Beauty and Wrinkles Truly Come From Within
You’ve earned your smile lines, but what can you do about those frown lines? As it turns out, you actually can have an effect on your wrinkles by practicing some good ol’ positive thinking. This is not a quick fix, but over time, you will have a glow (inside and out) that you know, you and only you, are responsible for.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the face is a map to the body and the window to emotional expression. The sensory portals (eyes, ears, nose, mouth) are related to various internal organs (liver, kidneys, lungs, spleen/stomach) and will show signs of the emotions they relate to. For instance, anger shows up in the crows feet, frustration causes furrows between the eyes, grief and sadness are portrayed by downward lines forming from the corners of the eyes, while long term anxiety may give rise to cheek wrinkles –yikes. What to do…
Topical Versus Internal Treatment of Wrinkles
There is no doubt that topical application of creams and oils are going to help smooth fine lines and wrinkles (we of course recommend our facial serum), but when it comes to combating wrinkles holistically, you HAVE to take a look at what’s going on inside your head. The face needs a psychological lift as much as it needs a physical one, so whether you like it or not, you’ve got to deal with your emotions to have a longer lasting, natural effect on your skin.
What You Don’t Express Can Age You
In TCM there are 7 emotions: anger, joy, worry, pensiveness, sadness, fear, and shock. They are inherent to life and necessary for a full experience. However, disharmony with one or more can wreck everything. This is why we preach balance. Seek it, find it, feel it. As Chinese medicine practitioners, we are trained to look at the emotional state of each individual as a means of getting a full understanding of a patient’s overall makeup. Any over-expression or under-expression can actually have a negative effect on your face and your overall health. Remember when your mom used to warn you that if you scowl too much your face may actually stay like that? Well, as it turns out, over time this is true.
Natural Beauty Meditation and Qi Gong for the Face
It takes less than 10 minutes, relaxes your mind, settles your emotions, and over time, quite possibly keeps you looking younger.
Sit comfortably on a chair with your hands placed naturally on your knees. With your eyes closed, sit for about 3 minutes. On each exhale direct the mind to relax the entire body, one section at a time. Begin with your head (eyes, ears, nose mouth, etc.) and pay special attention to the area between your eyebrows. Relax your face, your chest, your abdomen, thighs, and down to the tops of your feet.
Then relax the back of your head, your back, waist, hips, backs of thighs and the bottoms of your feet. Repeat this exercise a few times until you feel light, relaxed and comfortable.
Next, simply take your hands and perform an energetic washing of your face. Hold your hands in front of your face without touching it. Start at the chin and move upward and outward about 5 or 6 times until you feel warmth. Around the areas where you notice wrinkles forming, make tiny circles (about 20-30 reps) without touching the face, generating heat (your Qi) to those areas.
Finish by bringing your right hand over your lower abdomen, just below your naval and placing your left hand on top. Finally, take one long inhale, hold for 4 seconds, and exhale slowly.
Open your eyes and I bet you’ll have a better day.
Check back next month for a list of our favorite fall beauty foods and a recipe you can’t live without: The Anti-Aging Beauty Soup.
Seek Peace ~ Find Beauty,
Laura and Beth
Laura Kauffmann and Beth Hooper are licensed acupuncturists and certified Chinese herbalists practicing in New York City. Co-Founders of Shē Essential Beauty, a natural and organic skincare line based on the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine.