8 Face Yoga Exercises for Anti-Aging: Natural Ways to Rejuvenate Your Skin

In the quest for youthful skin, people often turn to expensive options. It can be creams, serums, and treatments. But, there’s a natural, holistic approach gaining popularity – face yoga. This ancient practice involves a series of facial exercises designed to tone muscles. It also improves circulation, and reduce wrinkles. In this article, we’ll explore eight effective face yoga exercises. It can help you achieve a more youthful appearance without breaking the bank.

1. The V:

“The V” is a facial yoga exercise targeting sagging skin around the mouth area. It enhances the definition of the jawline. This exercise is simple yet effective. We can perform it almost anywhere, making it convenient for daily practice. Here are the steps that we should follow:

1. Preparation: Start by sitting or standing in a relaxed position. Ensure your spine is straight and relax your shoulders.
2. Hand Positioning: Form a ‘V’ shape with your index finger and middle finger of both hands. The fingertips should touch each other, and the palms of your hands should be facing upwards.
3. Placement: Place the index and middle fingers on each side of your mouth. Keep the tips of your fingers resting on the skin.
4. Smile Wide: While maintaining the ‘V’ shape with your fingers, smile as wide as possible. Try to lift the corners of your mouth towards your eyes. This action engages the muscles around your mouth and cheeks.
5. Apply Pressure: As you maintain the smile, apply slight pressure with your fingers against the sides of your mouth. The pressure helps to tone and lift the muscles in the cheek area.
6. Hold and Release: Hold the smile and pressure for about 5-10 seconds. This will allow the muscles to work against the resistance of your fingers. Focus on feeling the tension in your cheek muscles.
7. Repeat: After holding for the desired duration, release the pressure. Relax your facial muscles. Repeat the exercise for a total of 5 times, or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with.
8. Breathing: Throughout the exercise, remember to breathe deep and steady. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This will promote relaxation and oxygenation of the facial muscles.
9. Mindfulness: While performing be mindful of any tension or strain in your facial muscles. Avoid excessive force or discomfort. Adjust the pressure of your fingers as needed to ensure a gentle yet effective workout.

2. The Owl

“The Owl” is a facial yoga exercise designed to target forehead lines and drooping eyelids. This exercise helps strengthen the muscles around the eyes and forehead. It promotes a smoother and more lifted appearance. Here are the steps to perform “The Owl” exercise:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting or standing in a comfortable position. Keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. Ensure that your facial muscles are also relaxed before starting the exercise.
2. Hand Positioning: Form a ‘C’ shape with your thumb and index finger on each hand. Your fingertips should be touching, creating a gentle curve with your fingers.
3. Placement: Place your index fingers above your eyebrows. Keep the tips of your fingers resting on your skin. Your thumbs should position on your temples, near the outer corners of your eyes.
4. Facial Expression: Maintain the ‘C’ shape with your fingers. Raise your eyebrows as high as possible. This action engages the muscles in your forehead and helps to smooth out forehead lines.
5. Resistance: At the same time, use your fingers to press downward against your eyebrows and temples. This creates resistance against the upward movement of your eyebrows. It intensifies the workout for the muscles around your eyes.
6. Hold and Resist: Hold the raised eyebrow position and the gentle pressure from your fingers for about 5 seconds. Focus on feeling the tension in your forehead and eye area as you resist the downward pressure.
7. Relax: After holding for the desired duration, release the pressure from your fingers. Relax your facial muscles. Allow your eyebrows to return to their natural position. Take a moment to rest before repeating the exercise.
8. Repetition: Repeat it for a total of 5 times, or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with. Focus on maintaining proper form and breathing throughout the exercise.
9. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort. It may occur in your forehead and eye area while performing the exercise. If you experience any pain or strain, reduce the pressure from your fingers. You can change the movement to suit your comfort level.

3. The Fish Face:

“The Fish Face” is a simple yet effective facial yoga exercise. It targets the cheeks and helps reduce laugh lines. This exercise is like exaggerating the puckering movement of fish. It helps to tone and lift the muscles in the cheek area. Here’s how to perform this exercise:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting or standing in comfortable position. Keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. Make sure that you relax your facial muscles before starting the exercise.
2. Facial Expression: Suck in your cheeks to create a hollow or “fish-like” appearance. Imagine trying to touch your lips to your teeth on both sides of your face.
3. Smile: While maintaining the sucked-in cheeks, form a smile by lifting the corners of your mouth upwards. This action engages the muscles in your cheeks and helps to lift and tone them.
4. Focus on the Corners: Pay particular attention to lifting the corners of your mouth as you smile. This helps to activate the muscles in the cheek area.
5. Hold the Position: Hold the fish face smile for about 5-10 seconds. Allow the muscles in your cheeks to work against the resistance created by the facial expression.
6. Breathe: Remember to breathe throughout the exercise. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This will promote relaxation and oxygenation of the facial muscles.
7. Repeat: After holding the fish face smile for the desired duration, relax your facial muscles and return to a neutral expression. Repeat the exercise for a total of 10 times, or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with.
8. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort in your cheek muscles while performing the exercise. If you experience any pain or strain, reduce the intensity of the fish face movement.
9. Consistency: Add this exercise to your daily skincare routine. Consistent practice can help strengthen and tone the muscles in your cheeks. It reduces the appearance of laugh lines, and promotes a more youthful and lifted appearance over time.

4. The Lion:

“The Lion” is a fun and energizing facial yoga exercise that helps relax facial muscles, reduce tension, and promote circulation. This exercise represents the wide-mouthed roar of a lion. It helps to stretch and tone the muscles in the face and neck. Here’s how one can perform “The Lion” exercise:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting in a comfortable position. Remember to keep your spine straight and relax your shoulders. You can sit on the floor or on a chair. Choose any one whichever is more comfortable for you.
2. Facial Expression: Take a deep breath in through your nose and fill your lungs with air. Exhale with force through your mouth. Open your mouth as wide as possible and stick out your tongue as far as it will go.
3. Eye Movement: While sticking out your tongue, widen your eyes as much as possible. Gaze upwards towards the space between your eyebrows. This helps to stretch the muscles around your eyes and forehead.
4. Hand Movement: Exhale with force and stick out your tongue. Extend your fingers wide. Stretch your hands outwards, as if you were trying to grab onto something. This action engages the muscles in your hands and arms. It adds stretch and gives energizing effect of the exercise.
5. Roaring Sound: As you exhale with forcef through mouth, stick out your tongue. Imagine yourself roaring like a lion. Make a loud “haaaa” sound. Allow your breath to escape in ful and complete manner.
6. Hold the Position: Hold the wide-mouthed, tongue-sticking-out expression for about 5-10 seconds. Allow your facial muscles to stretch and relax. Focus on feeling the tension release from your face and neck.
7. Breathe Deep: Throughout the exercise, remember to breathe deep and steady. Inhale deep through your nose before exhaling with force through your mouth. This helps to oxygenate your muscles and promote relaxation.
8. Repeat: Hold the lion expression for the desired duration. Relax your facial muscles and return to a neutral expression. Repeat the exercise for a total of 3 times, or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with.
9. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort in your facial muscles while performing the exercise. Reduce the intensity of the expression or change it to suit your comfort level.

5. Cheek Lift:

“Cheek Lift” is a facial yoga exercise aimed at toning and lifting the muscles of the cheeks. It helps in reducing sagging and improves facial contours. This exercise is straightforward and easy. So, you can incorporate it into your daily routine. Here’s the manner to perform the exercise:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting or standing in a comfortable position. Make sure that your spine is straight. Keep your shoulder and facial muscles in a relaxing position.
2. Hand Positioning: Place your index fingers on the outer corners of your mouth. Your fingertips should be pointing upward, and fingers should be resting on your skin.
3. Facial Expression: Start by smiling as wide as you can and close your lips. This action engages the muscles in your cheeks and helps to lift them upwards.
4. Apply Pressure: While maintaining the smile, use your index fingers to lift the corners of your mouth further upwards. Apply slight pressure with your fingers to enhance the lift of your cheeks.
5. Hold the Position: Hold the smile and the pressure from your fingers for about 5 seconds. Focus on feeling the tension in your cheek muscles as they work against the resistance created by your fingers.
6. Breathe: Remember to breathe deep and steady throughout the exercise. Inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. This will promote relaxation and oxygenation of the facial muscles.
7. Relax: Hold the smile and pressure for the desired duration. Release the tension from your facial muscles and return to a neutral expression. Take a moment to relax and rest your facial muscles.
8. Repeat: Repeat exercise for 5 times, or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with. Focus on maintaining proper form and breathing deep throughout each repetition.
9. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort in your cheek muscles while performing the exercise. If you experience any pain or strain, reduce the pressure from your fingers.

6. The Satchmo:

“The Satchmo” is a facial yoga exercise named after the famous jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong. His nickname was Satchmo. This exercise targets the muscles around the mouth and cheeks. It helps to reduce nasolabial folds (smile lines) and strengthen the facial muscles. Here are the steps to follow to perform this exercise:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting or standing in a comfortable position. Keep your body in a relaxing position. Relax your facial muscles before starting the exercise.
2. Facial Expression: Start by puffing out your cheeks with air to create a full, rounded shape. Imagine you are holding a mouthful of air, same like blowing up a balloon.
3. Transfer Air: Once your cheeks come out, transfer the air from one cheek to the other. Move the air from side to side inside your mouth. This motion mimics the movement of playing a trumpet or blowing a kiss.
4. Repetitions: Repeat the motion of transferring air from one cheek for few times. Focus on maintaining the fullness of your cheeks throughout the exercise.
5. Relaxation: After completing the repetitions, release the air from your cheeks. Relax your facial muscles. Take a moment to rest and allow your cheeks to return to their natural position.
6. Breathing: Keep taking deep and steady breathe throughout the exercise. Inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth as you release the air from your cheeks.
7. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort in your facial muscles while performing the exercise. If you experience any pain or strain, reduce the intensity of the movement. You can even change it to suit your comfort level.

7. Forehead Smoother:

“Forehead Smoother” is a facial yoga exercise. It targets the forehead area, helping to reduce forehead wrinkles and promote smoother skin. This exercise involves gentle massage-like movements. It stimulates blood flow and relaxes tension in the forehead muscles. Perform this exercise in the following manner:

1. Preparation: Select a comfortable sitting or standing. Relax yourselves and the muscles of your body.  
2. Hand Positioning: Start by placing both palms flat against your forehead. Keep your fingertips facing inward towards each other. Your hands should cover the entire forehead area from the hairline till the eyebrows.
3. Pressure: Apply gentle pressure with your palms against your forehead. Use your fingertips to guide the movement. Apply some more pressure at the temples and decrease pressure towards the center of the forehead.
4. Smooth Outwards: Using slow and smooth motions. Slide your hands outwards towards the sides of your face. Apply even pressure as you move your hands across the forehead. Focus on smoothing out any wrinkles or creases.
5. Repeat: Continue the outward gliding motion for about 5 repetitions. Focus on maintaining a steady pace and applying consistent pressure throughout the exercise.
6. Breathing: Take proper deep and consistent breath throughout the exercise. Inhale through your nose as you glide your hands across your forehead. Exhale through your mouth to promote relaxation.
7. Mindfulness: Pay attention to any sensations or discomfort in your forehead muscles while performing the exercise. If you experience any pain or strain, reduce the pressure from your hands.
8. Relaxation: After completing the repetitions, remove your hands from your forehead. Take a moment to relax. Close your eyes if desired. Allow your forehead muscles to release any remaining tension.

8. The Jaw Toner:

“The Jaw Toner” is a facial yoga exercise that targets the jawline. It helps to reduce the appearance of a double chin. This exercise strengthens and tones the muscles in the jaw area. It promotes a more defined and sculpted jawline. We can perform this exercise in this manner:

1. Preparation: Begin by sitting or standing in a comfortable position with your spine straight and your shoulders loose. Ensure that your facial muscles are loosened up prior to beginning the activity.
2. Head Positioning: Tilt your head back slightly, so your gaze is towards the ceiling. This position helps stretch the muscles in the neck and chin area. It engages the muscles in the jawline in an effective manner.
3. Lip Movement: Start by moving your lower lip over your upper lip as far as you can, creating a slight underbite. This action engages the muscles in the chin and jawline.
4. Hold the Position: Hold the underbite position for a few seconds. Focus on feeling the tension in the muscles of your jaw and chin. You should feel a slight contraction in these areas.
5. Relaxation: Hold the underbite position for a few seconds. Release the tension from your jaw and chin muscles and return to a neutral position. Take a moment to relax and rest your facial muscles.
6. Repetition: Repeat “The Jaw Toner” exercise for as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with. Focus on maintaining proper form and breathe deep throughout each repetition.
7. Breathing: All through the activity, make sure to inhale, in a deep and steady manner. Inhale through your nose before exhaling through your mouth. Release the tension from your jaw and chin muscles.
8. Mindfulness: Focus on any sensations or uneasiness in your jaw and jaw muscles while performing the exercise. On the off chance that you experience any, reduce the intensity of the movement or adjust it to suit your comfort level.