4 Easy and Effective Face Yoga Exercises

In this article, I will be introducing to you FOUR major Face Yoga pose to cover major areas of your face. Remember, before we start doing these exercises, like in your other Yoga exercises, we would like to relax, and calm down for a warm up first, then do the exercise, and after the exercise, it would be best if we could continue with the relaxation, and cool down, to complete the perfect "me time" which I always promote.

Most of the times, you will need to use your hands in your Face Yoga exercises. By using your hands, they help you in the muscle isolation, which is the most difficult part because each piece of our face muscle is so tiny, and by proper muscle isolation, you can ensure proper movement of each face muscle. Your hands stabilize certain muscles against the others, avoiding you unconsciously creating creases, wrinkles and fine lines during your routine.

Following that, it is therefore always important that our hands are clean before touching our face.

Other than that, you should also prepare a mirror which you can look into during the Face Yoga exercise, to make sure that you see how you properly, and improperly (and correct it), use your face muscle, and you will then understand why wrinkles could be created by our incorrect unconscious facial movements.

Now, let's start our FOUR easy and effective Face Yoga exercises:

Forehead Relax

Relaxing the forehead is key to all our Face Yoga exercise movements (and in fact, throughout our day). It is always surprising to know how frequent we have been creasing and frowning and therefore creating wrinkles on our forehead. At the very first beginning, many will struggle to relax the forehead especially when they are working out on other parts of our face. At this point, our hands come in to help.

Let's start our Forehead Relax:

• Relax your shoulders.

• Interlace your fingers and place the palms on top of your head.

• Applying pressure, move your interlaced palms back and forth 10 times, then side to side 10 times.

• Place your interlaced palms on your forehead.

• Applying pressure, move your palms up and down 10 times.

• Do it 3 times.

Eyes Flex

The Eye Flex helps to strengthen the muscles around the eyes. It can help you relax your tired eyes and brighten up your eyesight. With the fingers helping you to prevent and reduce your crow's feet, the squinting helps you tone and strengthen you eye muscles.

Let's start our Eyes Flex:

• Relax your shoulders.

• Place your middle and index fingers at the outer corners of your eyes.

• Gaze at a point in the distance.

• Pull your fingers 45 degrees upwards and towards the side of your head and at the same time, spreading your fingers slightly apart. Your eyes will gradually be pulled to come into a passive squint (not by frowning).

• Continue the gaze in the distance and tighten your focus (without frowning) by squinting for 5 seconds.

• Close your eyes and relax.

• Do it 3 times.

Yummy Face (Mouth & Cheeks)

Yummy Face is the signature pose by Ms. Fumiko Takatsu in her Face Yoga Method. It is one of the very effective Face Yoga exercises that can be done with or without hands. The Yummy Face lifts up the corners of your mouth and cheeks, continual practice will make you look younger and happier. By incorporating the hands, you can ensure that your pose are correct, you can evenly hold your smile throughout the exercise, and by continual practice, your muscles will form a pattern at the right way, and can reduce the asymmetry in your face if the corners of your mouth are not at the same level.

Let's start our Yummy Face Exercise:

1. Relax your shoulders.

2. Look into the mirror and smile.

3. Place your thumbs under the chin and use your index fingers to pull the corners of your mouth upwards, check that both corners of your mouth are at the same level.

4. While holding in this position, stick your tongue out and try to touch the tip of the nose (most people cannot so don't worry, but just try to stick out your tongue as much as possible). Count to 3.

5. Then slowly move your tongue to the right, still sticking it out and pushing it up. Count to 3.

6. Then slowly move your tongue to the left, also stick it out and pushing up. Count to 3.

7. Repeat steps 4-6 x 3 times.

Swan Neck (Neck & Jawline)

By practicing the Swan Neck, you are not only reducing the stiffness in your neck area, your upper back, and shoulder area, but also reducing and preventing a saggy neck and (!!) double chin (!!). Once our shoulders, neck and back posture resumes normal, not tightening anymore, you will have a better posture and you will feel relaxed and confident !

Let's start our Swan Neck Exercise:

1. Relax your shoulders.

2. Extend your arms in front of you, interlace your fingers with your palms facing each other, and actively push your hands away from you.

3. Be aware that you relax your shoulders, and consciously separate your shoulder blades at the back and push them downwards. (This sounds difficult, take it slowly and feel your shoulder.)

4. Slowly move your head and your gaze to the upper right about 45 degrees.

5. Pucker your mouth towards the same direction of your head and your gaze and feel the stretch on the left front part of your neck. Hold for 5 seconds.

6. Slowly move everything to the center.

7. Repeat 4-6 on your left side.

8. Do it 3 times.

Finishing

Remember to thank yourself after your exercise, give yourself a compliment and smile. You have earned 10 minutes of "me time" today. Keep it up and come back tomorrow.

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Source:

(1) Face Yoga Method by Fumiko Takatsu

(2) Face Yoga Diploma Course Materials (Centre of Excellence, UK)

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