It's likely you're aware of the benefits of massage and yoga for your body. They ease tension, promote relaxation, improve sleep, enhance blood flow and circulation. Have you ever thought that, perhaps, your face could benefit from a little exercise as well?
According to Danielle Collins, in her book Danielle Collins' Face Yoga, the muscles in the face are composed differently to those in the body. They are all attached to each other, the bone or the skin and mostly controlled by the facial nerve (our body muscles, on the other hand, are usually controlled by our bones). So facial muscles need to be targeted differently. Relying on the movements of talking, expression and eating are quite different than exercising or relaxing the layers of skin and muscles together as a unit. This tends to be why the muscles become saggier. Face yoga helps the face regain strength, symmetry and improve blood flow to the skin and muscles. Facial massage plays an important role in face yoga.
If you're interested in learning more about face yoga, I highly recommend Danielle's book or checking out my friend Nicole on Instagram. She's a certified face yoga teacher and fabulous resource. Find her @faceyogarefresh. I've been practicing for a while now and have been happily surprised with the results.
I am also a huge fan of facial massage. Admittedly, it's a bit more relaxing as part of a fabulous facial, but with our current restrictions, now's the time to consider trying a do-it-yourself version. Start with clean hands and face. Warm an oil (jojoba or grapeseed are light and beautiful on the skin) or your favorite serum between your palms. Use gentle, but firm pressure to massage your face. Massage under ears and along the sides of the neck (lymph area). Knead the sides of your face. Smooth forehead lines by pressing fingers above brows and slowly sliding them upward. Gently press fingers under eyes and slide toward temples. Use light, vertical strokes to massage neck and decollete. I love wrapping it up with gentle tapping (let your fingertips dance gently around the eyes, over your cheeks and around your lips).
Facial massage is not only relaxing, it allows you to stop and focus on you. Practice while looking in the mirror saying and/or thinking kind thoughts about what you see. Know that this practice can improve your overall appearance, get your skin glowing, help with sinus pressure, and may even help with TMJ and acne issues. It's said this is also an anti-aging practice, but that's not my favorite way of looking at it. Do it for you and whatever reasons you find inspiring. Perhaps consider it a way, along with the food that you eat and other self-care practices, to simply age a bit more gracefully. Take care of you, yeah?
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