For centuries, women have sought to preserve their youthful appearance using lotions, creams, and face packs. In response to the rise of injectables and cosmetic surgery, along with a growing interest in natural alternatives, many have turned to facial exercises. The hope is to plump, shape, and lift the face to counteract the inevitable signs of aging.
Social media is teeming with promotions for face yoga as a method to enhance facial shape and achieve a more youthful look. Face yoga videos have amassed over 3 billion views. On UK Pinterest, searches for “face yoga exercises” increased by 40 percent between November 2023 and February 2024. Additionally, an app dedicated to face yoga has been downloaded 10 million times.
However, some face yoga experts offer a more balanced perspective. While you can strengthen and tone any muscle in the body, including the face, this alone won’t transform your skin. Meaningful changes, albeit subtle, come from a combination of gentle facial exercises, relaxation, facial massage, acupressure, and, most importantly, a healthy lifestyle. This includes adequate sleep, nutrition, skincare, hydration, sun protection, stress management, and a positive mindset.
The face comprises three distinct layers atop the skull. The outermost layer is the skin, followed by two layers of fat: subcutaneous fat directly under the skin and deep fat below the subcutaneous layer. These fat pockets interlock to give the face its shape and fullness. Beneath the fat layers are the facial muscles, most of which are quite small.
As you age, gravity pulls the skin downward, leading to facial sagging. The face loses its fatty layer, resulting in a more hollow appearance. Additionally, the skin and bones begin to thin.
Hatha yoga practices naturally tighten the skin and firm up muscles throughout the body, including the face. An overall hatha yoga practice combined with relaxation and pranayama encourages the release of stress that causes us to chronically tighten our muscles, and develop frown marks. This helps achieve a healthy glow of contentment.
Here are some simple exercises to add to your daily routine:
Boost Circulation
Gently tapping the face is very soothing and can help improve circulation. Start by placing your fingertips on your forehead and lightly tap the skin all over your forehead and face down to your jaw.
Stretch and Relax Your Face
The Lion’s Pose is a breathing exercise that involves opening the mouth wide, extending the tongue out, and rolling the eyes towards the sky as you exhale with a long “haaaa.” This releases tension in the eyes, jaw, and neck and increases circulation to these areas. Do this exercise five times, then finish with the opposite movement. Inhale deeply and squeeze all the muscles of your face, jaw, neck, and eyes into a tight little prune. Hold for a count of four, then exhale slowly as you release all the tension.
Smooth Brows
This exercise helps to smooth away tension in the forehead.
– Place your fingertips at the centre of the forehead, facing inward, and apply gentle pressure. Inhale.
– As you slowly exhale, smooth out the tension by moving your fingers out towards your temples.
– At the temples, flatten your fingers and make three small circles.
– As you inhale, bring your fingers back to the starting position and repeat the massage five or more times.
When you have finished bring a slight smile to your face and go about the rest of your day with lightness.
By Vrndavan Dasi
Founder and Principal of Veda Yoga Teacher Training