Sixty something Sudeshna Nath doesn’t miss her morning yoga class at the neighbourhood park, in Sector 45, Noida. What makes this class, comprising men and women, stand out is that they also practice face yoga. Similar groups have come up in Sector 21 and 29 as well.
“It is an inexpensive way to tone your facial muscles, and quite easy to do,” says Nath, who was encouraged by her daughter to try this out six months ago. “I am happy as people have been telling me that my face doesn’t look dull as it did earlier,” she says.
“Just as yogasanas for the body have been consistently gaining ground, so is facial yoga now,” says Mansi Gulati, Facial Yoga Expert with yoga chain Sarva, who has been practising and teaching face yoga for over a decade now. “Face yoga is giving stiff competition to the standard anti-ageing cosmetics and non-cosmetic facial procedures,” says Yoga Instructor Ajay Mohan.
“There are many older people in my class. But I also advise younger people (in their 20s) to start doing it as beginning from a younger age delays signs of ageing better. But be it young or old, face yoga improves the appearance of the face by reducing the visible signs of ageing,” he says.
Completely Natural
Facial yoga is non-toxic, non-invasive, safe, and can be done on your own time.
“You have to learn it from a teacher for a few days after which you can practice at home,” says yoga expert Grandmaster Akshar, adding that yogasanas like Halasana, Padauttanasana, Sarvangasana and Shirshasana aid face yoga.
Practising face yoga lightens or altogether removes scars, and redistributes fat on the face, which, in turn, prevents sagging of the skin.
Scientific studies corroborate this fact. A 2018 study conducted by Northwestern University showed that 20 weeks of daily facial exercise yielded measurably firmer skin, and fuller upper and lower cheeks. The protocol involved 30 minutes a day for the first eight weeks of the study, then every other day thereafter.
Agrees Akshar. “The results cannot be seen overnight. It requires long time and consistent efforts,” he says, adding that the first result is a bright complexion because of increased blood flow on the face. This can start to show in a few weeks’ time,” he adds.
Cashing in on the trend
Various beauty houses have cashed in on this rising trend and developed products around it. Blossom Kochhar launched Yoga Facial Oil, while House of Beauty has face tools like rose quartz rollers, jade rollers, 24K face lift massagers, face cups, customised serums and oils to tone and tighten the forgotten 42 muscles of the face.
“These face tools, made using cutting edge technology, work on every muscle of the face that goes unnoticed by basic hand movements, and work wonders when used with customised serums and oils. Men and women, from 18 to 80, can use these,” says Vibhuti Arora, Face Yoga Expert and Founder of HOB India.
“I have been practicing facial yoga for years now, and it works like magic. The results are not instant, but very effective and long lasting. I was so impressed with the results that in my product line I introduced Blossom Kochhar Aroma Magic Facial Yoga Kit, which tones as well as relaxes your facial muscles,” says aromatherapist Dr Blossom Kochhar.