Face Yoga Challenge

In this week's challenge you must practice face yoga twice a day. Face yoga is a series of facial exercises, where you intentionally isolate and tone your face muscles. There are many muscles in your face and neck, more than just the ones you use for facial expressions, so these exercises aim to engage more of those muscles. By isolating and strengthening specific facial muscles, you may potentially be able to sculpt your jawline, improve those jowls, decrease face puffiness, and affect your overall skin tightness (elasticity) and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—at least. Another is that by massaging your face, you may improve your skin blood flow. Better blood circulation may mean enhanced collagen production and may give you that youthful, healthy glow many of us seek.

How to do face yoga:

1. The warmup.




For allover blood circulation, this is your go-to, simple pose.

• Drop your jaw as if you're yawning, feeling that sensation you're creating in the cheek area.
• Without moving your forehead, move your gaze from eye-level, all the way past your forehead to the ceiling without moving your forehead muscles.
• Hold for 10 seconds, remembering to breathe throughout.
• Repeat two times for a total of 30 seconds.


2. For the neck




This pose releases tension and tones the neck area. The neck and jaw are connected by the platysma muscle, so this stretch can also tone your jawline as well.

• Relaxing the shoulders, move your chin to one side, slightly up at a 45-degree angle.
• Pucker your lips into a kiss.
• Hold for 10 seconds, remembering to breathe throughout.
• Switch sides and repeat. Repeat both sides two times for a total of 30 seconds on each side.


3. For the forehead.




In this pose you embrace the energy of your surroundings (great for a morning face yoga ritual).

• Place your fingers in a downward V-shape on the forehead, pulling up slightly.
• Keeping your shoulders relaxed and chin slightly up, breathe in and out for 10 seconds.
• Run the palms down the sides of the face, closing your eyes and reveling in the sensation.
• Repeat two times for a total of 30 seconds.


4. For the eyes




To target the delicate under-eye area, this pose isolates the lower lid movement, as well as the forehead muscles. The key here, is to try not to wrinkle your forehead.

• Curl your hand into a "C" shape. Place your index fingers above the eyebrow, along the upper eye bones.
• Position your thumb on the side of your nose, just above the nostril. Press your fingers downward and then sideways.
• Keeping your shoulders relaxed, open your eyes as wide as possible. Hold for five seconds, while pressing your index finger firmly into your eyebrow making sure your eyebrow and forehead don't move.
• Squint the eye five times, before closing your eyes and relaxing for a few seconds.
• Repeat two times for a total of 30 seconds. Repeat on the other side.


5. For the mouth




As we know, our lips thin as we age due to a loss of collagen. This pose works to stimulate the lip barrier, for naturally full, plump lips.

• Place your index fingers on the corners of your mouth.
• Smile, showing the entire row of your front teeth. Make sure the corners of your mouth are at the same level.
• Curl your tongue up slightly, and take 5 seconds to slowly move it to one side. Take 5 seconds to move your tongue to the other side.
• Repeat two more times for a total of 30 seconds, remembering to breathe throughout.

Suggested Reading:

Face Yoga - 6 Exercises To Do At Home Learn more here.

5 face yoga exercises and the science behind them - Learn more here.