Why Face Yoga Should Be Part Of Your Beauty Routine

A couple of years ago while doing some research for new beauty techniques I came across something called Facial Yoga which claimed to help tone and lift the face without the need of Botox or fillers. The theory behind it makes perfect sense- if you can work out and tone the muscles in your body then why not your face? Plus I’ve already got the tightest eye muscles from all the eye rolling I do, so I thought why not give face yoga a try.

I kept coming across Fumiko Takatsu, who is credited as being the creator of The Face Yoga Method, Fumiko has been practicing facial yoga for about 15 years and has written 6 books on the topic. She’s developed a series of exercises to help achieve a younger more vibrant face without any fillers or injections. Her exercises are designed to reshape your jawline, define your cheeks, align your smile, and much more!

In fact one of the best tips I got from her videos was to wear one of those neck braces to help prevent tech neck. With all the time we’re spending looking at our phones or working on our computers it’s inevitable that our necks will bear the brunt. Fumiko suggests wearing a neck brace to help keep your neck straight and skin smooth. So I tried it. This is what I look like wearing it…

But who cares?! After wearing it for a few hours you’ll notice how much smoother your skin feels underneath. The neck brace also works as the perfect contraceptive for all those who cant make it to the pharmacy due to ISO.

The theory behind facial yoga is that you do a series of exercises repetitively to help lift your face by tightening the muscles underneath. I haven’t been doing it long enough to report back but I’m stuck in ISO now which means I have all the time in the world. Plus there’s no Botox available until the foreseeable future so what do I have to lose, right?

The beauty of these exercises is that you can literally do them anywhere and at any time. While watching TV, working on your computer or even driving. In fact I’m doing them right now!

You’ll be surprised at just how sore your face will feel the next day after doing the exercises. Although I must admit, I have sore cheeks on the regular due to all the extra food I’m consuming. Also I wonder if chewing gum counts as facial yoga? Or just talking in general. In which case my kids must have the tightest jaw lines in the world!

So how quickly will you see results I hear you ask. Well that depends on how often you do the exercises. It’s like me asking how long will it take before I get some abs? To which I answer, start by exercising first!

A Northwestern Medicine study in the US found that a 30-minute daily program practiced for 20 weeks improved the facial appearance of women 40 to 65 years old. The exercises resulted in a younger appearance, with the greatest improvement being fuller upper and lower cheeks.

I’ve listed a few starter facial yoga moves for you below which are from Gary Sikorski of Happy Face Yoga. He suggests you spread the exercises out and rest between each ones to let your face relax.

Wake Your Face Up – Curl your tongue up toward your tonsils as far as it will go. Breathe evenly for the count of 10. While this exercise may seem strange at first, it will help your body, especially your facial muscles, become alert, making this exercise a good one to start off with.

Cheek Lifter –Push Away Fine Lines – Place your thumb and forefinger from each hand touching each other between your eyebrows. Use your thumb and forefinger to push your eyebrows up and away from each other. Use a smooth movement and push in the opposite direction your eyebrows go when squinting or frowning. Use a few drops of lubricating lotion or oil to eliminate dragging the skin.

Goodbye Crow’s Feet – Apply a thin layer of moisturizer or oil to the area under your eyes, on your temples, and at the outside corners of your eyes. Place your forefingers on each temple and with your thumbs at the top of your cheekbone, gently press the area under the skin outward from the corner of your eye. Remember not to pull the skin.

The Happy Cheeks Sculpting — Without showing your teeth, make the biggest smile you can. Purse your lips together and smile again, forcing your cheek muscles up. Then place your fingers upward on the corners of your mouth and glide them to the top of your cheeks, holding for 20 seconds.

Eyelid Rejuvenation – Look upward toward the top of your forehead. You won’t actually be able to see it, but it will help get your eyes in the right position. Now raise your eyebrows. While still looking up with your eyebrows raised, slowly close your eyes.

How did you go? Pretty simple aren’t they? Now that you’ve tried the beginner’s exercises check out Fumiko’s video below for something a bit more advanced.

Let me know how you go. I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been doing facial yoga long term and has seen some real changes in their face.

Images: YouTube and Instagram