Facial yoga
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Relaxation through self-care
Anger, sorrow or joy – our emotions can sometimes be clearly written on our face. This is not the only reason why the muscles in our face are in motion around the clock. And as a result they become a little looser as the years pass. Facial yoga can be used to relax and strengthen the facial muscles at the same time. In fact, facial yoga can have an overall natural anti-ageing effect.1 Find out what yoga can do for your face and how to do the exercises effectively.
What can yoga do for the face?
Movement of the facial muscles combined with a facial massage can help to stimulate the different layers of the skin. The epidermis is the top layer you can see and feel, the dermis lies directly below this exposed layer and the hypodermis is the bottom layer of the skin that contains fat and sweat glands. Facial yoga is therefore credited with having a positive effect on our wellbeing as well as better blood circulation and skin tightening.
The fat and muscle mass under the skin decreases over time and can lead to increased wrinkles and sagging of the facial muscles. Muscle training can increase the muscle mass in the face so wrinkles can be smoothed. Facial yoga can, for example, help to smooth frown lines on the forehead or the nasolabial fold lines between the nose and mouth.
Facial yoga for relaxation
Yoga is not only able to bring body and mind into harmony. With facial yoga you also give your face a break from everyday facial tension. Alongside simple muscle exercises, facial gymnastics—like other types of yoga—also promotes self-awareness, reflection and a kind of meditation. Take a few minutes each day for relaxation and self-care. It is well known that “me time” can make a positive difference to mental health and reduces work stress.
Self-care: Create the right environment and take care of your skin
To ensure effective relaxation the right environment is crucial. Create a quiet and pleasant environment that is free of distractions. Put on relaxed music or just focus on your breathing. Put your phone on silent. To begin the relaxation process, take a deep breath before beginning facial yoga exercises. Creating an environment where you can relax helps you to switch off from the stress of everyday life, enabling relaxation, at the same time, in your face.
Facial yoga to relax the neck
Working on a computer or tablet for a long time not only places great strain on the brain but also on the neck.2 Looking down at a smart phone can also cause neck pain.3 Since the neck muscles are closely linked to the facial muscles, facial yoga can be used here to reduce tension and thus contribute to overall wellbeing.
Facial yoga and anti-ageing
The natural process of life also involves ageing of the skin. As the years go by, our skin increasingly loses its elasticity. Facial yoga can provide you with a natural anti-ageing effect which allows you and your skin to shine. And, in addition to a good skin care routine, can counteract the natural ageing process.1
The main complaint heard from critics is that facial yoga fuels fear of ageing. But the appearance of wrinkles is not necessarily an effect of the ageing process. In everyday life, we often squint our eyes or frown. The frequent tensioning of the respective facial parts can lead to the increased formation of wrinkles. For example, in the so-called frown lines between the eyes or wrinkles on the forehead. Through a release of tension in the face and targeted exercises, facial yoga can stimulate blood circulation and oxygen transport, thus contributing to a smoother skin appearance at any age.
Facial yoga to help drooping eyelids
Sagging or swelling in the area above the eye is often referred to as drooping eyelids. Facial yoga can help to reduce drooping eyelids by strengthening the forehead muscles, thereby raising the eyebrows significantly.
Tighten the skin around the mouth and neck
When it comes to drooping at the corners of the mouth, the aim of facial yoga exercises is to firm up the tissue in the face. Improving blood circulation around the lips helps to tighten the muscles and reduce fat retention.
Facial yoga can also be used to tighten the skin on the neck and therefore helps to reduce the appearance of a double chin.
Scientifically confirmed: Facial yoga makes the skin look younger
A 2018 study confirmed the skin-tightening effect of face yoga.1 American researchers studied the effect of a 30-minute facial muscle training regime which was first performed daily and then three times a week over a 20-week period.
The exercises include the training of different facial muscles and the use of finger massages. For example, participants were instructed to open their mouths, slide the upper lip over their teeth and smile so that their cheeks pull upwards. Pressure is applied to the upper cheek area with the fingers. They then move their cheeks down and then up several times. This achieves a significant increase in the fullness of the cheeks.
It was proven that the muscle growth generated by yoga visibly smooths the skin and counteracts fat loss. A pleasant side effect of the study is that the subjects were estimated to look on average three years younger after the test period.
Practice facial yoga
If you want to try facial yoga but don’t know where to start – look no further! We’ve put together some tips to help you get started with facial yoga – whether you’re attending a course or trying out the exercises at home.
- Find the optimal environment and location
- As a beginner, practice the exercises in front of a mirror
- Tie your hair back to avoid disrupting the facial gymnastics
- Wash your hands, as your fingers will be touching the face
- Avoid dry skin
- Take a photo to compare the before-and-after
Facial yoga courses
If you are looking for professional courses in your area it’s highly likely you’ll find something suitable. In recent years a large number of trainers have specialised in facial yoga. By attending a course you’ll learn how to perform the exercises correctly and gain new knowledge about your skin and your face. You can choose between online or face-to-face courses.
Integrate facial yoga and exercises into everyday life
Facial yoga can be perfectly integrated into many day-to-day situations. Whether immediately after waking up, during a break at work, or in the comfort of your own living room, the exercises can be carried out at any time and require no extensive preparation. With just a few minutes a day you can develop your own routine. To ensure a lasting effect it helps to carry out the exercises regularly.
We’ve put together some exercises that make it easy to practice facial yoga from home. The selected exercises address different parts of the face. Perhaps our facial yoga guide will also help you to relax and at the same time improve your mood and wellbeing.
Exercise 1: Stimulate blood circulation
The aim of this exercise is to stimulate blood circulation throughout the face:
- Squeeze the eyes closed as tightly as possible
- At the same time, pull out the corners of the mouth in a wide grin
- Hold position for two minutes
- Then let all facial muscles relax and hang
- Repeat the process 3–4 times
Exercise 2: Train away the double chin
With this exercise you can strengthen the muscles of the lower part of your face and tighten the skin:
- Close your mouth and breathe through your nose in a relaxed manner
- Turn head to the left and tilt up slightly
- Now purse the lips in a kissing position, so that the skin on the neck gently pulls
- Hold the exercise for 10 seconds and then perform on the other side
- Repeat the exercise 5 times on each side
- Then, while looking straight ahead, press your thumbs against the chin
- At the same time, pull the jaw down against the resistance
- Hold for 10 seconds and repeat 5 times
Exercise 3: Reduce nasolabial folds
This facial yoga exercise can help reduce the folds between nose and mouth:
- Close your mouth and breathe deeply through the nose
- Puff out the cheeks and hold air in the cheeks for 5 seconds
- Now push the air into the left cheek, right cheek, upper lip and lower lip for 5 seconds each in turn
- Exhale and relax the face
Exercise 4: Relax face
This exercise focuses on relaxation of the entire facial muscles:
- Open the mouth and eyes slightly so that muscles are relaxed
- Point face straight ahead and fix on a point at eye level
- Relax and focus on this point and concentrate only on breathing
- Hold the position for 3–5 minutes
Wellness with facial yoga
Facial yoga not only makes you feel good but also has anti-aging effects. Whether you want to relax or strengthen your facial muscles or would like to benefit from the natural anti-aging effects of facial yoga, our exercises will help you to find a routine that fits into your everyday life. And if you like to see other bright faces while practising facial yoga, you can also ask about courses near you.