Relax the Face To Go Deep In Meditation

Summary

September 16, 2022, 18 min

Two moments to relax the face in meditation: self-massage of jaw, forehead, scalp, occiput and a cranial sacral jaw point before sitting, and a stepwise "relax, step back" into the medulla after the practice. Explains through polyvagal theory why the face carries the ventral vagal, and why yogis retreat to the dorsal vagal.

In this video

Teaches

Relaxing the face

Discusses

Cranial sacral therapyVentral Vagal ComplexOM Japa in the ChakrasHRV ResonanceMedullaStep Back techniquePolyvagal TheoryDorsal Vagal ComplexFreeze ResponseTranquil Breath

Mentions

Mind readingDo Be Do Be DoSitting Very Still (SVS)HypnosisStretching

Key moments

00:00Relaxing the face turns a relaxing meditation into a profound one 00:55First time: self-massage of the jaw, temples and brows before sitting 02:25Massaging the scalp muscles and the occipital 03:46Cranial sacral point straight back inside the jaw 05:43Why it works: the ventral vagal runs up into the face 07:19OMing through the front or the back of the chakras 08:16Tense and relax before meditation, but not too much 09:03Resonant breathing, then the "be" portion of the session 10:39Second time: scan and relax jaw, forehead and eyes 12:12Relax, step back: walking back into the medulla 13:53Polyvagal therapists and the yogi's dorsal vagal 16:28The freeze response and the tranquil breath go hand in hand