through the day, much like you check your rearview mirror as you drive. If
you become aware of tension there, or feel your mouth turning down, consciously
relax your lips, and create a small smile. You'll be amazed at the impact a
simple practice like this can have on changing subtle but longstanding patterns
of emotion, thought and even behavior.
So, how to avoid signs of aging on your face? Many of the signs that develop are
wonderful indications of the depth of your own personal growth, and heroic
journey through life - and no one should want to avoid those. And the others are
ones I consider gifts - early warning signs, if you know how to read them, that
you've navigated slightly off course, and how to come back into balance.
About the Author:
This article is contributed by Jean Haner, Hay House author of The Wisdom of Your Face, and The Wisdom of Your Child's Face. You can learn more at http://wisdomofyourface.com.