Face Yoga: Exercise Your Face Muscles
A face-work out to improve the appearance of your skin (and you won’t need to go to the gym!)
Exercising your face muscles, just like you do with the rest of your body, is actually a very powerful anti aging solution. Try it out, but don’t forget to combine it with a daily skincare routine: invest in tools and products that guarantee professional and long lasting results.
What is face yoga?
Face yoga (or Facial Yoga) is a holistic discipline that aims to achieve a younger and brighter face, as well as a complete feeling of well-being. Some of the techniques used in face yoga are obviously inherited from traditional discipline and Ayurveda medicine, such as some Asana yoga postures, some massages and some meditation techniques. It consists of facial toning exercises, firming and lymph-draining massages, acupressure and relaxation techniques for the face. With constant practice, the skin of the face and neck becomes smoother, lines become thinner and tension is reduced.
Face yoga benefits
The benefits of face yoga are numerous: they range from slowing down skin ageing to reducing stress. Through its constant practice, the skin and muscles are toned, the skin appears smoother and firmer, and the facial features are plumped up. The massage also oxygenates and nourishes the skin, increasing the production of collagen and elastin. Skin elasticity and tone increase and the “sagging skin” effect decreases. Furthermore, thanks to the practice of face yoga, one can notice an improvement in lymphatic drainage, with a reduction in swelling and a consequent brighter skin. Finally, in addition to face massage, by practising a little meditation and breathing you will experience a complete sense of well-being: a decrease in stress and an increase in self-esteem.
How to do face yoga
Face yoga can be performed sitting, standing or lying down and can be practiced independently or under the guidance of an experienced and certified teacher (just like yoga and pilates). To practice it, you simply need to use your hands and facial muscles: justmove your face, make some silly faces, open your mouth and raise your eyebrows; with your fingers, do an upwards motion from your chin up to your ear, turn your fingers into hooks and carve out your jawline and your cheekbones.
The integration of face tools is also a great way to implement and enrich the benefits of the exercises. Among the most popular are the jade roller, glass balls (Ice Globes) and the Gua Sha stone. Each has specific virtues, but they all share the valuable ability to stimulate blood and lymphatic circulation, improving the skin complexion and toning the skin and muscles. Before starting the exercises, it is always important to dedicate oneself to a moisturising skincare routine, and in particular to apply a serum or oil, before practicing massage and digito-pressure.
What is facial posture?
Facial posture (that is the attitude of the facial muscles throughout the day) is responsible for a large number of wrinkles and folds in the face, chin and neck. To improve facial posture, it is important to learn how to control and relax facial muscles throughout the day. Doing so is possible thanks to facial meditation: a practice that allows you to work specifically on relaxing the muscles of the face and neck. It only takes about 10 minutes a day for 6 days a week to see results and an improvement in the appearance of the skin. Start in steps, integrating a few face yoga practices during your skincare routine, both in the morning and in the evening. The best time to do it is during cleansing or the application of moisturizers, but then gradually incorporate exercises and digito-pressures throughout the day as well. In fact, this discipline should naturally integrate into daily routines, helping those who practice it to easily achieve maximum well-being.
