5 REASONS TO DO FACE YOGA

Face Yoga is gaining more public awareness by the day. Face Yoga is the name given to a series of facial expressions and postures aided with your hands. It is reputed to ease signs of aging and give a tighter and more toned look to your face. It was invented by Fumiko Takatsu who has been practicing it since the early 2000's. She had originally started in an attempt to bring symmetry to her face after an accident. Not only did she succeed, she found a whole host of side benefits to the practice.

We have listed some of these benefits.

1. Muscle tone - Applying gentle pressure and making motions on your facial muscles tones and strengthens them taking away the sagginess caused by age and reducing wrinkles and crows feet.

2. Blood flow - More areas of the face receive better blood flow when exercised and receiving oxygenated blood keeps the skin healthy and glowing. Our facial muscles are enmeshed with the skin. Better blood flow to these muscles can directly result in better skin.

3. Lymph drain - Massaging your face cause smooth lymph flow in their passages. This is important as the lymphatic system does not have a pump and relies on muscle action to circulate, as we mention in Immune system and Yoga.

4. Stress reduction - All massage is helpful in stress. A face and neck massage is one of the best as it targets many sore points.

5. Posture - A lot of people place undue tension on one side of the head and neck. A lot of the same muscles get used while others are ignored. Exercising your facial and neck muscles can reduce the imbalance generated.

Science So far

More research is needed in this area before Face Yoga becomes more popular among dermatologists and other healthcare professionals. However, a small case study from 2018 Trusted Source study investigated the effectiveness of 32 facial exercises in reducing the appearance of aging in middle-aged women. They reported success although they do mention that the sample size was small and further testing needs to be done for certainty.

Many massage experts and skincare experts seem to concur in their judgement that massaging the face is great for oxygenation and the above mentioned benefits. We personally recommend people for facial exercise who are looking into noninvasive ways to improve their appearance and wellness. Botox, fillers, skincare products, and other cosmetic treatments could be really expensive and add temporary beauty to your skin. But Face Yoga is a potential natural way and significantly cheaper than these expensive beauty treatments out there. The beauty of Face Yoga is that you can do most of the exercise anytime anywhere. Once you learn how to do, you can do the exercises on the go!

However let me tell you unlike injections or those medical beauty procedures, Face Yoga is NOT a quick fix. It requires consistent practice on a regular basis. But the more you master, the less exercises are needed.

How to do Face Yoga exercises

There are many face yoga exercises, each claiming to help with different parts of your face. I have few of my personal favorites and simple one's that may potentially help you achieve a slimmer, more youthful look. It’s probably best to practice these in front of a mirror in the privacy of your home, since they may feel a bit silly to practice in public. When you perform the exercises, keep the rest of your face, neck, and shoulders relaxed.

• Forehead

This exercise will help you with horizontal wrinkles on the forehead (frown lines).

1. Place your fingertips just above the eyebrows.

2. Try to raise your eyebrows as high as possible while pressing gently downward with your fingertips to block the movement.

3. Hold this position for 6 seconds. Repeat 5–10 times.

• Jawline

This exercise will help you with a sagging jawline and double chin.

1. Place your elbow on a table with your fist under your chin. 

2. Move your fists up your jawline with gentle pressure..

3. Repeat 5–10 times.

• Midface

This exercise will help you with nasolabial folds (the lines that run from each side of the nose to the corners of your mouth—also called laugh or smile lines).

1. Open your mouth and purse your lips slightly. 

2. Put your index fingers against the corners of your mouth. 

3. Try to protrude your lips while pulling the corners of your mouth outward with your index fingers. 

4. Repeat 5–10 times.

• Cheekbone

This exercise may help with define cheekbones.

1. Make a hook with a bent index finger or fist.

2. Press upward with your fist from your end of nose towards your ears

3. Try to put slight pressure on your fist while you make the motion.

4. Repeat 5–10 times.

There are many more benefits added to the list, however more research is needed to confirm these claims. You know the importance of exercising your body muscles on a regular basis and keeping good body posture, so why not care for the face?