When most of us think of aging, we don’t tend to think of positive things. But I think we can all agree that if there was a way to age more gracefully, we would be crazy not to try it! Doing just a few daily facial exercises is a great way to keep your face young and glowing! After all, your face is the first thing everyone sees. Now you can firm, tone, and reduce wrinkles using the following facial yoga exercises:
- Gently place the four left fingertips on the left collarbone and the four right fingertips on the right collarbone. Stretch the neck upwards and tilt the head back to tighten the skin on the neck. To stretch and tighten further, jut out the jaw bone and lower lip. This will help with any excess skin on the neck and under the chin area. Hold this pose for 3-4 breaths and repeat a few times. This is also a great addition to chin/neck fat reduction products.
- To reduce forehead lines over time, Use the tips of the fingers over the forehead and gently massage towards the outer sides of the face. Repeat this several times while coordinating the breath with the finger movements. Use the pointer and middle finger tips to make gentle circles with light pressure between the eyebrows over the glabellar lines (“elevens”). This will help to relax this region and cause less frowning, therefore preventing wrinkles.
- With a stressful day at work or just in general, we need to relax the muscles in our face so they stop clenching so tightly, causing excessive wrinkles over time. We really don’t need that! Relax in a comfortable, seated pose and clench your fists tightly. At the same time, squeeze all your facial muscles tightly as well as squeeze your eyes shut. To release, exhale through your mouth, sticking your tongue out as far as possible, letting out a long gasp of air. At the same time, open your eyes as wide as possible, as well as your hands. This will release any built-up tension. Hold this pose for 6-10 seconds and repeat for a total of three times.
Kamal Trivedi is a Registered Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance. She completed her teacher training in Rishikesh, in the Himalayan Mountains of India. Her Indian background, constant travel to India, and her love of writing led her onto this spiritual path. Her practice of meditation started at a young age, which she then followed into the practice of yoga as a young adult. On a search for enlightenment, Kamal strives to inspire those around her to join her on her journey to eternal happiness and truth.
