Your face talks, and it tells a story!
Updated: Oct 25
By Monica Groover
Being an Ayurveda practitioner for nearly two decades, I have seen plenty of faces walk into my Ayurvedic office. Sad faces, irritated faces, long faces and happy faces. Dejected, rejected, curious or simply hopeful faces!
Faces that were clear, or lined, faces that were full of life and told a story. So today, I am going to tell you the story of faces. They say the eyes are the windows of the soul. I say the entire face is the window of the soul, the mind and the digestive system. It shows a map of who you were, who you are and where you are headed. Welcome to the world of Vedic face reading.
As the daughter of a famous astrologer and mystic, and as a psychic myself, I not only use my Ayurvedic skills but also my spidey senses to do face readings. A lot of people ask me if they can read their own face. So here's my answer: no! It is so hard to read our own face.
Why? Because we are always biased when it comes to our own face. Especially us women. We are never satisfied with our faces, so we put on make-up, get Botox and all kinds of treatments to look younger and erase our story from our faces.
Please, don't do that. At least don't do it so much that your face loses all its character.
As women, we check our faces constantly. We lean into the bathroom mirror, the morning light hits just right, and there it is: a new line between the brows, or puffiness under the eyes that wasn't there last month. We sigh and blame it on stress, or on getting older.
But I invite you to look at it differently. Your face is not a list of flaws to be "fixed" with expensive creams. It is telling you what is going on inside, today.
There are really two kinds of face reading that I do.
The first is Ayurvedic. In Ayurveda we call it Akrti Pariksha, reading the features. I look at the face the way I look at the tongue or the pulse, as a map of what is happening inside. If you haven't drunk enough water or didn't sleep well, your face may look dry the next day, and there may be slight dark circles, especially on lighter skin. Like this, everything on the face tells a story. Thinning eyebrows or hair on the chin tell the story of hormonal shifts. Often the face shows us that Agni (the digestive fire) is struggling, or that Ama (the sticky leftovers of poor digestion) is building up, before we feel it anywhere else.
The second is divination. This is Mukh Samudrika, the Vedic science of face reading, and here astrology comes into play. The lines and shapes of the face belong to the planets, and they tell us about your character and your karma.
If you are interested, here is a podcast I recorded on Vedic face reading.
Podcast player stays here, as it is now.
1. The "11" between your brows: Pitta is simmering
Those two vertical lines between the eyebrows, the "11s," are much more than frown lines. In face reading, this spot belongs to the liver and the spleen, and to your Mars.
When I see these lines, I know Pitta has been simmering for a while. The line on the right side is linked to the liver. It often shows up when we hold in anger or frustration. The line on the left belongs to the spleen, and it speaks of deep worry, or an immune system that is tired.
Just one line, right in the middle? That often tells me someone is a bit of a skeptic, quick to judge, or easily irritated. (You know who you are!)
What helps: cool the Pitta, be kind to your liver, and let go of that anger or frustration before it settles in deeper.
My Tidbit: You dont need to be a psychic or a face reader when a person frowns with that 11 between their eyebrows at you. They are not happy or frustrated--right? I keep an eye at a clients eyebrows, and the "11" area as well as the pursed lips to map if what's coming out of their mouth and what story face is telling matches! And, yes I have been wrong on more than one occasion. But, many times its a match. (Mostly pitta clients with fiery energy)
2. Dark circles and puffy eyes: the cost of the Vata hustle
The skin under your eyes is the thinnest skin on your body, so it gives away a lot. In face reading this area belongs to the kidneys and adrenals.
Modern life is all Vata: rushing, scrolling, over-scheduling, not resting. When we live like that for too long, we burn through our reserves, and it shows up right here. Each dosha shows it a little differently:
Vata: dark, hollow shadows. This tells me you are dry and depleted.
Pitta: redness or inflammation around the eyes. Too much screen time and heat will do this.
Kapha: heavy puffiness. The body is holding on to water, and the lymph is sluggish.
3. The forehead: your 7 lines of destiny
Now we get to my favorite part, where astrology comes in. In Mukh Samudrika, the forehead (Lalata) is a map of your Buddhi, your intellect, and each line on it belongs to a planet. There can be up to seven horizontal lines (Rekhas):
Saturn (Shani): the top line. Saturn is the strict teacher, so this line is about discipline and a long life.
Jupiter (Guru): just below Saturn. Confidence, knowledge and integrity.
Mars (Mangal): courage, drive and self-respect.
Venus (Shukra): charm, vitality and a love of beauty.
Mercury (Buddha): a head for business, a sharp memory and wit.
Sun (Surya): a short line above the right eyebrow. Standing in society, and being on time!
Moon (Chandra): a short line above the left eyebrow. Intuition and imagination.
My Tidbit: And here is a little secret. We are all taught to fear wrinkles, but a perfectly smooth forehead that only shows lines when you laugh or get excited? That is the sign of a very clear and intelligent mind. Do note that there are vedic astrologers that will tell you about your face from your horoscope or your first house in your astrological chart (Kundli). I am not an astrologer but my husband Atul Krishna is pretty good at it. Once he told a friend of mine that her horoscope was incorrect, as it did not match with her face and appearance, as indicated in her first house.
4. The jaw, ears and philtrum: hidden signs of vitality
The lower part of the face tells me about the heart and about reproductive energy.
The earlobe crease: a diagonal crease across the earlobe. Western doctors call it Frank's sign and link it with heart health. I read it as Kapha building up in the channels. If you have one, it is worth mentioning to your doctor at your next check-up.
The philtrum: that little groove between your nose and upper lip. A deep, clear groove shows strong reproductive energy. A shallow or flat one can mean the reproductive tissue (Shukra Dhatu) needs some nourishing.
The jawline: breakouts here are not about "bad skin." They are a tug-of-war between your hormones (Pitta) and your lymph (Kapha).
Try this: for a congested jawline, give yourself a warm oil massage (Abhyanga) or try dry brushing every day. It helps move things along. If the face is changing, it is because your energy -mind, body and spirit is also changing. In my case, when I became a strict vegetarian, my face changed so much that many old friends couldn't recognize me. FYI--scriptures mention that those who eat a lot of meat have a different and sharper face. Plant based sattvik people have a softer face.
5. The shape of your forehead: how you think
This is the part that my clients love, because it helps them stop being so hard on themselves.
Straight forehead: you think step by step. You need time to reflect and process. Don't let a fast-paced world make you feel "slow." Your mind is careful and deep.
Sloped forehead: you are quick-witted, with lightning-fast reflexes. You probably finish other people's sentences! Stop beating yourself up about making quick decisions. Your brain is simply wired for speed.
Curved forehead: the creative and intuitive one. (of course, if you have a widows peak or a small forehead, this may change somewhat) You are imaginative and you hate routine. A rigid 9-to-5 desk job will feel like a cage. You need freedom to thrive.
Large forehead: By this I mean that hairline is pretty receded and the forehead is bigger than the rest of the face. Such people are philosophers, highly learned and this maybe indicative of a strong Jupiter in their chart.
My Titbit: I have a widows peak and a slightly curved forehead that tells of someone who is highly intuitive, and creative. My husbands forehead is large and indicates his very strong Jupiter. He is a philosopher and pundit of many subjects.
6. Your skin type is a dosha mirror
Finally, the skin itself. Your skin is the body's largest organ, and its texture shows your Prakriti, the constitution you were born with.
Vata skin: thin, cool and dry. It is the first to show fine lines when the nerves are stressed.
Pitta skin: warm and glowing, but sensitive. It flares up with redness when there is too much heat inside.
Kapha skin: thick, smooth and strong. It stays young-looking the longest, but it tends to be oily, with bigger pores.
Please note: face reading is a form of divination, called Darshanam, and is part of Vedic astrology. It is not a medical examination. Ayurveda is not recognized by the FDA, and Ayurvedic practitioners do not diagnose, treat or cure disease. This post is for information only.
Want me to read your face?
Button: Sign up for a Vedic Face Reading with Monica Groover.
Monica Groover, Ph.D., has been an Ayurveda practitioner for two decades. She is an herbalist, writer and teacher, and has been the director of two Ayurvedic colleges. Her books, Ayurveda and the Feminine and Essential Guide to Ayurveda, are on Amazon. In her spare time she loves to cook, garden, and give Tarot and face readings.
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