We’re regularly told about the benefits of yoga for both our mind and body, but have you ever tried facial yoga?
What is Facial Yoga?
If you haven’t come across it before, yoga for your face is exactly how it sounds – exercises for your face. It may look peculiar, but pulling faces may actually be beneficial! Working the muscles around the eyes, mouth and neck can improve your skin. By toning facial muscles through giving them a ‘workout’, we could even improve the appearance of fine lines. But, how does it work? By working the layers of skin and facial muscles correctly, this will increase the blood circulation which in turn helps to deliver more oxygen and nourishment to the skin’s cells. The result is a health complexion with a beautiful glow! Whilst adding more moved to your exercise regime may not sound initially appealing, facial yoga actually helps to relax you face. Relaxing facial muscles, particularly in areas in which we hold tension, can help to counteract the wrinkle-causing grimacing we do on a daily basis. Try some facial exercises for 15 minutes a day to see how it benefits you. Many people who regularly practice yoga for the face report feeling more relaxed within themselves.
Try these facial yoga poses at home...
- Take a deep breath through your mouth, then puff out your cheeks, hold and release. This pose helps to strengthen your cheek muscles, toning and preventing them from becoming thinner and looking hollow.
- Reset your face to a neutral, unlined state, close your eyes and relax your face. This pose helps to offset those line-making expressions.
- Tilt your head back, swallow and press your tongue to the roof of your mouth, tilt your head to the left and swallow, and then to the right and swallow. This pose helps to stretch your neck.
