What Are You Wearing On Your Face?

I was thinking about the evidence of aging, as I often do these days, and what lines, wrinkles and crow’s feet mean.  When I catch a glimpse of my face, I am sometimes taken by surprise by the changes I see.  I know that my face reflects the life I’ve lived and I am okay with that.

I know when I was a young, single mother raising three boys, I was often stressed out.  In fact, that was my default state of being in my twenties and thirties.  I remember when I first noticed a line above my lip.  I was young and I wondered how I got that.  I made faces until I realized that the line was a result of pursed lips.  Every time I frowned or showed signs of disapproval, that line deepened.

I now release that part of the past, and release all stress, disapproval and judgment.  To my wonderful sons, those emotions I felt and expressed were about me and not you, and I want each of you to know that I love and approve of you wholeheartedly!

But I wear the line as a reminder.  I may not be able to erase or eradicate it, but I can remember how it got there and make sure I don’t continue to feed it.  I have discovered that awareness is changing my face.

Whenever I think of it, I deliberately relax my facial muscles.  I release any tension I hold around my mouth, and allow myself to relax into a smile-ready face.  This has an amazing and powerful result.  When I have the corners of my mouth slightly raised, it has an effect on how I feel!  I feel myself open up emotionally and feel warmer toward the world.  I feel ready to smile at the next person I see rather than frown or remain neutral or indifferent.  It helps me to feel connected, and to increase my awareness of the flow of life.

Another thing I notice is that this awareness also affects my eyes.  This simple uplifting of the mouth changes the shape of my eyes and gives them a little twinkle.  I am not sure what happens to the rest of me, but I will bet that my entire body language changes, and expresses openness, acceptance and happiness.  In fact, these facial changes invite the shoulders to relax and with that, the chest (and heart) opens.  When I see pictures of myself these days, I notice that my eyes are shaped like joyful little crescent moons, and this has not always been the case.

I have been coming to the realization that the next level of healing is to be done through our eyes.  When we make real eye contact, when we shine love through our own eyes, when we hold the intention that every person who looks into our eyes will experience even a small shift, then we are making a difference.  I had a conversation recently with a friend that led me to understand that I am not the only one who believes that our eyes are the instrument of the next phase of powerful healing of ourselves and others.

I invite everyone reading this to take a few moments to gaze into a mirror and really see yourself.  What are you wearing on your face today?  Can you accept the lines and scars?  Can you forgive yourself for your past, and decide to make changes today?  Can you look at yourself in a mirror and see the love?  Can you feel it?

While you are there at the mirror, soften your face.  Allow a faint smile to start to form at the corners of your lips and watch a sparkle appear in your eyes.  Look deeply at this person in front of you and say your name aloud.  Then say, “I love and approve of you.”

Do this every day until you really mean it, look forward to it and accept it.  Then turn your beautiful face to the world and allow this love and beauty to shine outward.  

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