BLOG 22: HOW TO DEFINE THE CHEEKBONES WITH FACE YOGA

This is a question that I am often asked when it comes to Face Yoga so today I am sharing my favourite moves for the cheek area. 

A few things to remember before you get started – you can’t actually change your bone structure, but you can alter the skin around it to bring out your natural bone structure. By toning and lifting the muscles around your cheeks, your cheekbones will become slightly more defined and have the appearance of being lifted.

Working with the lymphatic drainage is going to help aid a detoxification process, which will help rid your face of extra puffiness or bloating. Just by eliminating bloat, your cheekbones will become more pronounced.

Before you try any of these techniques, make sure you have washed your face and hands so you are not adding dirt and oils to your face, which could cause puffiness or breakouts. Try applying a little facial serum as well.

And mostly remember best results come from daily practice.

You can enjoy these techniques via my youtube video here.

LIFTING MASSAGE

Using two fingers and a thumb, make a pinching motion into the skin around the cheekbones.  Try not to pull the skin outwards but focus on going down into the muscle. You should feel some warmth and see some colour added to your face as blood and oxygen rise to the skin’s surface. 

LYMPHATIC DRAINAGE

It’s important to do some lymphatic drainage, as this is what could help relieve some puffiness and bloat you feel in your skin. Apply light tough from underneath your eyes straight out to the side of your head. This light touch will help reduce puffiness and bloat.

You’re not dragging across the skin but instead applying light pressure. Do this for about a minute. Draining the lymph nodes helps remove waste from your body. 

DO A FACIAL EXERCISE

Lift and tone the muscles under the skin so your muscles get firm. Take your tongue, point it outside the mouth, and up towards the nose. Feel the tongue muscle stretching and the cheek muscles working to support it. 

Hold your index fingers against your face pointing vertically, one on each side of your mouth and apply light pressure. Hold for ten seconds. Release and repeat for an additional 10 seconds, and then do again for a third set. You will feel your cheek muscles working, which will help add shape to your face and your cheekbones.

DON’T FORGET YOUR BREATHING

While you might not feel like you are doing a total body yoga workout so perhaps breathing isn’t important, that’s not the case. Focusing on your breathing helps make sure your skin is getting the oxygen that is needs to thrive. 

STRUCTURED DAILY PROGRAM

Build these techniques into a daily program and you will see results over time. Be consistent. Like any workout, you will see results if you are consistent in your approach, as you will notice your muscles strengthening and you will gain definition in your face. 
If you would like a daily 10 minute full face workout over 10 days (plus a full digital copy of my book, Danielle Collins’ Face Yoga) why not try my 10 day course.