It’s no secret that the practice of yoga can do wonders for strengthening your mind-body connection and support your overall well-being, but did you know that the same holds true when it comes to practicing face yoga?
Now you may be asking yourself, “What even is face yoga?” Well, Fumiko Takatsu, the instructor and founder of the Face Yoga Method, has the answer. When asked in an article by MindBodyGreen, he explained, “To put it simply, face yoga is a series of facial exercises, where you intentionally isolate and tone your face muscles.” The intention is the key to this practice and what sets it apart from the facial movements you regularly do on any given day. Because, like yoga flow, you’re intentionally isolating the movement of specific muscles, which in turn, works to tone and strengthens them over time. But that’s not all!
In this article, we discuss some of the most predominant health benefits of face yoga. Let’s take a closer look:
1. Reduces Signs of Premature Aging
One of the most notable health benefits of face yoga is how it works to minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of premature aging. Whether it be by releasing tension in your face—which helps to soften stress lines—or by increasing blood flow circulation and oxygenation in the skin, facial yoga offers a number of anti-aging benefits. By consistently practicing certain techniques and exercises, such as the Lioness Face Exercise, it will be easier to maintain a youthful glow now and in the future. Especially if you’ve already begun to incorporate anti-aging skin care in your everyday routine, reducing signs of premature aging can be seemingly effortless, regardless of what age you may be.
2. Improves Lymphatic Drainage
Lymphatic draining massages are a tried-and-true technique used by many estheticians, as they’re designed to get the stagnant fluids circulating, which is beneficial for depuffing and brightening up the skin. And while getting a professional massage might seem like the best approach to obtaining these benefits, they aren’t the only way to get them. Face yoga can also be characterized by massages that act similarly to facial exercises by isolating movement of certain muscles in your skin that serve to strengthen and tone them over time. In other words, lymphatic draining massages are one of the many types of massages used in face yoga that serve to improve lymphatic drainage. The practice consists of gentle strokes on the surface of the skin, with little to no pressure, in an effort to awaken the lymphatic system. Luckily, you don’t have to be a professional to try this technique at home!
3. Alleviates Stress
The very act of face yoga is thought to be a self-care practice in and of itself, which thereby explains why performing different facial exercises can work to alleviate stress and build up tension in your body. By exercising and putting pressure on areas that are prone to tensing up for reasons like anxiety, you’re able to release and rejuvenate the skin. Therefore working to not only minimize feelings of stress, but also combat future headaches, and other aches and pains from occurring.
4. Prevents Acne Breakouts
Using a facial massaging tool such as an Ice Globe, for instance, offers those same health benefits through a calming, cooling sensation on the complexion. This, in turn, allows the essential nutrients necessary for treating acne to be quickly carried over to your skin, thereby helping to diminish the appearance of pores, prevent breakouts, and heal visible signs of scarring! Still, it’s important to note that in order to adequately treat and prevent acne breakouts through face yoga, it’s critical that you keep your hands and tools clean so that there is no transfer of dirt or bacteria onto your skin. This, along with using a suitable oil on your face is imperative for this practice, especially if you’re someone who normally identifies with an oily or acne-prone skin type. In this case, using an anti-acne facial oil on your skin when performing these techniques may be in your best interest to further prevent the formation of blemishes.
Facial yoga is an art that follows a strategic approach similar to yoga, but acts independently to better serve the muscles on your face and different areas of your body. If you have yet to pick up this practice, now is the time to try it out and see for yourself how amazing these techniques can truly affect certain areas of your health and overall appearance in the long run. Good luck!