International Day of Yoga: Flex your face with five expert-recommended exercises

The photo is for representational purpose only

What do Deepika Padukone and Meghan Markle have in common? Apart from being actors, they have both adopted face yoga into their fitness routines. In an interview with Birchbox, Markle had said, "I swear it works, as silly as you may feel. On the days I do it, my cheekbones and jawline are way more sculpted."
One search on Google about face yoga, and you will be hit by a barrage of demonstration videos and blogs about various face exercises. From firming your face to ‘reversing ageing', these online resources claim many benefits. However, it is always advisable to approach an expert and not self-train when it comes to trying these at home.

Not just celebrities, even fitness enthusiasts in the city have warmed to this new-age facial routine. Mumbai-based Jenil Dholakia, who is a certified yoga, meditation and philosophy teacher, says her students have expressed that after practising face yoga not only did the face feel more relaxed, but the mind felt a deep sense of calmness too. She says, "I came across face yoga a few years back and I found it to be very interesting and have seen the benefits on myself. I have been practising it regularly and I have not felt the need to go to a parlour to get a facial done in the last five years."

The yoga teacher defines face yoga as a series of exercises that do for the face what yoga asanas do for the body - relax, rejuvenate, and tone the muscles. "Your face is the first thing that people look at. We all wish to have a healthy, happy and fresh look on us, but due to the ever-increasing stress and lifestyle choices, we lose the spark and radiance from our face," she elucidates. "We tend to hold a lot of tension in the face and this can result in premature ageing, fine lines, dullness etc. Face yoga activates the lazy muscles and relaxes the overworked muscles when you massage different points on the face using your own fingers and hands."

Some of the most common benefits of face yoga include improvement in blood circulation. It helps oxygen and nutrition to reach the skin cells. In a study, published in Jama Dermatology, researchers found that women who practised face yoga every day for eight weeks, then every other day for twelve weeks, looked younger at the end of the process than those who didn't. Everyone wants their skin to look healthy and flawless, but more often than not people neglect to include facial exercises in their fitness routine.

However, face yoga is not a traditional form of yoga. It is a more contemporary form that has evolved in the last decade or so, majorly in East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea. "It now has gained global acceptance," says Dholakia. She also adds, "Though it can be said that in the ancient text of Ayurveda, a technique of abhyanga or self-massage is highly recommended on a daily basis and it also includes massaging the facial points."

It is not just your body that needs to be fit, your face needs to be healthy as well. So, on International Day of Yoga, along with traditional asanas consider practising some facial exercises to have a well-rounded fitness regime.

Five easy face exercises to try at home (Exercises and photos courtesy: Jenil Dholakia)

Dholakia says there are a few common assumptions that people have about face yoga. Some think that it is time consuming and only suitable for the elderly. She opines, "It can actually be done by anyone. There is no age limit. You can do it from anywhere and at any time of the day." Dholakia says investing just 15 minutes of your daily routine in face yoga can work wonders.

1. Using your fingers, apply gentle pressure and slide your fingers from left to right on the forehead. This is beneficial to get rid of the worry lines.

2. This exercise improves your neckline. Look up a little bit and using your palms give an upward massage to your neck.

3. Using your knuckles, push the area around your cheekbones up and outwards. This is a good exercise to get sculpted cheekbones.

4. Place the fingers around your eyes and pull the skin outwards. This is helpful for erasing those fine lines around the eyes.

5. Fill up maximum air in your mouth and swish it from right to left. This provides a natural blush on the cheeks.

All the exercises are to be repeated 10 times. You can practise these facial exercises twice a week.

Disclaimer: This routine is not meant as a replacement for a medical practitioner's advice. Readers must always consult their doctor and/or physical trainer first before initiating any changes to their diet or fitness schedules.

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