Yoga for your face – who knew?
Yoga is great for toning your body and improving joint suppleness and flexibility, but did you know that this ancient Indian art is extremely beneficial for your face too?
What happens to your face as you age?
The ageing process affects both men and women. As you age, your skin becomes drier and more fragile as less oil is naturally produced. The contours of your face subtly alter as muscle tone is lost; your chin sags, your eyelids droop and the stresses and strains of daily life leave their mark as frown lines, crows’ feet and wrinkles.
Your face and neck have 57 tiny muscles which benefit from a workout just like the rest of your body. As you work your facial muscles you make them contract and relax. This encourages muscle tone and stretches muscle fibre which improves blood circulation to the cells in and beneath your skin. As blood flow increases, more oxygen is delivered to the tissues resulting in a healthy glow and tighter skin.
Yoga exercises for your face
Here are a few simple facial yoga exercises to get you started:
The Jowl buster
Begin by resting your chin on the back of one hand. Place your elbow in the palm of the opposite hand. Now push your chin into the top of the hand that it’s resting on and push up with the other hand.
Hold the pose for a few seconds, release and repeat.
Frown lines
Place the fingers of each hand on your forehead touching at the fingertips and open your eyes as wide as you can. Pull your hands very slowly away from each other to stretch out the skin and smooth away the lines. Hold for a few seconds then repeat.
Lip tighten
Relax your body. Clench your teeth then open your lips as wide as you can. Gently pull on your top lip then on your bottom lip to stretch them as far away from your face as you comfortably can.
Find yoga therapists near you
If you take just 20 minutes out of your day to give your face a workout using facial yoga, you’ll see a more toned you within a couple of months. To find a professional yoga therapist in your area, why not check out our comprehensive directory.
