What we are now calling "face yoga" has been taking the internet by storm! Reels and video tutorials abound on apps like Instagram and YouTube. Despite this recent enthusiasm, face yoga is really nothing new and, is rather a rebranding of the ancient practice of relieving tension with massages.
So, personally, I would rather call this facial massage and have been engaging in the practice for a few years now to great effect. A few months ago I wrote an article demonstrating the massages & exercises I use on my face. Recently I have made a big breakthrough .... the structure of the face starts in the neck. So, today let's focus on posture!
Any massage needs lubrication. I usually use an oil or salve of some kind. Lavender oil infused with a relaxing herb or else calendula salves are my favorites but, you can totally use a lotion. As long as it is appropriate for your face and feels good on your skin it will work.
Lather up your hands, face, and neck with some gentle massage. I think adding in a few neck rolls and other chill stretching movements is helpful as well. The idea here is to get the blood moving.
First, I like to start with a massage that is meant to reduce the sign of jowls. It is a simple as putting both hands in fists as the chin then (with both thumbs underneath the chin) slowly pull up and out along the jawline. It is important to do this massage slowly and gently. You can repeat this massage about 30 times, building up the pressure gradually.
Besides reducing the appearance of jowls and saggy cheeks, this routine is really relaxing! Especially for those of us who tend to clench our jaws while sleeping or hold tension in the jaw during the day, this massage can really help!
Now to the second massage. Once again, make firsts and place them under the chin. This time we will be slowly moving the fists down the neck and back up again. Then massaging under the chin in anyway that feels good.
While your are doing this I recommend paying attention to the position of your neck. Are your vertebrae straight and well aligned there? Or is it curved forward from a life time of looking down? From washing dishes, to looking at phone screens, to weeding the yard, we are very often bending our necks to look down. With time becomes our permanent posture leading to misalignment, headaches, and - in my personal opinion - a downcast feeling.
I have found that when I start out my day with a session of posture-enhancing stretches, neck massages and "face yoga" I feel so much better. This 15 minute routine literally helps me keep my chin up all day!