What happens to the muscles of the face when money becomes the topic of conversation?

Facial muscles are unique—they don’t move skeletal bones like other muscles but instead move the skin of the face, changing its expression. Most facial muscles attach to the bones of the skull and weave into the skin. Their contraction moves the skin, altering the shape of various parts of the face (eyelids, lips, eyebrows, chin).

Facial muscles are primarily grouped around the main openings of the face—eyes, mouth, and nostrils. They contract and expand, creating folds in the skin. Over time, as skin loses elasticity, these folds can remain as wrinkles even after the muscles relax. Wrinkles first appear in areas where people habitually tense their muscles, such as the forehead, around the eyes, or near the nasolabial folds.

The primary function of facial muscles is to give our face expressions that correspond to emotions (anger, sadness, joy, fear, etc.), enabling us to better express ourselves and understand each other. Depending on a person’s temperament, upbringing, and environment, facial muscles may react more actively or remain unresponsive, concealing their inner world behind a mask. For most people—except professional actors or those who intentionally develop their facial expressiveness—these processes occur unconsciously.

Somatic face work aims to bring unconscious movements of facial and jaw muscles into conscious awareness. This allows a person to notice patterns, such as clenching their teeth during emotional tension, furrowing their brows while solving a problem, or pressing their lips together instead of saying what they truly think. Awareness is the first step. Next comes practice—the practice of sensorimotor retraining. This involves intentionally tensing specific muscle groups and then slowly and attentively relaxing them, providing the nervous system with missing information.

Through somatic lessons, it’s possible to carefully work through all the muscles of the face. As a result, the face becomes alive—mobile, expressive, and capable of reflecting what you truly feel in the moment.

Daring to face your vulnerability—first with yourself, then with others—leads to transformation. The face comes to life. It appears younger and more expressive. Eyes shine anew, lips and forehead relax, and a sense of vitality and love for life returns. Curiosity, inspiration, and creativity awaken.

How Do We Somatically Experience Money?

A Realization from Natalia:
"While sharing with Katya about the role of money in my life, I noticed how my facial muscles froze, my eyes darted nervously in search of support, my jaw clenched, my lips pressed together—I was doing everything I could to maintain my façade and not ‘lose face.’ A familiar fear of judgment arose on one side, while a readiness to confront this fear appeared on the other—this momentarily took my breath away and automatically organized the muscles of my face and throat without my consent! My hyoid muscles tensed, and my voice took on a metallic, strained quality.

I desperately wanted to hide, puffing out my chest and proclaiming that everything was fine with me and money—normal, nothing special. The process of realization took less than a minute. Allowing myself to breathe deeply with a relaxed abdomen and finding support in Katya’s kind gaze, I began to talk about my vulnerability regarding money. I was able to share myself as I truly am.

During 15 minutes of sharing, an insight emerged from within: money, like a mirror, reflects my relationship with myself and my self-perception. By the end of this realization, I felt a surge of life energy and creative impulse, released from sharing my vulnerability with another person and looking at myself without struggle or judgment. I felt expanded and grew in my own eyes and sensations.

This is a new way of engaging with reality—somatic awareness, the presence of a trusted other, empathy, and compassion—allowing old neural connections (habits) formed under conditions of rejection, guilt, shame, judgment, and manipulation to dissolve. In such circumstances, the brain loses its ability to see or find alternative solutions to material difficulties and beyond. It will only offer the thoughts and patterns that have become automatic (mental amnesia).

In our upcoming workshop, using personal enthusiasm and group energy, we will once again explore our potential to recognize habitual thinking patterns and offer ourselves new experiences."

Workshop Details

WHEN:
Sunday, September 29 | 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM
WHERE:
Moscow Yoga School
19/37 Bolshaya Serpukhovskaya St., Building 4

COST:
4,000 RUB until September 22.
5,000 RUB thereafter.

Registration Link:
https://forms.gle/tHU9Juk319nBMbrA8

Workshop Facilitators:

Katya Zilbershtein – Ph.D. in Psychology, certified Hanna Somatics educator, and student of the professional Feldenkrais Method program.
Natalia Guseva – Body-movement practitioner specializing in emotional anatomy.

Have Questions? Call Us:
+7 903 774 29 50 (Ekaterina)
+7 916 605 48 64 (Natalia)

Welcome!