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7 Facial Yoga Exercises for Glowing Skin Posted by Forest Essentials Skin being the largest organ of the body asks for more than simple application of products. While the latter is a straightforward yet significant approach to healthy skin for the nutrients of your skincare to be evenly distributed amongst all layers of the skin it requires a deeper more holistic approach which will allow your inner beauty to shine through. This involves eating fresh and seasonal foods exercising and leading a healthy balanced lifestyle. A mindful practice to conduce the same is Facial Yoga which allows you to treat your skin with love while reacquainting yourself with your inner self. Let’s delve deeper into this practice: What Is Facial Yoga Facial exercises and massages have held us in great stead since time immemorial. The concept dates back to the ancient scriptures of Ayurveda- releasing energy pathways to naturally achieve better health and a great sense of well-being while looking radiant. Facial yoga does to your face what yoga does to your body. It relaxes tones and gives a natural boost to the skin while simultaneously resetting your facial muscles. The idea is to stretch the 57 face and neck muscles to tone firm and boost circulation for a youthful appearance. How Does Facial Yoga Work and What Are the Benefits of Yoga for the Face When you exercise or indulge in a mindful Yoga session the muscles in your body feel firm and strong. Likewise when your facial muscles are put to use with face yoga they feel toned and give the sensation of a natural face lift if practiced regularly.

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We suggest these 7 facial yoga exercises or poses that you can do for supple and healthy skin: 1. Kiss Smile Push the lips out as much as you can as if you are about to kiss and then smile broadly. Do at least 15 repetitions a day. This exercise works on your cheeks and chin simultaneously. Benefit: When you use these muscles often and in a specific way it can improve the downward drift to a youthful jawline and flushed cheeks. 2. Puff Your Cheeks Inhale through the mouth and distend the breath from cheek to cheek then release. Benefit: These quick and easy movements will strengthen the cheek muscles and prevent them from looking hollow. Do this exercise regularly for lifted and plump cheeks. 3. Chant ‘Om’ With A Smile Chanting ‘Om’ calms the mind and relaxes the face muscles. This yogic exercise is the easiest of all of the facial yoga poses. Close your eyes and smile slightly whilst visualizing the point between your eyebrows as a balancing locus. As most people frown unconsciously repeated grimaces of the same can form wrinkles. Benefit: This pose will help offset those lines and give the skin a glow from within.

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4. Lift Your Eyebrows Place the index finger of each hand half-an-inch above the eyebrows. Attempt to lift the eyebrows upward while pressing them downward with your fingers. Repeat this 10- 12 times a day. Benefit: Since our forehead is the first place for the appearance of wrinkles you can tone those muscles release tension and reduce the appearance of wrinkles by performing this specific exercise. 5. Make A Fish Face Suck in the insides of your cheeks almost like making a fish face. Hold for a few seconds keeping your eyes wide open. If your eyes start to water it signifies the time period for which you can hold this pose. Then you may blink and release the pose. 6. Stretching the eyelids Look upwards and raise your eyebrows at the same time. Then gently close your eyelids while still looking up. Benefit: Since our eyelids have the tendency to droop with age this stretching exercise can help keep them firm.

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7. Yogic Breathing Exercises Facial yoga is incomplete without yogic breathing exercises. Respiratory changes affect the skin and body as well as our moods. For instance shallow breathing pales the complexion. In today’s day and age stress continuously disrupts the natural breathing pattern depleting Prana the life-giving force. Benefit: To restore this the balance we recommend deep breathing exercises including abdominal breathing and alternate nostril breathing. Do Facial Exercises Work Much like any other physical exercise the effects of Facial Yoga can be seen on the skin if one diligently incorporates them into their daily routine. An added advantage is that you can indulge in these exercises anywhere anytime. However in all you do to care for the skin remember to cultivate inner beauty and true health in practices that give you ultimate joy. May we suggest practicing these exercises with the Forest Essentials Diffuser Oil of your choice to create a multi-sensory experience that soothes the mind body and soul and makes the act of skincare much more pleasurable and mindful hence more efficacious. Consequently you will find that your face and overall disposition will exhibit that sense of contentment with outer radiance. That’s the secret to true beauty.