We explain the ancient practise of face yoga and how it can help to improve the signs of ageing on your face.

We’re all familiar with yoga for the body, but yoga for the face, while not as well known, is supposedly just as beneficial. It’s based on similar principles and is part of the ancient Shukra yoga tradition, which is the yoga of micro movements, and focuses on gaining mastery of the smaller muscles in the body.

“Like any form of yoga, it claims we hold tension and stress in the tissues of the muscles,” says Dublin – based face yoga expert, Lydia Strasse. “Once you master the technique of flexing these muscles, you’ll be able to evaluate where you hold your stress. For example, it may be in between your eyebrows and this creates lines. From a beauty perspective, you can work to isolate those muscles and decrease the lines.
“Face yoga gives you the authorship to curate where you hold tension in your face and where you want to plump and tone,” she adds.

Benefits
There are many benefits to face yoga. It can minimise wrinkles, make your jaw line more sculpted, plump the lips and the cheeks and lift brows that are starting to sag.
On a deeper level, face yoga helps with lymphatic drainage and improves the circulation of the face.

“There are many functions of the face, it’s not just to look pretty,” says Lydia. “You need to have eyeballs that work, you need to be able to eat your food, and have sinuses that work. In addition, the brain, which controls every organ in your body, is connected to the eyeballs. By working on the tissue in the muscles of the face, you’re benefitting your brain and your body.”

Lydia suggests spending two to five minutes working your facial muscles per day. When practised regularly, she says it’s enough to make positive changes to the face. “You don’t have to do the exercises in sequence, you can work them into your day until they become a habit,” she says. “What’s more, it’s never too late to start as it can only have a positive effect.”

She conducts one-on-one facial sessions, in which she teaches people the basics of face yoga so they can continue to practise at home. Contact: faceyogawithlydia on Instagram.

Face Yoga Techniques:
1. Plump Your Cheeks
Inhale and plump up your cheeks to the maximum, so they look like a Puffer fish. Then swish that air around and push it from side to side for 30 seconds, and then rest. Do three reps.

2. Plump the Lips and the Cheeks
Press you index fingers into your smile lines and pull them back. Make exaggerated X and O shapes with your lips. Transfer between those poses really fast making X and O sounds. Do this 10 times and then rest. Do three reps.

3. Lift Your Brow
Place your index fingers over your eyebrows. Press them into your muscle and pull down gently. Lift your eyebrows into the weight of your fingers. Do this 10 times. Then lift and hold for 10. Do three reps.

Face yoga alone will not keep you looking young and healthy, and should be combined with a balanced diet, plenty of water, the right amount of sleep, exercise, and health supplements like Cleanmarine MenoMin. It contains biotin and Vitamin B2, both of which contribute to the maintenance of normal skin.