While our beauty routines saw a complete rejig thanks to the pandemic, so did our skincare and self-care practices. What do you do when you can’t make it to your dermatologist’s clinic for your monthly facial? Time spent at home saw a rise in the demand for face yoga, a form of yoga meant to help detoxify, depuff, lift and tighten your skin while boosting collagen production and overall skin health. Danielle Collins, one of the most popular face yoga experts in the world, has created her own version of the practice, bringing together her extensive experience and developments in the beauty industry today. “The Danielle Collins Face Yoga Method combines traditional Eastern techniques with Western approaches to give safe, natural anti-ageing results. It is a combination of face exercises, face massage, face acupressure and face relaxation. It also focuses on wellbeing techniques for the mind, body and soul,” says Collins, who is also a yoga, nutrition and wellbeing coach.
Benefits of face yoga
- Reduced lines, wrinkles and puffiness
- Lifting and firming of the skin
- Improved skin tone and collagen boost
- Reduced headaches and eye strain
- Relaxed facial muscles
- A healthy, natural glow
Collins recommends practicing face yoga 6 times a week. While a 20 minute session everyday is ideal, even starting off with a few minutes works as long as you stay consistent and do it regularly. She takes you through the four most popular exercises to get you started.
The Owl
Make a big C shape with your thumb and index fingers. Place your index finger just above and parallel to your eyebrows and your thumbs on your cheeks. Start to pull down with the index fingers while trying to raise your eyebrows and making the eyes wide. Hold for two seconds, relax and repeat again. Now do this three more times. Then hold this position for ten seconds. This will firm up the forehead, reducing lines and wrinkles.
Circle the Eyes
First place your middle fingers at the beginning of your eyebrows. Start to gently tap around your eyes following the top of your eyebrow and then continue under your eye just at the top of your cheekbones. Then continue to the inside corners of your eye. Then repeat, going in the opposite direction, making little tapping motions. This is great for reducing eye wrinkles, boosting circulation and relaxing the muscles. Then, with your index fingers, very gently stroke just under your eyes from the nose outwards four times to warm up and relax the eye area. This helps to reduce bags and puffiness under the eyes by removing toxins and increasing blood flow and oxygen to the area.
Swan Neck
Begin looking straight ahead with your chin level. Turn your head to the right so that it is even with your right shoulder and then tilt your head backwards. Hold for six to eight seconds. Return your head to the forward position with your chin level. Turn your head to the left, even with your left shoulder. Tilt your head back and hold for six to eight seconds. Repeat up to three times. This lifts and tones the neck muscles, therefore firming lines and wrinkles on the side of the neck and face.
Giraffe
Looking straight ahead place your finger tips on the top of your neck and lightly stroke the skin down as you tilt your head back. Bring your head back down and repeat twice more. Then jut your lower lip out as far as possible, place your fingers on your collarbone and point your chin upwards, pulling the corners of your mouth down. Hold for four deep breaths. This releases neck tension, tones and lifts the neck area.
Danielle Collins’ new book ‘The Face Yoga Journal’ released on 19th October 2021
Check Out these Products from RAS to add them in your Yoga regime
Face Elixir For Dry Skin
Face Elixir for Acne Prone Skin
