FACIAL YOGA

Nikita Morwal explains how facial yoga can be beneficial to your well-being.

The most beautiful thing a person can wear is a confident smile! Face and brain are so closely connected that your facial posture resembles your mind posture. When the reflection you see in the mirror does not match with the person on the inside, it often makes you feel embarrassed or even depressed. Facial expressions, such as smiling, frowning, or squinting often lead to the development of fine lines at a young age. These lines deepen as the person gets older and form wrinkles. Although wrinkles are a natural part of growing older they are often disliked by people.

Research says that the compact dermis is thicker in the skin of Black and Asian people and hence it protects them from wrinkles. That is why wrinkles affect people of different skin tones differently due to the structural and functional differences in the skin. There is a famous quote “Nature gives you the face you have at twenty. Life shapes the face you have at thirty. But at fifty you get the face you deserve”.

Advantages of facial yoga

One of the natural, non-invasive and safe remedy for looking youthful is facial yoga. It is a completely non-toxic, without side- effects and inexpensive alternative to anti- ageing. By practicing facial yoga regularly, you can promote blood circulation to face resulting in a more radiant and youthful complexion. These facial exercises not only improve the oxygen and nutrient supply to skin but also stimulates the regeneration of skin cells, tones up the facial muscles and makes you look fit and healthy, preventing wrinkles.

This method of facial yoga includes various approaches of muscle stretching and strengthening exercises to naturally tighten as well as tone and brighten the face and give a healthy appearance. Facial yoga also focuses on the relaxing of facial muscles by reducing the effect of strained facial expressions, and leads to a rejuvenated skin. The most beneficial part of facial yoga is that you can do it on your own time, at any given place, without any restrictions irrespective of any age, gender, or any co- morbid health condition. Facial yoga results are best seen when performed at least 3-5 times a week for about 15- 20 minutes each time.

Eyebrow lift exercise 1

Lift your eyebrows as much as you
Hold your eyebrows in this position for 10 seconds.
Lower them back to the starting
Repeat five

Eyebrow lift exercise 2

Keeping your fingers together, touch the

tips of your index fingers and middle fingers above your eyebrows.

Lift your brows while you are resisting with your fingertips.
Repeat 10

Eye massage

With your thumb and index finger, pinch the skin on either side of your right
Massage the skin with the pads on your thumb and index finger until you feel tension
release from the area (about 30 to 40 seconds)
Repeat on the other
Do these two to three times each side

Eye muscle strengthening

While looking at yourself in the mirror, lift your upper eyelids and open them completely as much as possible.
Pause in this position for five to ten
Repeat 10

Winking

Keep your head in neutral position and your face relaxed.
Wink your left eye and hold your eyelids tightly together but trying not to scrunch up your face.
Hold the wink for five
Repeat 20 times on each

Relaxed Blinking

Keep your face relaxed so that you don’t feel any tension in your face.
Blink both eyes without scrunching your

face.

Hold the blink for two
Open your eyes and relax your face
Repeat 20

Cheekbone Lifts

Keep your fingers together and touch the tips of your index and middle fingers against your cheek bones.
As you open your mouth, try to resist the muscles in your cheeks using your fingers
Hold your mouth open for three to five
Close your mouth and repeat 10

Chipmunk Squeeze

Tilt your head
Suck in your cheeks and hold for three to five seconds.
Return to the starting position and repeat five times.

Puffing cheeks

Filling your right cheek with air, move the air to your left cheek.
Keep moving air from right to left
Repeat back and forth for 30

Jawline Rolling

Tighten your face and pucker your
Move your lips to the right and mouth any four-syllable phrase (try reciting your full name).
Do the same on the left

Repeat ten times on each side

Kiss the Ceiling

Tilting head backwards, look up and pucker your mouth as if you are kissing the ceiling.
Hold for five seconds and feel the stretch along the neck and jaw.
Repeat the exercise about five to seven

Tongue Holding

Placing the tip of your tongue behind your teeth, try to take it against the roof of your mouth.
Push your tongue into the roof of your mouth until you feel firmness in the muscles behind your chin.
Make a humming sound for about five seconds and then relax.
Repeat this ten