Have you thought about exercising your face? I bet the idea has never crossed your mind. We all know how important it is to exercise our bodies so why not apply the same concept to our faces? Novel idea, right? Today I want to discuss a facial technique called face yoga. Its proponents say it’s akin to getting a face lift! What?! Does face yoga really work?
Table of Contents
What Is Face Yoga?
There are two camps when it comes to face exercises, which is also called face training. Those that endorse it, consider it their secret weapon, while others insist it’s a waste of time. The science behind face yoga purports that as we age, our facial muscles weaken, leading to sagging skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and creasing.
[Read More: How To Prevent Wrinkles While You Sleep [Check Out These 6 Pillows]
By toning the muscles through targeted exercises, the detrimental effects of weakened muscle tone can be counteracted. Some proponents even claim that facial exercises stimulate collagen production. If this is true, it’s revolutionary, because collagen is the primary protein that forms the structural matrix in the skin. Could face yoga be the secret behind an ageless face?
You’ll have to try it for yourself to see…
#affiliate links
Does Face Yoga Really Work?
Those who sing face yoga’s praises attest to these benefits:
- Tightens and firms loose muscles
- Has a toning effect on both the face and neck
- Smooths and lifts sagging skin and jowls
- Prevents crows feet around the eyes
- Decreases the chances of developing a double chin
- Promotes better circulation and increased blood flow
- Improves complexion in terms of texture and color
- Firms the cheekbones and jawline
- Releases tension and stress, promoting relaxation
- Reduces swelling, while sculpting and contouring
- Increases self-confidence and self-esteem
- Takes only a few minutes a day to notice results
- Is completely free to use
Think of face yoga as a combination of toning, acupressure, massage, and relaxation. It’s a natural and effective way to contour and chisel your face, giving it more definition, while counteracting the effects of gravity. Slim chubby cheeks, reduce sagging jowls, and increase elasticity, volume, and plumpness. If it’s true that we lose all these characteristics as we age, and face yoga can combat the deleterious effects of aging, why not give it a try?!
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Face yoga is basically sculpting your face from the inside out, resulting in a more radiant and youthful look. This is amazing news because the people we label the most beautiful have chiseled, sculpted, and defined facial features, with gorgeous contouring. No wonder face yoga is a hot trend today, with those who practice it, swearing by the results they achieve.
Face Yoga Exercises
As we age, our skin loses flexibility and elasticity. Face yoga offers many strengthening, toning, and tightening exercises to reduce the effects of this loss. Begin by choosing three or four face yoga exercises that feel good to you. The two videos on this page should give you some good ideas.
Hold each exercise for approximately ten seconds. The entire routine should take no longer than ten minutes, which is nice, because it isn’t a time drain. You can do the exercises in your car during your commute or when you’re waiting for your kids to get out of school. You’ll look funny, so being by yourself while doing face yoga, is probably a good idea.
Choose a certain time of day to perform your exercises. This way you’ll be more apt to do them consistently. As with anything, consistency is what brings results. The good news is that it doesn’t take a lot of time to build facial strength so you should start seeing results fairly quickly.
It’s good to feel a little tension with each exercise. That way, you know it’s working. Another amazing benefit of face yoga is it activates the lymphatic system to eliminate toxins and reduce bloating. There’s nothing worse than a bloated face to ruin your day so if that’s the only benefit you notice, it will be worth it.
Resources
Below is a great book from the creator of the Face Yoga Method: Click here to purchase
If you’re a visual learner, check out this instructional face yoga DVD where she demonstrates how to do the various exercises.
And here’s a video demonstrating the various exercises:
3 Face Firming Exercises
Did you know you have more than 50 muscles in your face? These muscles are responsible for shaping and contouring your face. Picture these muscles like layered, elastic sheets on top of your delicate facial tissues that work either by themselves or in combination with each other, creating your many facial expressions, and keeping your face taut.
When these muscles are firm and tight, they prevent sagging and drooping of the tissues so it makes sense that exercising them would lift and tone your entire face. And since the muscles in the face are small in comparison to the rest of the body, you’ll notice a quicker response. Face yoga is preferable to costly procedures that may or may not deliver the desired results.
Here are some of my favorite face yoga exercises:
1. Mouth lift:
Pucker your mouth and pretend to blow a kiss. Do this 100 times to firm the skin around your mouth and lift your jaw. You’ll also feel a tightening of your neck muscles. This exercise can prevent the dreaded turkey neck.
2. Jaw lift:
While laying down, lift your neck an inch or two above the floor or your bed. Now bring your upper and lower lips together in a pursed position. It’s almost like you’re smiling, but with your lips pursed. Slightly open and close your lips, while keeping them pursed. Do two sets of a 100 repetitions, while keeping your neck raised. This exercise works the muscles around your mouth, jaw, and neck.
3. Eyebrow lift:
Raise your eyebrows as high as you can, holding for five to ten seconds. Repeat 10 times for a natural eyebrow lift. This exercise is good for droopy eyelids and bags under the eyes.
4. Neck lift:
While seated, tilt your head, and look up at the ceiling. Remain in this position, and pucker your lips, while sticking your tongue out as far as you can. You’ll feel a stretch and pull in your neck muscles underneath your jaw on either side of your neck. This exercise is good release tension in both your neck and jaw.
5. Cheek lift:
Fill each cheek with air, while moving your jaw back and forth. Do this 20 or so times to lift the muscles around your cheek area. The exercise is great to counteract sunken cheeks.
Practice these exercises at least three times a week, if possible. If you want to track your progress and results, snap a picture of yourself before you begin your face yoga routine. Diligently perform the exercises for a few weeks, and then take another picture to compare the before and after. This is a great way to know if the exercises are working.
Key Points
What if there were a simple solution to aging, and you could ditch the expensive cosmetics that may or may not work?
Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about getting Botox or plastic surgery, but have a tool that works anytime and anywhere?
Face yoga may just be that simple of a solution. It’s a natural technique that doesn’t involve harmful chemicals, you can do it in your free time, and it won’t cost you a dime. Not too shabby! Read up on face yoga so you can form your own opinion, and decide for yourself if it’s something worth doing.
Have you heard of face yoga? If you haven’t done it before, would you like to give it a try? Let me know in the comments:)
Definitely, I would love to give Face Yoga a trial run one day soon. Excellent article you have written up here concerning these exercises. I haven’t heard of anything like this before. I’m glad to know of this practice, how to do it and the benefits achieved. I will give it a try, there’s no harm in trying anything, right?
Great insightful post. Thumbs up!
Thank you. Yep, Face Yoga certainly won’t hurt you. Let me know how you like it. I’d love to hear your experience with the exercises!
This is a nice post and I really did enjoy reading it. I didn’t know about the fifty muscles that I have in my face. Of course as we grow older, we begin to get wrinkles, age spots, and sagging skin. I think I should really try out this face yoga. I’d definitely be doing it in my private space.
Thank you. Isn’t it crazy the amount of muscles we have in our faces? Yes, sad but true, aging does result in wrinkles, changes in complexion, less elasticity, and sagging.
At least there are techniques, like Face Yoga, that are great at slowing down the effects of aging. Yes, people will think you’re very strange if they see you doing the exercises. Doing them in a private space is best!
Wow, Holly! This is the first time I have heard of Face Yoga. Cool. One would have to make a conscious effort to do this every day, just like with anything, you won’t see results if you aren’t consistent.
Do you know if age makes any difference? For example, would a woman in her late sixties who already has wrinkles get any benefit from this? Thanks for sharing this interesting concept!
Hi Mary Ann,
Yes, Face Yoga does require some consistency. Try to do it a few times a week, if not everyday, which can be hard long term. Any effort you put into it will translate into rewards.
For sure women over 50 can get good results because the exercises are toning the muscles in the face. While it won’t make existing wrinkles disappear, unfortunately, it can make the face look firmer and more toned.
Give it try and let me know what you think. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
I haven’t heard about face yoga before but am already in love with it. Believe me, I was already practicing the techniques as I was reading this review. It is very amazing.
I think I have found a technique that can make my face look younger than my age without using any cosmetics or surgery. If this works, as your review says it does, I will be more than happy to introduce it to my friends.
Hi Stella,
Face Yoga is pretty awesome and it only takes a few minutes a day. The best part is you can do it while driving, reading or laying in bed. Thanks for sharing it with your friends!