BLOG 177: ALIGNING YOUR THROAT CHAKRA WITH THESE FIRMING FACE YOGA MOVES

In this blog post, I’m going to take you step by step through an amazing face yoga routine that specifically targets the throat chakra.

The whole routine takes just five minutes, so it should hopefully slot easily into your day, even if you’re busy. It’s a great practice to try if you’ve been struggling with physical issues like a sore throat or tension in your jaw.

The routine also includes firming and lifting techniques that target the throat and neck area, so this is an ideal sequence to try if you want to work on this area for aesthetic reasons.

Most of all, I’ve designed this routine to help clear blockages in the throat chakra and bring it back into alignment.

The throat chakra is the fifth of the seven main chakras. Located at the base of the throat, this chakra corresponds to the colour blue. It’s all about communication and the ability to express your authentic self.

When the throat chakra is in balance, you find it easy to share your truth with others (and with yourself). You communicate clearly and honestly. You can express yourself easily and can also listen to others and understand their truth.

When it’s out of balance, the energy in this chakra can get blocked or stagnant. If that occurs, you might notice physical symptoms like a sore throat or a croaky voice. You may also find you have issues communicating clearly and struggle to speak your truth, both to yourself and to others.

The techniques and exercises in this face yoga routine are aimed at releasing blockages and getting the energy flowing freely through this chakra again.

So, this routine brings triple benefits – aesthetic benefits through lifting and toning the neck, wellness benefits from releasing tension and stress, and deeper benefits from aligning the throat chakra.

If you prefer, you can also find this face yoga routine as a video on my YouTube channel.

GETTING STARTED

Find a comfortable place to sit. Make sure you have a bit of space around you – we’re going to be doing a move that involves your arms, so you’ll need room to stretch them out in front of you.

Apply a few drops of serum to your neck area. I recommend my Pro Lift Facial Moisturising Serum– it has such a wonderful texture for face yoga and is also vegan, cruelty-free, and certified organic. Packed with high-performing botanical seed oils, it deeply nourishes your skin.

Take a few moments to let go of external distractions so that you can bring your focus to the practice.

Ground down through the soles of your feet, feeling the connection with the ground or floor beneath them. Imagine that you have a cord running up from the base of your spine and out through the crown of your head. Picture this cord tugging you up towards the ceiling, lengthening out your whole spine.

Take some long, deep breaths through your nose. Feel your abdomen rise and fall as you breathe. You might like to close your eyes for a moment or two.

Open your eyes and get ready to start the practice. Remember to work to your own level with all the moves in this face yoga sequence, especially if you have any neck issues. Go gently and stop if you experience any pain or discomfort.

1. LION’S BREATH

We’ll start with a breathing exercise that is fantastic for releasing stress and tension and opening up the throat chakra. It’s called Lion’s Breath because the sound we make when we exhale mimics a lion’s roar.

Form your hands into fists and bring them up level with your face. Close your eyes and scrunch up your face – just a little, not too much. Inhale deeply and slowly through your nose.

Forcefully exhale through your mouth, sticking out your tongue and making a ‘ha’ sound as you breathe out. At the same time, open your eyes wide and spread your fingers out to resemble a lion’s claws.

Repeat this move another three times. Really put all your stress and tension into that forceful exhale – this pose can look funny, but it’s a wonderful one for letting go of anything we’ve been bottling up inside.

2. ACUPRESSURE MASSAGE

Now that we’ve released some tension and gotten the energy moving, let’s move on to do some acupressure massage.

The acupressure point that we’re looking for is the one just beneath the ear, at the top of the jaw. You’ll feel a little natural indent at this spot.

Use your index fingers to press on these points. Hold your fingers still there for a couple of breaths, then start to massage the points, using a small circular motion.

Massage in one direction for a few breaths, then switch and go in the other direction.

This acupressure point is great for releasing jaw tension. It also helps to encourage the flow of energy through the throat chakra, removing blockages.

3. GIRAFFE POSE

We’ve already done Lion’s Breath and now we’re moving onto Giraffe pose – a slight animal theme to this routine!

This is a lovely lifting technique that targets the front of the neck – a great one to try if you want to tone and firm the neck area. And, again, this pose also helps encourage a good flow of energy through the throat chakra.

To do it, bring your fingertips onto your collarbones. Gently tilt your head back until you’re looking up at the ceiling. If you have any neck issues, be careful here and don’t feel like you need to tilt back too far. Let your intuition and your body guide you.

Stick out your bottom lip. Hold this position. You should feel the engagement through the platysma muscles at the front of your neck.

Continue to hold the pose for around 30 seconds. Remember to breathe through your nose, continuing with your deep, slow exhale and inhale.

Bring your head back down and release your hands.

4. SEATED FORWARD FOLD

Our next technique is another one that acts as a release. It’s wonderful if you have a sore throat or have been feeling stressed and want to let go of some tension – emotionally and physically.

This is the move you need a bit of space for – make sure you have enough room to bring your arms up in front of you and to lean forward safely while still staying seated.

Take an inhale. As you breathe in, bring your arms up in front of you and stretch them up above your head, reaching your fingertips up to the ceiling.

Then, as you exhale, bring your arms down and fold your torso down towards your legs, coming as far forward as feels comfortable for you. Relax your muscles, allowing your body to drape down.

Inhale to come back up, reaching your arms back up to the ceiling. Repeat this action a total of five times.

After your last exhale, gently come back up into a seated position.

5. TAPPING

We’ve done some releases, some acupressure, and a lifting exercise. Now, we’re going to finish off this routine with a simple facial massage.

Tilt your head back very slightly so that you can easily access the whole of your throat area. Using all your fingertips, tap rapidly over the skin, making sure you cover the sides of your neck and the area under your chin, as well as the front of your neck.

This is such a simple massage technique but is so effective for boosting blood circulation and increasing energy flow through the throat chakra. Plus, it feels lovely too.

FINISHED!

Release your hands down and we’re all done.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short face yoga sequence targeting the throat chakra. If you’d like to dive deeper into the chakras and learn face yoga techniques to bring each chakra into alignment, you can now access my two-hour online toning face yoga masterclass on demand.

This online workshop takes you on a journey through the seven chakras, with affirmations, breathing techniques, acupressure, and visualisation exercises. You’ll also learn face yoga exercises that correspond to each chakra and help to lift and tone your face at the same time.

You’ll find the masterclass in my shop, under Online Programmes. When you register, you’ll be sent the link within 24 hours and have lifetime access to the video, meaning you can watch it whenever you need some pampering and self-care.

Plus, you’ll also get a handy PDF that accompanies the masterclass and gives you a summary of the key takeaways from the session.

Find out more about the masterclass and discover the other resources I have available by visiting my online shop.