Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Face Yoga, Explained
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Face Yoga, Explained
By Khanak Mehta
Is your weekly Hatha yoga class the highlight of your routine? We know you love a cute workout outfit, but you can’t deny that a good ol’ sweaty yoga sesh can also leave you feeling pretty incredible, both physically and mentally. And in the long term, those benefits are tripled! Now, think about how it would feel if you translated this into your self-care routine. Case in point: Face yoga is the ultimate workout for your face that requires no sweat, and just a few minutes of your time.
So, if you’re ready to go to skincare gym, keep reading to know more!
Face yoga benefits
In today’s time, injectables and other semi-invasive facial procedures are becoming pretty common. Whether you’re someone who wants a similar effect without the needles or want to give other natural routes a shot before investing in these procedures, facial exercises or face yoga should definitely be an option to consider.
Much like a workout for your body, face yoga also has a bunch of benefits that reflect in both the long and short term. Some of the key face yoga benefits are:
- Similar to a workout, it helps you calm down and de-stress – perfect after a long day at work or college. Plus, since it helps you release tension, it also minimises the appearance of stress lines.
- It gives you a more radiant complexion, making it the ultimate face lifting exercise for glowing skin. Thanks to it stimulating blood circulation along with collagen and elastin, and bringing more oxygen to your cells, your skin will look and feel softer and glow a little extra.
- Face yoga exercises also help strengthen and tone your facial muscles, thereby reducing the early signs of ageing. Paired with your favourite retinoids, it can be a potent combination for youthful-looking skin.
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Is face yoga really effective?
Most of the scientific research backing face yoga is anecdotal or from quite a *while* ago. But that’s not to say that the face yoga before and after pictures you see are a lie! The same way any workout will impact two people differently, face yoga will also show varying results on everyone. Many say that it has helped slim and tone their face, and that they have more softer look since they’re less stressed as well.
But, if you pair face yoga exercises with a healthy diet and potent skincare ingredients, you can definitely expect to see some benefits!
How does face yoga work?
This is one workout that requires no equipment – and no, not even a Gua Sha. All you need is some me-time, a calm and relaxing environment, and your hands and fingers, if you choose to incorporate them. Be sure to wash your hands before touching your face to avoid transferring dirt or bacteria on your skin to prevent any acne and breakouts.
You can expect to start seeing some results in the first two to three weeks of doing this consistently. We suggest doing it at least once a day, and thrice a day at maximum.
Here are some face yoga exercises to get you started.
Face yoga move #1: The forehead smoother
This is an asana that’s guaranteed to practically iron out any fine lines or wrinkles on your forehead. Start by placing the palms of your hands on the top of your forehead. Breathe in, and then push the skin upwards. Breathe out as you hold this position and look down. Repeat this at least ten times. Another variation of this is pressing your fingertips into your temples as you clench your jaw and tilt your chin upwards. Hold for ten seconds, then clench your teeth down and hold for another ten seconds, making sure that your temple muscles flex with each movement.
Face yoga move #2: The neck lift
Did you know that you can also try face yoga for double chin? Yes, it’s possible to define your neck, jaw, and chin area with face yoga exercises! Begin by opening your mouth and making an ‘aah’ sound. Fold your lower lips and the corners into your mouth and hold them in place while extending your lower jaw forward. Then, using your lower jaw, scoop up slowly as you close your mouth and pull your chin upwards by about an inch every time you do this action. Do this at least ten times or till your chin is pointing upwards to the ceiling. Hold this position for at least twenty seconds and repeat the process three to five times.
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Face yoga move #3: The face lift
Give your face a lift by defining the facial contours with face yoga for glowing skin. We promise you, it’s easier than you think! Start by cupping your chin in your hands. Hold it in such a way that you’re holding onto your jawline, all the way up to your ears. Breathe in and tilt your head forward. Do this in such a way that you’re exerting pressure while simultaneously resisting it with your hands. Hold this position for at least five seconds while you’re breathing out and repeat this movement ten times.
More face yoga exercises to try
- Want to give your cheeks a lift with yoga for glowing skin? Start by opening your mouth to form an ‘O’ shape. Position your upper lip over your teeth, smile, and place your index fingers on your cheek muscles and push them upwards. Then release your muscles to lower them. Repeat this action at least ten times.
- Don’t forget the eyebrows! Place three fingertips under each of your eyebrows and push your eyes open. Smile and lower your brows against your fingers, then hold that pose. Finish by closing your eyes and then rolling your eyeballs towards the top of your head. Repeat this movement at least three times.
- Reduce the frown lines between your eyes by stretching them with deep smoothing movements, from the middle of your face, working outwards. Repeat this movement a few times. Follow this up by pressing the palms of your hands into your forehead while breathing in and out.
- Leave your lips feeling plumper with this face exercise for glowing skin. Breathe in, tilt your head backwards, and then breathe out. As you do this, blow out super pouty, exaggerated kisses into the air. This exercise is also great for your chin and jawline area.
Face yoga: What to do and what to avoid
Do...
- Come from a place of self-love and gratitude. Much like yoga or any other form of exercise, face yoga is practice that should ideally centre around self-care, and not stem only from wanting to change something about the way you look.
- Hydrate regularly. Face yoga may not be a strenuous workout but making sure that your skin is hydrated can go a long way towards adding on to this exercise for glowing skin.
Don’t...
- Pull on the skin around your eyes. This area is very delicate and doing this during face yoga can practically give the opposite effect you want.
- Get discouraged if you don’t see results immediately – face yoga exercises take time to show results, so always stick to your routine!
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Ready to try out some face yoga?
Now that you’ve got all your moves ready, give face yoga a try! After all, by just taking out a few extra minutes for yourself every day, you can see considerable results with these face lifting exercises. Don’t forget to add a boost to your face yoga routine by pairing this exercise with the regular use of a lifting cream or serum – check out some of our top picks below.
Face yoga 101
Q. How long should I do face yoga for?
Start by dedicating at least ten minutes to this every day and work your way up to twenty minutes.
Q. Is it okay to do face yoga every day?
Yes, it is perfectly safe and in fact, recommended, to do face yoga every day. You may do it up to three times a day.
Q. At what age can I start face yoga?
People aged sixteen and older can start incorporating face yoga into their skincare and self-care routines.