Face Yoga - This is WHY You Need It

Face yoga is the art and science of using stretches, held poses, and facial expressions to naturally lift, tone, and sculpt facial tissue. 

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Like body yoga, or any other practice in life, results and benefits come with consistency. 

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The “stretching” poses can be particularly good for helping to relax overworked muscles, which can relieve tension and release stress from the face. Oftentimes it is overly stressed muscles that lead to wrinkling, sagging skin, and even pain (like TMJ), which means that training the body to release stress held in the face can have profound effects.

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Unlike cosmetic injections that actually paralyze muscles, face yoga is a method that can mimic the results of injectables without chemically immobilizing the muscles of facial expression; we all know the value of communicating non-verbally through sincere expressions.

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In contrast with the stretching poses of face yoga, there are also a number of “lifting" or “holding" poses that help tone and strengthen specific muscles that otherwise don't get enough exercise day to day. A key thing to understand is that the face is the only area of the body where the skin and muscles are directly attached to one another; this means that where the muscles go, the skin goes too! When we exercise the muscles of the face (and there are 40 of them), we can start to see more facial volume and contour due to the building up of muscle and collagen. This makes face yoga an ideal way to help reverse sagging skin and reduce folds on the face. 

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There are other benefits to face yoga that you’ll find worth considering. For example, holding these poses on a regular basis improves our muscle memory, which means that over time, the way you PRACTICE holding your face will start leaving its imprint on the skin. 

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Any time you stretch or flex facial muscles, you will increase blood circulation and oxygenation to the skin. This has numerous benefits for the complexion, as our skin and collagen need an adequate supply of oxygen rich blood to regenerate and glow! 

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Face yoga also has firming and detoxifying effects for the face because the movement of muscles stimulates the movement of lymphatic fluid. Once these fluids get going, they can carry out waste under the skin and reduce toxin build up or fluid retention. 

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An important part of face yoga is also the integration of breath. During stretching poses, breath control helps you to let go of stress and tension in the face. During lifting poses, deep inhales and exhales will bring more oxygen and energy to the muscles involved, helping you to hold these more difficult poses for longer. The incorporation of breath is truly vital to this practice. One of the side effects of all this deep breathing is that it naturally reduces stress levels by regulating the nervous system and stimulating the vagus nerve. 

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I hope this has demonstrated to you of how valuable a face yoga practice can be. Even if the cost of cosmetics and skincare is out of your budget, worry not. Face yoga is completely free, all it requires is some of your time! 

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One last thing here, and what may be the most important benefit of face yoga. Because at the core it is a practice of breathwork, self awareness, self expression, and self discovery, face yoga can be a vehicle that helps you love and be proud of the person you see in the mirror every day.

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When you start seeing your face transform through your own efforts, without the use of artificial chemicals or procedures, it gives you something to be really proud of and take joy in. Face yoga can offer that to you.

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So what are you waiting for? Let's learn some poses. Use this link to join sign up for daily classes! 

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https://www.beautyshamans.com/pages/skinwithin-studio