‘Face’ is the index of mind which is indicative of your physical and mental health. Women share a deep psychological bond with ‘Beauty’. This bond has often compelled them to use chemical enhancements, which are not only expensive but also damaging to one’s skin, in the long run. Following a healthy lifestyle and practicing yoga will enhance your beauty naturally from inside which will eventually get manifested on your outside. 
Yoga can be specifically customized to make your look young, glowing and beautiful. Effectiveness of yoga for beauty depends on frequent and regular practice. Devoting half an hour every day to facial yoga can help improve your natural beauty.
Facial yoga is a powerful mode to make your face younger by toning up facial muscles. The increased blood flow, as a result of these facial movements, brings in a luminescent glow on your face. Each facial exercises listed below will give a chiseled look to your face along with a lot of internal benefits, which might not be evident immediately but the impact, of the same, can be felt in your daily living.
Working on Gross Level
Jaw Drop
- Sit in a comfortable position with your spine in neutral position
- Stretch up the frontal part of your neck to get your chin facing the ceiling
- Frontal part of the neck is in a stretched position while back part of your neck is in a kind of compressed position; shoulders are relaxed and should not be pulled up towards your ears
- Look at the ceiling, drop your lower jaw, start stretching your lower jaw from the root, first to the front and then up slowly & firmly up, so that ,the lower lip overlaps your upper lip. Hold for 10 seconds; drop it down and create as much gap as possible between your lips. Again repeat the same movement 10 times.
- To counter stretch, perform Jalandhar Band by lengthening the back of the neck and pressing the chin to the chest
Jaw Rotation
- Assume the position of Jaw Drop
- Rotate your lower jaw clockwise slowly; make as big a circle as possible; perform 10 rounds
- Rotate your lower jaw anti-clockwise; make is as big a circle as possible; perform 10 rounds
- Maintain the stretch throughout the rotations
- Release and relax
- Perform Jalandhar Band by pressing your chin to the chest so that you can neutralize the stress on your neck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7a3YhKPCOU
Jivha Mudra
(The Tongue Lock)
Jivha Mudra is performed by simply placing & pushing the tongue to the upper palate with slight force.
- Sit comfortably in Sukhasana or any position you are comfortable in.
- Place your palms on the knees, lean forward a little.
- Place your tongue on the upper palate.
- The mouth is wide open and you feel a good stretch on the upper jaw & the throat region (stretch your lower jaw slightly down and back to feel optimal stretch.
- Focus your gaze at the tip of the nose – Agochari Mudra(nose tip gazing). Also called Nasikagra Drishti (gazing at the nose tip)- one of the oldest recorded yogic practices.
- Hold the mudra for 10-20 seconds with normal breathing (continue to breathe from nostril and gradually increase the holding time) and release.
- Relax and close your eyes for few seconds
- Get ready for Simha Mudra
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfoxTWuT0AM
Caution
- Keep pressing the tongue as much as possible from the root and press it firmly against the upper palate to stretch the upper jaw. Do not throw your cheek bones wide apart in the process of stretching. This will create wrinkles below your nose which may become permanent with regular practice.
- Also, your eyes might not be used to staring at the tip of your nose and hence may result in a slight headache practice. Closing your eyes will dissipate it immediately
Simha Mudra
(Roaring Lion Pose)
This is the posture the lion assumes just before attacking its prey so get into that attitude.
- Sit in a comfortable position, place your palms firmly on the knees;
- Pressing your palms on the knees, lean forward slightly; hold this position and inhale;
- As you exhale, open your mouth wide; stretch your tongue out from its root as if you are trying to touch the chin with the tongue.
- Also, while exhaling, stretch your fingers wide apart with your palms firmly pressed against the knees.
- Bring your gaze in-between your eyebrows – Sambhavi Mudra (eye brow centre gazing) – and keep your gaze fixed until you are holding the posture.
- The stretching out of the tongue can be accompanied with a roaring sound. Hold this for 20-30 seconds while breathing normally and then release.
- You can breathe from the mouth as well as nostrils.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLsZ3GvfIAg
Caution
- Be careful not to bend the neck while leaning forward; the whole upper body is bending forward as one unit
- Do not bend forward if suffering from any kind of backache
- Avoid in case of severe vertigo
Jivha Mudra and Simha Mudra are to be performed alternatively at least in three sets. Practice upto 3 minutes in a day. These can be performed anywhere anytime on an empty stomach. The above practices, when done regularly, in combination, bring multiple benefits.
Benefits
Facial Beauty
Jaw line – develops a beautiful jaw line
Neck – strengthens your neck, makes it long and shapely
Double Chin – Works on the central as well as lateral region of your neck specifically and helps shed the extra flabbiness from that area, thereby, toning out the double chin
Other Benefits
- Helps in normalizing high blood pressure
- Helps in cases of snoring, sleep apnea
- Helps in case of respiratory problems
- Natural facial Massage– These movements increase the blood flow to your facial muscles thereby brings a natural glow to your face.
Caution (combined)
- Please do not perform in case of toothache, pain in the jaws and throat or swelling inside the mouth
All these exercises increase blood circulation allowing more oxygen and nourishment to reach the cells of your facial skin .Regular practice of these will make you look healthier, more energized and younger within a span of 2-3 months.
Working on a subtle level
Take off few minutes every day at the same time, sit at one place, close your eyes and do yogic breathing with full dedication and respect with mental Aum Chanting while feeling the vibration of ‘Aum’ reaching each cells of your body. Mind & Body will glow naturally forever.
For any query, write to “Ask Shammi” on www.shammisyogalaya.com For other blogs on related subject, check www.shammisyogalayablog.com
Shammi Gupta, founder of Shammi’s Yogalaya holds an MA in Yoga Shastra, is a certified Yogic Therapist and Naturopath, has completed an Advanced Yoga Course and holds a Diploma in Yoga Education from Mumbai University. She is a certified trainer from American College of Sports Medicine and holds an MBA in HR & MBA in Finance from The University of Akron, Ohio, USA. She conducts Health Awareness Workshops for Corporate, Yogasana Workshops for Athletes and Yoga Therapy Workshops on different medical issues for patients. Among the celebrities Shammi trains are eminent personalities from the film and television industry and corporate world.