BLOG 50: 6 TIPS TO TONE SAGGING JOWLS WITHOUT SURGERY

Today, we’ll focus on the lower face area. I’ll show you some Face Yoga techniques for lifting, toning, and strengthening the jaw and any sagging jowls.

The jaw is a big, strong muscle. We often hold stress, tension, anxiety, fears, and other emotions here. What we’re feeling and thinking can really imprint on this area of the face.

I held an Instagram Live class with world renowned facialist, Nichola Joss, where we talked all about our favourite techniques for this area. We also answered questions sent in live about Face Yoga techniques. If you missed it, you can watch a full recorded video on YouTube. For now, I’ll share some of our standout exercises, tips, and advice.

BEFORE WE BEGIN

As always, begin with clean hands and face.

You will definitely need some face serum for these exercises. We’re going to be working the face rather firmly, so lubricate your skin with a good natural serum. 

These exercises can be strong, so always work to your own level. And remember to keep breathing in and out through your nose. Take a moment to look at your posture. Are you tensing your neck or shoulders up? Keep your posture aligned, relaxed, and long.

ONE.

Give your shoulders a gentle roll. Pay attention to any points of tension. Now take your chin across over your shoulder, to stretch and elongate the neck. Gently take your hand, pulse it over your neck, and feel the muscles. Notice any tension.

This is gently awakening, activating, and stretching the muscles before we work them deeper. This light touch also stimulates the lymph to move.

Now take your chin to the opposite side and repeat. You don’t need to put a lot of pressure. We’re just lightly activating.

TWO.

Now make the first two fingers of each hand (index and middle) into scissors or bunny ears.

Bring your arms up, elbows out to the side, and fingers facing away from you. We’ll sweep along the jawline, one hand after the other. Sweep with your index finger under your chin. 

We’re isolating the jaw muscle here. This move will also help with any puffiness, tension, or heaviness in the jaw. Now bend the knuckles and repeat the motion. You can go all the way to the ear, pause to relieve tension, and even pull a bit to open it up.

Now, circle around your cheek area with all your knuckles. Starting from the chin, circle out and around your cheeks. Knead away at the muscles here. You can keep your thumbs underneath your chin, to help stabilise and guide you.

This Face Yoga is especially good if you clench your jaw or grind your teeth at night.

THREE.

Slip your left hand over your head. With your fingers, strum away at the muscle on the corner of the jaw, under your ear. Bring your other hand up and do the same strumming move on the muscle.

You are activating the muscle, draining lymph, and soothing the many nerves here. You can strum down into your neck, and up across your eyebrows. Now do the other hand. Just strum or sweep right under your ear.

FOUR.

This Face Yoga move is a traditional yogic technique, called the Lion Pose. It’s amazing for releasing tension in the face. And for having a good laugh!

Inhale, close your eyes, make tight fists with your hands, and take a deep breath in. Then as you breathe out, open your eyes, look up, stick your tongue out, and go, “haaaa!” Do this five times.

Not only does this give an amazing release, it’s also good if you’re lacking energy, want to wake up your facial muscles, or feel you may be coming down with a sore throat. This has been used in yoga for thousands of years.

FIVE.

If you’re starting to find your cheeks sagging down a bit, this Face Yoga move will lift them right up.

Make your mouth into a smile, wrapping your lips around the teeth. Place your fingers along the nasolabial lines, to smooth them out. Hold and feel the muscles engage. Now tilt your head back as far as comfortable. Hold for ten seconds.

Bring your head back down, then tilt back again and hold for ten seconds. Slowly come back down.

This lifts, firms, and tones. You can do this move for up to one minute every day.

SIX.

We’ll finish with a nice release. Pinch across your jawline, using two fingers and a thumb on each hand. Pinch down into the muscle, don’t just grasp the skin. Go right up to the point by the ear. 

You can massage into this point with your index fingers. This point is used a lot in Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s incredible when you have blocked ears, jaw tension, or sinus issues.

Now pinch up across the jawline again. Wiggle your fingers into the pressure point by your ears. Massage this point in both directions and stay for as long as you want.

I like to finish the move by gliding my thumbs along the jaw. Glide up and flick off at the ear.

I hope you enjoyed these Face Yoga moves. They release, strengthen, and lift the entire lower face area. You should be able to feel the engagement here. These exercises can be quite strong, so you may want to finish up with a nice massage simply tapping all over the face. That will further relax your muscles.

If you find yourself constantly holding tension or stress in the jaw, you may want to try some mirror affirmations. We tend to criticise ourselves throughout the day, especially when looking in the mirror. Giving ourselves some purposeful self-love with a simple affirmation like, “I am enough,” can be wonderfully beneficial.

You can also put your hands on your heart after your routine, giving your body some gratitude for taking you through the day. These little steps can help you release both physical and emotional tension.

That’s it for now. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram, so you can catch any future collaborations or live events. I’m quite active there, sharing tips, quick exercises, and mini routines. It’s a great way for us to stay in touch.

You can also subscribe to my newsletter for regular emails from me. Also if you feel called to teach these wonderful techniques to others you can train to become a certified teacher of The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method with our accredited training.