Yoga Archives - Zena Kidd-May

Everything you need to know about Face Yoga or FaceYogology

Why I trained to teach Face Yoga and set up FaceYogology?

Over the years of teaching yoga (more than 20 years now!), I gradually started to incoperate some kind of face relaxation techniques and stagnant energy shifting for the face, head, ears, neck and eyes. It intuitively made complete sense to me, to also work the 57 muscles of the face/neck and my students loved it … the feedback was “We want more!”.

I noticed when I was regularly doing these simple face yoga techniques, it gave me a connection and awareness of where I was holding tension and areas that were starting to sag!

A year ago when I researched the techniques, and looked into the training, I was astounded by the huge benefits and why it was super important I train and introduce face Yoga to my students.

Twelve months on and fully qualified, I set up FaceYogology – the study of facial movements. I have put together 2 courses; one for beginners; Foundational FaceYogology and the second is an advance course, for students that have completed the beginners course. I will launch the advance course in the coming months.

Who is my Foundational FaceYogology course for?

A 30-minute, twice weekly class for beginners, that will work on the upper & lower portions of the face. I will be doing lots of repetition to allow students to really become familiar with the techniques, so they are empowered to fit them in on a daily basis. I will encourage students to take a photo of their face at the beginning of the course, this is a great way to see positive changes at the end of our 10 or 20 sessions together.

The benefits of doing my Foundational FaceYogology course & what we will work on

1. Lifted muscles
2. Removing facial tension … everyone’s favourite!
3. Less eye strain
4. Relaxed jaws
5. Become familiar with your facial strain and stress points
6. Better circulation and oxygenation
7. Calmer mind
8. Overall feeling of wellbeing
9. Better sitting posture – I talk through the importance of sitting tall, so a good chair and cushion is helpful
10. Better breathing – always reminding you to pause and breathe slowly and deeply
11. Plumper skin

Do I need to use a moisturiser and if so, which one?

Yes, using a good quality organic oil is really important for face Yoga exercises. The oil will help with the glide on some of the movement and it will stop the fingers dragging at the skin, especially on areas of the skin that are sensitive and thin, like around the eyes and neck area. Also, these oils don’t get absorbed into the skin straight away, which is what normal facial moisturises tend to do.

The products I would recommend are raw organic coconut oil and Fushi almond oil. These are easily purchased from any good health store or even Ocado, I believe. What we put on our skin is very important because our skin is our biggest organ and everything gets absorbed into the body.

Can I do FaceYogology everyday and how long will it take for me to see results?

Face Yoga will give you great skin, but only if you do it regularly. I would suggest do a little everyday, either in the morning or evening before bed. If you can manage to do it 4/5 days per week you will see and feel a vast difference. Even if you only manage to fit in 5-minutes on these days, it will make a difference to your overall wellbeing, since this will be part of your self-care routine.

Results from face Yoga will vary from person to person. There are many factors that play a part in how quickly you will see results, like overall stress levels, diet, lifestyle and age. The most important advice is to try to do a little everyday for best and quickest results.

With daily practice, you will begin to see and feel a notable difference within 10 days. Most students see some changes within a month.

FaceYogology tips

1. Wash your hands before starting to stop the spread of bacteria
2. Have a full glass of water for drinking during the session to hydrate your skin
3. Remove all make-up and apply a small amount of oil (not too much otherwise the fingers will be too slippy)
4. If it feels comfortable for you, remove your glasses or contact lenses
5. Use a mirror to see you are not tensing your facial muscles while doing the exercises
6. Keep checking in with your breath that you are breathing deeply and slowly
7. Good standing or sitting posture is important for your breath and wellbeing

There is so much more I can write about Face Yoga but I will stop here for the moment.

If you have any questions, concerns or just not sure if it’s for you please CONTACT ME as I would love to hear from you.

Click for Face Yoga class TIMETABLE & BOOKING

How can yoga change everything?

There are many aspects to yoga but largely it’s about learning how to stay in an uncomfortable place. The concept goes wherever you need it; to your relationship, work, parenting, friendships. This idea of staying present can support every aspect of your life.

Here is what I mean. Imagine yourself standing in a balance pose, like the tree for example, your teetering on one foot, ankles are aching and wobbling. You might say to yourself….’if I shift my weight a little to the left, relax my shoulders away from my ears and lift my chest, I might handle this a bit better. I might breathe better and make this situation a whole lot easier’.

And later when you are in a meeting that is hard to tolerate, you find yourself using the same principles; shifting your posture, becoming aware of your natural breath and the situation becomes a little more bearable.

This is how yoga can change everything but it doesn’t happen overnight. We must return to our mat again and again because it takes time for these principles to be part of who we are.

On the mat is where we practise.

And once we get it, even a little bit of it, life feels a little bit sweeter, more hopeful. But you will lose it if you stop practising. That’s why yoga is called a practise. You stay on the path and keep discovering new scenery.

Nine tips when starting yoga

1. Find a good teacher

It is much easier to learn yoga with all its detailed and subtle physical and mental aspects from a qualified teacher, rather than from a book or video. Especially at the beginning, a teacher’s presence and ability to actually see you and respond to what you are doing is essential for building your confidence.

2. Respect your body’s inner wisdom and limitations

Do not push yourself to do anything that feels dangerous or wrong. Tell your teacher if you are pregnant or have an injury such as to the knees or spine, or any serious medical condition before the class.

3. Breathe

Breathing is central to yoga. Breathe into your whole body in the poses and relax. There is a lot to learn about healthy breathing in yoga.

4. Don’t compare yourself with others

Look inwardly to your own progress. There will always be more flexible, strong and beautiful people around in your yoga class – as in life! Yoga maybe fashionable but it is not a spectator sport or a competition.

5. Have a sense of humour!

Yoga is a quiet focused activity, but we need not to take ourselves too seriously. We may feel ungainly and stiff as we try to navigate ourselves into new postures. An inner smile and gentleness can save us from pushing ourselves to the point of strain and injury.

6. Eating and drinking

It is advisable not to eat for two hours before yoga practice and to drink only small amounts of water beforehand.

7. Make practice frequent

Little and often is more effective than occasional long sessions of yoga. Even 15 minutes a day of a few well-chosen poses can have a very positive effect on your physical, emotional and mental well-being. A regular discipline will reap more benefits, as that way the body begins to feel comfortable and familiar with the process and gradually becomes more flexible.

8. Wear loose comfortable clothing

You will stretch your body in all directions, don’t wear anything that will dig in or restrict your movement.

Category: Yoga