Face Reading vs Reflexology
There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception. Aldous Huxley
I'm often approached by professionals who use alternate maps to 'read' and interpret signs on the face. Some come from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), others from Ayurveda, etc. They want to know, for example, how it is possible that the area under the eyes - which in their experience might indicate the health of a person's kidneys can for me indicate (through skin colour, texture, form and response) the state of balance at the level of various other organs.
When I look at the eyes I see several possibilities... I see a reflection of the breasts / ovaries / testicles (which are all related to the kidneys in TCM)... I see the ‘window to the liver’... I see the shoulders / arms / legs / hips / spine... then according to the condition / colour / form of the skin I can make further speculation about each of the TCM elements and therefore internal organs and emotions.
I work with over 30 different maps whilst most face readers work with one. This does not suggest one approach is more correct than any other. Here's my perspective:
1. All established maps are valid
Just as we can describe one’s personality using a chart drawn from astrology or numerology we can interpret the state of a person’s balance on various levels by assessing an array of different maps on the face. The maps I we work with are mostly ancient and have been used by the Vietnamese for thousands of years. They depict reflex zones which indicate the location of specific nerve endings and are not tied to the meridians or any other means of facial mapping (though there is some crossover).
2. DCZ presents many projections
What’s beautiful about the method I use is that it recognises there is no one single definitive map of the body on the face. Dien Chan Zone® (Italian Facial Reflexology) employs multiple maps which overlap and give it its name ‘multireflexology’. In fact these maps extend all over the body (including fingers, arms, legs, back...) meaning we can apply our reflex stimulation as well as interpret marks and indicators far beyond the face.
3. Reflexology is a therapy
Some people read the face to detect lying, to decipher a person’s character or to predict life experiences... Most commonly though face reading maps are used to ‘diagnose’ an imbalance which will then be addressed using a specialised therapy or medicine... meanwhile in Reflexology it is never our work to ‘diagnose’ (though with practice we can very accurately speculate).
That point is really key - my primary role is not to read faces but to enter into live conversation with the body in order to address current symptoms and request rebalance as required on that day at that time. Face reading is to me a frozen and isolated observation whereas Reflexology is an act which involves the whole in the present. Both are valuable.
I consider face reading an intricate art form which can be explored via distinct approaches. By practicing DCZ on ourselves and others we automatically develop our ability to read faces and recognise patterns in the body. Moreover, we come to see ourselves as a microcosm of the Universe and each part of our body as a reflection of the whole (more on that >>> here). Whilst the practice of facial reflexology automatically deepens our ability to face read the practice of face reading alone does not imply facial reflexology nor does it provide a means to rebalance dis-ease in the body. It's been my pleasure to make this distinction.
