BLOG 57: START YOUR DAY WITH THESE 12 LIFTING FACE YOGA MOVES

Do you want to look bright, refreshed, and relaxed first thing in the morning? 

Wake up your skin and set your intention for the day with these 12 simple face yoga moves that you can do from the comfort of your bed. 

GET INTO POSITION

You don’t need to wash your face or apply any oils or creams before starting this face yoga routine (usually I recommend this but this routine is designed to be done first thing in the morning before you do skincare). However, it is important to have clean hands, so you may want to pop out of bed to wash them. 

Once you’re back, sit up in your bed with a nice straight spine. Take a moment to check in with your body. Relax any tension in your shoulders or jaw and lengthen your body through the neck and torso. I like to roll my shoulders a few times to work out any kinks or tightness. Remember, this should all feel good, with just a little bit of a stretch. 

You can join in using this Youtube video 

BEGIN YOUR FACE YOGA ROUTINE

Aim to spend about one minute on each of these moves. Breathe slowly in and out through your nose for the entire practice. Use a featherlight touch and do not drag or pull the skin in any way. 

1) Tilt your head over to the right side, with your right ear leaning down toward your shoulder. Bring your left arm up and over your head and lay your left palm against the right side of your face, with your fingertips just under your cheekbone. Massage this area lightly for about a minute. Then, repeat on the other side. 

2) Now, bring both of your arms behind your back, lace your fingers together, and push out your chest, until you feel a gentle stretching and opening of this area. Very carefully, tilt your head back. With your lips together, tap the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth 30 times. Aim for one tap per second. 

3) Place both of your ring fingers on the acupressure points located on either side of your nose at the inner corners of the eyes. Focusing on this spot helps eliminate puffy eyes. This is also an excellent time to set an intention for the day, such as “I am calm, relaxed, and energised.” When you’re ready, use your ring fingers to trace light circles around your eyes following the curve of your eyebrow and bone. 

4) Bring your index fingers to the outer corners of your eyes, then take your middle fingers and tap your under eye area, moving from the inner to outer corners and back again.

5) Then take three fingers and gently pulse under the eye area on each side. This will encourage lymphatic drainage and help you look refreshed and awake. 

6) Moving down to the jaw area, gently pinch along your jawline on each side of your face using three fingers: your thumb, index, and middle fingers. This releases tension that is held during the night and helps define the jawline.

7) Now take your index fingers to the acupressure points at top of the jaw under each earlobe and massage them. It’s normal for this spot to be a little tender. 

8) Use all of your fingers to sweep across your entire forehead area. This move promotes relaxation in the forehead, so you’ll be less likely to scrunch these muscles throughout the day. It also gives you a healthy glow. 

9) Alternate upward strokes with your index fingers between your eyebrows.

10) Lightly tap your fingertips all over your face, moving from the top to the bottom. 

11) Glide your fingers down the neck and collarbone to drain excess fluid and lymph. 

12) Finally, bring your hands down in front of you, close your eyes, and take a few long, deep breaths in and out. Finish your practice by taking a moment to set your intention for the day. What would you like to do, feel, or be for the rest of the day? Saying these words in your mind or out loud with a smile on your face. 

If you would like to do a regular daily structured routine for the whole face you can do my 10 day course, which is 10 minutes of Face Yoga per day over 10 days working the whole face. Plus, you receive a digital copy of my book which has lots of Face Yoga, relaxation and wellness tips. Click here.