Hi there.
I'm Christiane Zarewski,
Your embodiment coach,
And I'm really glad you're here.
Today,
We're going to explore just one small slice of body intelligence,
Bringing awareness to the face.
Noticing habitual expressions,
Tension,
And subtle emotional cues.
The goal is simple,
Just to bring awareness to what usually happens on autopilot and see what you notice.
This is the beginning of a series of body scan practices designed to help you experience what embodied awareness can feel like when we slow down and truly listen.
There's nothing to fix here,
Nothing to get right,
We're simply noticing.
So,
Let's begin.
I invite you to bring your awareness to your face,
And begin by paying attention to the shape your face normally holds.
If you have a mirror nearby,
Or maybe turn your camera screen on,
Feel free to follow along visually.
Otherwise,
That's perfectly fine too.
You can do this entirely from sensation.
We often take our face for granted,
Because it's not something we can easily see throughout the day.
Yet,
It's constantly working.
We move through life smiling,
Being agreeable,
Nodding,
Reacting,
Maybe scowling,
Performing in subtle ways.
Sometimes we wear a social mask without even realizing it.
Some people move through the world smiling automatically.
Others carry a little more weight,
What is affectionately known as resting plebe face.
Either way,
By adulthood,
Our face tends to settle into familiar patterns,
Largely on autopilot.
So,
For now,
Just have a look at your face,
Or sense it.
Start by noticing your lips.
Are they naturally relaxed?
Do they turn up?
Are they pressed together?
Is there any tension you can feel?
Now,
Bring your attention to your jaw.
Is it clenched and tight?
Is it soft and resting?
Is it pulled tightly forward or held back?
There is no right answer,
Just noticing.
Now,
As with all of my work,
I like to play with contrast.
So,
Let's introduce a little bit of movement,
So we can literally feel the difference in our face.
First,
I'm going to invite you to open your mouth really big and wide.
Stretch your lips,
Make exaggerated shapes,
Maybe an oh or an ah.
Try a yawn.
Scrunch up your face really,
Really tight,
Ah,
And stretch it really,
Really wide.
Then,
Let it relax again.
Movement helps us to waken up sensation that we normally ignore.
After moving your face,
Just pause.
What do you notice now that you didn't before?
Perhaps there's a new awareness in your eyelids,
Your forehead,
Your temples,
All the way up to the top of your head,
Right at your hairline.
Can you notice a difference?
If sensation still feels hard to connect to,
That's completely okay too.
Try gently patting your face with your hands,
Softly bringing circulation to the area and more sensation.
Then,
Stop and feel.
All we're trying to do is bring attention to something that usually goes unnoticed.
Now,
Let's explore a few more contrasts by adding in our imagination.
I invite you to imagine tasting something,
Oof,
Super sour.
Maybe it's a lemon or something you really dislike the taste of.
Notice how your face automatically responds and reacts without thinking,
Even when it's just a memory.
Can you notice where in your face it pinches?
Where does it pull?
What do your eyebrows do?
Does your neck or head move too?
In which direction?
Now,
Imagine something unpleasant.
Perhaps it's a gross scene from a movie that makes you turn away in horror or disgust.
Again,
Notice the automatic response,
Even at the mere idea of it.
Our face,
Our body,
It's always responding.
Do any of these expressions feel familiar?
Like it's something that your face does often.
Maybe you knit your brow together when you're thinking.
Maybe your jaw tightens when you concentrate.
Maybe your mouth hangs open or clamps shut when you're thinking.
There's no judgment here.
We're simply getting curious about what's normal for you.
What's your natural state,
Your body's tendency?
Now,
One more final contrast,
Because I really like to play.
I invite you to bring to mind something that brings you joy.
It might be a favorite beach,
The weight of your dog cuddling up on your lap,
A hug from someone you love,
Fresh flowers at the sink,
Maybe your favorite song,
The smell of something warm baking in the oven.
Let that image settle into your mind and your body.
Notice how your face responds to joy.
Did a smile appear?
Did any tension soften?
Did your cheeks lift?
Did your eyelids soften or maybe flutter?
Notice how emotion lives in the face,
Sometimes quietly,
Sometimes clearly,
Usually automatically.
And now let's add yet another layer.
Can you notice your breath?
What is happening in your lungs when your body responds to joy?
Does it take a big,
Yummy,
Delicious inhale and relax?
What about with disgust and that sour?
Was there a quick inhalation?
Did you hold your breath?
Notice how many things are happening at the same time when our body responds on autopilot.
Today was simply about noticing.
We're not trying to change your face.
We're not trying to fix anything.
We're just becoming aware of what's already there.
Now that you have a clearer sense of what your face tends to do every day,
I invite you to turn this into a gentle practice.
Maybe once or twice a day,
You can pause and check in.
What is my face doing right now?
How does it feel?
Does it want 10 or 20% more relaxation?
How could I give it that?
Could I soften my jaw,
My brow,
My mouth?
Or perhaps it needs a little uplift,
A reminder of joy.
Maybe I can bring back that image and breathe into it.
Wherever your attention goes,
Energy flows.
Imagine what can happen when we pause throughout our day to notice our body,
Our state of being.
This is what body intelligence is all about,
And awareness always comes first.
Once you have awareness,
You get to choose differently when you need to.
As you explore other parts of the body,
You may begin to notice some patterns,
Some places that soften easily,
Some places that hold on a little longer.
That information is valuable,
And that's where body intelligence really starts to open up.
Today's practice was just the beginning of a much fuller exploration of embodied awareness,
Learning how to listen,
Respond,
And work with your body instead of against it.
And it's just the beginning.
Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to listen,
To notice,
And to play.
I'm so glad you landed here.
