Image: Pedro Ribeiro Simoes
Yoga is well-known for the benefits it does for the body. It relaxes the mind and helps improve your strength and flexibility. But did you know that the practice of yoga isn’t just exclusive for the body? It can be applied on the face too.
Yes, facial yoga exist. Proponents of facial yoga believe that the mild movements you do with your facial muscles can help relax them, giving you a natural face lift when done on a regular basis.
While there are some people who are still skeptical about it, there are those who can prove that facial yoga works. It’s a natural, effective, and inexpensive way to smooth areas of the face and the neck.
About Fine Lines and Wrinkles
As we age, we notice a lot of changes in our body including our skin. As early as 25, some of us may notice fine lines and wrinkles in some areas of the face and the neck. The appearance of these lines is brought about by different factors.
Some factors that contribute to the development of fine lines and wrinkles are beyond our control. Examples of it are the natural changes brought by aging.
After the age of 20, we produce about 1 percent less of collagen, the protein that provides the skin its firmness and elasticity. On top of that, our body’s production of elastin slows down and there is diminished functioning of our oil and sweat glands. As a result, our skin becomes thinner, drier, and less supple.
There are also these factors that we have control of, something that we can prevent or minimize in order to slow down the effects of aging on our skin. These include environmental factors and lifestyle choices such as exposure to pollution and sun, our diet, and smoking.
Unprotected sun exposure, poor diet, and smoking contribute to the damage of the collagen and elastin, making the skin look dull, dry, and saggy.
Yoga Tricks for a Natural Face Lift
Botox injections and night creams became popular because they help in reducing the appearance of the fine lines. However, in order to see results, you need more than one session of Botox injection and tubs of night creams. This isn’t a practical choice for those who are on a budget and definitely not a good choice who are skeptical in trying invasive procedures.
If you’re one of these people, you can still achieve smooth, young-looking skin without having Botox injections or using anti-aging night creams. You can try facial yoga.
The following are facial yoga tricks that can help you achieve smoother-looking skin:
To smooth your forehead
Begin by looking straight ahead. Try to widen your eyes as much as you could and hold this position for a few seconds or until your eyes start to water.
According to a facial yoga expert, this trick works as this exercises the muscles around your eyes and your forehead.
To strengthen the cheek muscles
Take a big breath through your mouth and hold it. Your cheeks are puffed out at this point. Hold this position for a few seconds and then release. An alternative is puffing your breath from one cheek to another before releasing it.
This facial yoga exercise helps in strengthening the cheek muscles, keeping it from appearing thinner. The thinning of the cheek muscles contributes to the hollowness we typically see on middle-aged people.
To get rid of the crow’s feet
The crow’s feet pertain to the fine lines around the eyes. You can reduce their appearance by doing this facial yoga trick: lift and release your lower eyelid while applying gentle pressure (using your fingertips) on the outer crease of the crow’s feet.
To lift your nasal labial folds
As we age, we lose the plumpness of our cheeks. But with facial yoga, we can strengthen the muscles around the area, preventing them from getting slack.
For lifting your nasal labial folds, begin by smiling with your teeth showing. Applying gentle pressure, press the creases between your nose and lips. You can lift your muscles up and down for some slight resistance.
To strengthen the chin and the neck
The neck is one of the first few places where we start noticing the signs of aging but it’s also one of the most commonly neglected areas.
For strengthening the chin and the neck area, press the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth then swallow while your chin is pointing to the ceiling.
To reset your face to neutral state
Also known as the “Buddha face,” this facial yoga trick is one of the easiest to perform and can help offset line-making expressions.
With your eyes closed, try to visualize the point between your eyebrows and then make a slight smile.
Facial yoga won’t totally get rid of your fine lines but with regular practice, they can help prevent the development of new ones and reduce the appearance of existing lines.