You heard us right — facial yoga! Facial yoga is exactly what it sounds like: a series of exercises that involve specific positioning and manipulation of the muscles in your face to achieve specific results. But, what are those positions? What are the results? And why do facial yoga at all?
Traditional yoga, the kind that you do with your whole body, is meant to improve strength, balance, and flexibility, while incorporating a meditative or spiritual aspect to strengthen the mind in tandem. Facial yoga, similarly, is devoted to strengthening the muscles in your face, delivering benefits such as the distribution of vital nutrients, reduced tension and wrinkles, and an uplifted appearance. One of the most notable reasons for engaging in facial yoga is to fend off signs of aging by exercising facial muscles in order to keep them from appearing saggy. Facial yoga can assist with acne, eye bags, thin lips, and even some types of facial paralysis!
One of our favorite benefits of facial yoga is an assisted experience of lymphatic drainage. Your lymph system is responsible for filtering out toxins from body tissues, and in some cases, the buildup of these toxins in the form of liquid retention can cause swelling, aches and pains, exhaustion, and facial sagging. Lymphatic massage is a manual method of stimulating the points of drainage in your face and neck, helping the process along naturally. Facial yoga includes some elements of lymphatic drainage, too!
While natural practices do exist, many of the most popular methods for combating wrinkles or signs of aging involve invasive practices, plastic surgery, or injections, which some people may shy away from either due to personal preference or concerns about long-term feasibility and side effects. Botox or fillers may indeed have side effects, but facial yoga is a completely natural way to combat many facial ailments without any risks (when done properly).
Fumiko Takatsu of the Face Yoga Method writes, “I’ll never forget looking in the mirror and not recognizing the woman looking back at me… When I was in my mid-thirties, at the height of discovering who I was and finding true love, I had a fateful car accident that left my face and body completely misaligned. I had been through struggles with my skin before. As a teenager, I suffered from severe acne which caused me to lose all confidence in my skin. But this was different. I no longer recognized the face in the mirror – a mouth that once smiled was completely misaligned and I felt I had aged a decade in an instant.”
Takatsu is not the only person who has felt this way – numerous family members, friends, and clients have expressed that they feel particularly conscious of facial problems that can’t be concealed by makeup or styling choices.
What can you do when the very muscles in your face have begun to change and cause insecurity? Takatsu writes, “I knew I had to take action, and as I was recovering my body, it clicked– Our face has muscles just like the rest of our body and we can tone and shape them to achieve a desired look! Since 2005, I have dedicated my life to empowering women with the Face Yoga Method. I never want another woman to feel stuck, unhappy, or insecure about her face or her age. I want everyone to know that there is a 100% natural way to address almost any facial concern.”
How can you get started on the path to a youthful glow with facial yoga? Try out the pose that Takatsu recommends for beginners.
The Yummy Face (Hands-Free)
“This pose instantly makes you feel and look so much happier. When you look happier, people around you treat you accordingly. A real life-changer.” – Fumiko Takatsu
Benefits
Lifts up the corners of the mouth and the cheeks, which makes you look young and happy.
Key Points
Make sure to hold your smile throughout this exercise.
Smile, making sure both corners of your mouth are at the same level.
Place both thumbs under your chin and lift the corners of your mouth with your index fingers.
While holding this position, stick your tongue out and try to touch the tip of your nose.
Slowly move your tongue to the right, pushing it out and up.
Slowly move your tongue to the left for 5 seconds, then to the right for 5 seconds.
Repeat 2 more sets.
Takatsu demonstrates The Yummy Face pose
“How does your face feel after this quick routine? We just melted away stress, sent vital nutrients to your skin, lifted the corners of your mouth, and defined your cheeks in just a couple of minutes!” – Fumiko Takatsu
Facial yoga may initially seem strange, but it tunes in to what we know to be a proven fact about the human body — muscles that are not exercised begin to stagnate and atrophy, and are unable to do their job of supporting larger systems in the body in the most effective way. Your facial muscles, when engaged appropriately, can remain vibrant and strong long after they are expected to give way to symptoms of aging.
Are you looking to support your skin holistically? Visit our beautiful studio in Newport Beach for customized skincare and treatment, including facials, facial massage, beauty meditations, and more!
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