Am I doing this pose correctly? Am I creating extra fine lines while practicing?
I don't feel my muscles activating when I am in the pose, is that normal? Why am I not seeing any results on my face after doing Face Yoga every day?
… May be some of the questions you are asking yourself when you are practicing face yoga in front of YouTube tutorials or Instagram reels.
What are the Do’s and Don’ts when it comes to Face Yoga? That is the question, isn't it?
This article will give you some guidelines to help to improve and enjoy your practice more and more
Let’s start with the Do’s. 1- First of all it is very important to do your Face Yoga routine with clean hands and a clean face. This is to avoid impurities spreading all over your face which can lead to skin irritation, redness, pimples and clogged pores.
Make sure that your skin is properly hydrated before starting your practice. You can use your daily day or night cream, no need to apply a special face oil. We don’t want the skin to be too oily or dry.
2-Another important point is to keep a good posture during your Face Yoga session. All is connected: your face, shoulders, back, hips …. So, your posture is a fundamental component for an effective and long-lasting results practice. You should sit or stand, straight and as aligned as possible to avoid creating tension and asymmetry while doing your Face Yoga routine.
3-Check yourself! Sometimes we think we are doing exactly the same movements we see in a video but is that really the case? Are you placing the hands on the right part of your face, not lower or upper than demonstrated? Are you doing the same movements as shown in the video?
Are you relaxed and not contracted? The tip here is to use a mirror to check and correct yourself. For every new pose you start learning, practice first in front of a mirror to be sure you are doing the pose correctly. Even after practicing some poses for a while, using a mirror, if handy, is always interesting to notice how we create bad habits unconsciously! By adjusting your poses in front of a mirror, you will get the most results and avoid creating fine lines and unnecessary tensions.
4-Consistency is Key! Do a little bit of Face Yoga every day. 10 to 15 minutes every day is better than an hour a week. If you don’t have 10 to 15 minutes then go for 5 to 10min. Do what you can with your daily schedule but make sure to practice every day!
5-Take pictures. Take pictures every month or so to see your progression and the changes on your face.
As you see yourself every day in the mirror, it is very difficult for your eyes to notice the evolution of your skin texture, your face appearance as well as your overall posture.
Besides ‘we often think’ that we can see some results but, in fact, we can’t accurately pinpoint them and even sometimes we are just believing that they are here: I practice so I have results. Let’s be clear: Photos don’t lie! Therefore, they are an objective indicator of your physical evolution.
6-Relaaaaaaaaaax. This is not an easy one. We are usually so focused on the pose we are trying to do that we forget to relax the other parts of our face and even of our body.
To avoid that, first go into your pose: place your hands correctly, adjust your posture and then here take a deep breath and relax. Relax your shoulders, relax your jaw, relax all the other parts of your face you are not exercising. And finally do the pose. This little break before the pose helps to relax any contraction and bring awareness to where the tensions are. It will also benefit you in your daily life, besides your Face Yoga practice, to help you identify your automatic facial expressions and postural habits.
7-Last thing, Enjoy!! Connect with yourself, feel your inner smile and your inner wellbeing while practicing or after your practice. Taking some time to connect with these sensations every time you practice will make the joy and the desire to do Face Yoga grow! Now that we’ve covered the Do’s let’s have a look at the Don'ts, shall we?
1-As we already said in the Do's, we don't want to practice on dry skin. Always moisturize your skin before doing your Face Yoga routine. This will avoid irritating your skin or creating unnecessary tension or wrinkles.
2-Also, don't pull your skin too hard. It is not necessary to overdo a pose and pull too hard on your skin. You won't get better or faster results. On the contrary, it can have a more negative than positive effect. In fact, the skin of your face is thin and unlike the rest of the body muscles the facial muscles are thin and very close to the skin. There is no need to go hard, but rather gently and a soft practice is more than welcome. This has nothing to do with a fitness class to tone your thighs and glutes! Also, the skin under your eyes is extremely thin and stretching it more than necessary can lead to its weakening.
In general, pulling too hard on your skin will not yield positive results, so better to avoid it!
3-A frequent mistake that we often see as teachers is our students forgetting to breathe (to some extent of course! 😊). Don't hold your breath in the poses, remember to breathe in a natural and relaxed way. This will help to release physical and emotional tensions as well as to make your qi (life force) and lymph flow depending on the pose you are doing. Besides, another benefit of Face Yoga practice is to better oxygen and nourish your skin and that won’t be the case if you hold your breath.
4-Don't get contracted, as we said in the Do’s section: Relax… It is a very important point so we address it twice! Don’t forget to focus on your breathing, keep your shoulders and neck relaxed. Try to release any other unnecessary contractions to avoid creating any additional tension and wrinkles. If you feel that you get contracted or tense while doing a pose, get out of the pose, take a deep breath through the nose, move your shoulders, stretch your neck and try one more time. Don't stay tense and uncomfortable in your pose.
5-Don't overdo it. It is absolutely not necessary to repeat the same pose 100 times a day to get better results! As we said before, a short regular practice brings more benefits than a long session once in a while.
Overdoing some poses, even if performed correctly can lead to more physical tensions (cheeks, temples, jaw, neck, forehead…) or even breakouts if you overdo acupressure techniques. Do your routine once or twice a day (except the acupressure poses, 1 time only) maximum. It is the same as working on the same group muscles of your body too much, it can cause unnecessary fatigue, muscle soreness, and muscular strain. Of course, it won't be the same for your face but as said earlier it can cause more tension, stiffness or breakouts. A balanced yet daily practice is the best to see physical results and feel emotional wellbeing.
6-And finally, don't take your Face Yoga practice too seriously! Don’t be rigid in your mind or body. Of course, do your routine thoroughly, correctly and with alignment but also with lightness, joy and a desire for your face to be in harmony with the woman you are today. The most important thing is to feel that you are taking care of yourself every day!
Enjoy your Face Yoga practice!
