Face Yoga: The Secret to a Naturally Lifted and Youthful Glow

Have you ever thought about giving your face a workout, just like you do for your body?

While the human face is a thing of beauty, maintaining taut, smooth skin often becomes a source of stress as we age.

Face exercises— which you can easily perform from the comfort of your home— can lift and tone the face, reduce signs of aging, prevent sagging and wrinkles, and generally improve facial appearance.

These exercises relax, tone, and give a natural boost to the skin while simultaneously resetting your facial muscles.

Face exercises, also known as “face yoga,” are the latest wellness trend taking social media by storm. These face-sculpting workouts involve repetitive movements and massages targeting different muscles of the face. When your facial muscles are engaged with face yoga, they feel toned and give the sensation of a natural facelift if practiced regularly. The idea is to stretch the 57 facial and neck muscles to tone, firm, and boost circulation for a youthful appearance.

Puff Your Cheeks

The chipmunk cheek squeeze is a facial exercise that can help slim the face.

How to do it:

• Inhale through the mouth, filling your cheeks with air to make them larger and rounder.

• Distend the breath from cheek to cheek, then release.

• Tilt your head back, push your chin forward, suck in your cheeks, and hold for 8–10 seconds.

• Open your mouth wide, keep your teeth covered by your lips, and lift your cheeks. Hold for 10 seconds, then return to normal. Aim to repeat 50 times.

How does it work?

This simple practice increases blood circulation to your cheeks, promoting a healthy glow. It strengthens the cheek muscles, relaxes the muscles around the lips and cheeks, and brightens the face.

These quick and easy movements help prevent cheeks from looking hollow and keep them lifted and plump.

Smiler

Pouting and then smiling rapidly can enhance blood circulation and strengthen jaw muscles.

How to do it:

• Hold a wide smile for about 15 seconds, then release. Repeat 10 times.

• Bring your lips together, push them outward as if about to kiss, and then smile broadly. Practice this regularly 10-15 times per session.

Facial Yoga for Glowing, Youthful Skin

Face yoga is a natural, alternative option that uses a variety of massages and exercises to target the face, neck, and shoulders.

This beauty trend has grown in popularity over the past few years, with various face yoga methods appearing on social media.

When practiced regularly, facial exercises increase blood circulation, tighten the skin, and bring a natural glow to the face. They help tone and firm the 57 face and neck muscles, boosting circulation for a youthful appearance.

Make a Fish Face

This pose stretches the neck region and helps tone the jawline and chin.

How to do it:

• Fill your mouth with as much air as possible, puffing up your cheeks.

• Shift the air from one side to the other as quickly as possible. Practice this for a couple of minutes daily for glowing skin and fuller cheeks.

• Alternatively, softly close your lips and draw your cheeks inward as much as possible, creating a ‘fish face.’ Try smiling while holding this posture for about 15 seconds, then relax. Repeat for about five minutes.

Wrinkle-Free Skin with Facial Yoga & Pranayama

For smooth, firm, and radiant skin, try this yoga “asana” along with Pranayama:

• Stand straight with feet wide apart.

• Cover your face with your palms and breathe deeply and quickly for 10 counts.

• While continuing to breathe, rub your face with your fingers, starting from the chin and moving up to the forehead.

• Include the area around the eyes.

Forehead Exercises

Did you know that frowning can be an exercise for the forehead?

How to do it:

• Frown as much as possible, pulling the eyebrows toward one another.

• Then lift your eyebrows as far as possible while opening your eyes wide.

• Relax and repeat five times.

Anti-Aging Facial Yoga for the Forehead:

• Place both hands on the forehead, fingers spread out between the eyebrows and hairline.

• Gently sweep the fingers outward across the forehead, applying light pressure to tighten the skin.

• Relax and repeat 10 times.

Eye Exercises

These exercises benefit both the skin around the eyes and the eyes themselves, which is especially helpful for people who spend long hours looking at screens.

How to do it:

• Keep your head still and move only your eyes up and down ten times.

• Move them from side to side ten times.

• Roll your eyes, first clockwise, then counterclockwise, ten times.

• Widen your eyes as much as possible to make a surprised face. Hold the expression until your eyes start to water. Relax and repeat.

• Look upward and raise your eyebrows at the same time. Then gently close your eyelids while still looking up.

Since our eyelids tend to droop with age, this stretching exercise can help keep them firm.

Neck Exercises

How to do it:

1. Sit straight, tilt your head back, and look at the ceiling. Keeping your mouth closed, make a chewing motion while still looking up. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

2. Pucker your lips and stretch them forward as if trying to kiss the ceiling. Do this 10 times. Relax and repeat 5 to 6 times.

3. Tilt your head back, move your lower lip over your upper lip as far as possible, and hold for a count of 5. Relax and repeat 5 times.

4. Sit upright, open your mouth wide, drop your lower jaw, and push it forward. Hold for a count of 10. Return to the starting position and repeat 5 times.

How Often Should You Do Face Yoga?

For best results, practice facial yoga consistently for 20-30 minutes, seven times a week. You may start to notice changes within four to six weeks.