Discover the practice of facial yoga and all its benefits

Much is said about physical activity and the benefits of strengthening muscles for the body, including the face. Care for this area goes far beyond the routine with exfoliants and creams. So get to know facial yoga and see how these exercises work as a natural rejuvenator.

What is face yoga

Face yoga is an ancient practice that has no registration dates. Some say that Cleopatra, well known for her vanity and beauty rituals, was already adept at face exercises. Other reports point out that facial yoga evolved from Kobido, a facial massage technique of oriental origin.

According to instructor Valentina Alas, facial yoga is the art of rejuvenating the face by connecting beauty, physical and mental health. The practice also brings some principles of conventional yoga, such as discipline and self-realization.

Face yoga is another possibility of self-care and its practice can be daily, as well as brushing your teeth, stretching and exercising the whole body.

Discover the benefits of face yoga

Over the years, our body naturally loses collagen and hyaluronic acid, which makes room for sagging and expression lines. Face yoga comes in as a great ally and helps in preventing and strengthening the muscles of the face. Just don’t be fooled into thinking that the practice is just about aesthetics, it also brings other benefits, see:

• Exercise the double chin: Neck muscles are also exercised in face yoga. Activity in the region helps to tone and delay aging, activates circulation, reducing swelling, and may even reverse some cases;
• Easy yoga rejuvenates: the exercises proposed by facial yoga help in blood circulation, elimination of toxins, drainage of liquids and muscle strengthening. The combination of all this guarantees a skin with more support, liveliness and less expression lines;
• Firm the face: facial yoga is able to eliminate wrinkles, tone the entire face, outline the cheeks, jaw and lips. The difference can be noticed in a few weeks of regular practice, and this happens because the muscles worked are smaller and much more delicate than the rest of the body;
• Sleep quality: facial exercises also release serotonin and endorphin, feel-good substances produced by our brain and that promote relaxation and deep sleep;
• Facial paralysis recovery: the practice is a great ally in the recovery process of patients with facial paralysis. Daily exercises help strengthen the muscles of the face and can be done anywhere. It is worth remembering that facial yoga is a complementary tool and does not dispense with medical follow-up;
• Pause for self-care: how many times were day-to-day commitments a priority and your needs not? You must remember to set aside time in the midst of your tasks to take care of yourself and do an exercise that will provide you with well being and health.

These are some of the benefits that regular practice can offer. Consider including facial yoga in your routine and do it for yourself, after all, taking care of yourself is an act of affection.

Check out the best face yoga exercises

Face yoga takes 10 minutes and you can do it right after brushing your teeth in the morning, on break from work or before bed. An important tip: before starting the exercises, clean, tone and hydrate your skin. Following this process guarantees better results, and using creams makes it easier for your fingers to glide across your face during practice.

According to Valentina, the exercises below, when done daily, bring great benefits to the face in the first few weeks:

1. Tone the neck

The exercise for the neck tones the muscle, prevents horizontal wrinkles in the region, in addition to being very relaxing.

1. Place one hand over the other with the palm facing the lap;
2. Slide your thumbs along the length of your neck;
3. When reaching the base of the collarbone, pout with your mouth and tilt your head back;
4. Return until your chin is parallel to the floor;
5. Repeat the sequence 10 times, always breathing through your nose.

2. Activate double chin circulation

Bad posture is one of the main enemies of the double chin: looking at the cell phone, computer or any other movement in which the chin is not parallel to the floor can cause wrinkles and sagging in the neck.

1. Raise your head slightly;
2. Subtly run the backs of your fingers across the double chin;
3. Interchange hands;
4. Relax.

3. Say goodbye to forehead wrinkles without botox

A smooth forehead is a reality for anyone who practices facial yoga regularly. There are many exercises for this region with different goals.

1. Relax your shoulders;
2. Interlace your fingers resting on the forehead just above the eyebrow;
3. Look up and stay in this position for 10 to 20 seconds a day.

4. Drainage of liquids

Fluid retention also happens on the face. Face yoga has exercises that help the drainage and swelling of the region.

1. Breathe deeply through your nose;
2. Massage the sides of the nose with the tips of the index fingers;
3. Repeat the movement following the shape of the mouth and eyes;
4. Repeat the full massage on the entire face;
5. Relax.

5. Reduce crow’s feet

The exercise may seem simple, but with frequency, you can notice different skin in a few weeks.

1. Relax your shoulders;
2. Place your palms on the sides of your face;
3. Position up to 45º;
4. Blink quickly for 15 seconds.

The exercises are simple and can vary throughout the week so that muscle fatigue does not occur.

Learn more about face yoga

Now that you know the benefits of the practice and how to do simple exercises at home, it’s time to test face yoga in your routine and follow the results. Want to learn more moves? Watch the videos we’ve separated especially for you:

Quick and easy facial exercise: do it before bed

Instructor Letícia Menezes teaches some exercises. Remember to apply a moisturizing cream or vegetable oil on your face before the practice so that the exercises are more comfortable and kind to your skin.

The sequence of exercises by Maitê Proença

Actress Maitê Proença is a fan of facial yoga and shows her exercise routine in this very didactic video. She takes 10 minutes of her mornings to work the muscles in her face and tone her skin.

Facial yoga can also be your skincare

Facial therapist Claudia Reis teaches some facial yoga exercises to actress and presenter Carolina Ferraz. Tips range from how to use your fingers and hand to work muscles in your face, to instructions on how to use accessories that can enhance your practice.

The regular practice of facial yoga provides several benefits for body, mind and self-esteem. With just 10 minutes a day you can exercise and tone the muscles of your entire face, the result is firm skin, a contoured face and few expression lines. Now that you already know all the advantages, how about also knowing the practice of yoga for sleep?