Yoga Facial Exercises

Practicing facial yoga, or exercises that target the muscles of the face and neck, can help tighten and tone skin, prevent wrinkles, and create a brighter complexion. According to Marie-Veronique Nadeau, author of "The Yoga Facelift," the concept is the same as doing exercises to tone the rest of your body. Without proper exercise, the muscles in the face and neck will become weak and flabby. Certain exercises, however, can help remove frown lines, firm extra chins and eliminate loose neck skin. Additionally, people often hold tension in the face, reports Gaiam Life. Learning to relax those muscles through yoga postures and facial exercise can deliver results that are "almost the same as Botox."

Lion Pose

Lion is a seated pose that combines facial exercises with yogic breathing to relieve tension in the face and chest. Lion also firms the platysma, a muscle on the front of the throat. According to Annelise Hagen, author of "The Yoga Face," Lion also releases stress and stretches, tones, and firms all the muscles in the face. To practice Lion, begin in a kneeling position. Place your palms on your knees and widely spread your fingers. Inhale deeply through the nose, then open the mouth wide. Stretch your tongue out and down towards your chin while exhaling through the mouth with a "ha" sound. Different teachings of Lion pose will have you direct your gaze to the spot between your eyebrows or the tip of your nose. You may also roar or growl two or three times.

Crow Pose

Also known as Crane, Crow pose is both an arm balance and an inversion that delivers freshly oxygenated blood to your face. According to Hagen, this posture is an antidote for bags or hollows underneath the eyes. To begin, squat down and place your hands on the floor. With the tops of your thighs pressed against your chest, nestle your knees into your armpits. Lean forward and lift up onto the balls of your feet, shifting your weight into your arms. When you are ready, straighten the elbows and lift first one foot off the floor, then both. Hold for as long as you can, working up to a count of five and eventually ten.

Easy Pose

Easy pose is a seated posture than can release stress and break you of the habit of clenching and gripping the muscles in your face, helping to prevent wrinkles. Sit with a neutral pelvis on a folded blanket. If necessary, remove any redundant tissue from below the sitting bones. Cross your shins and allow your knees to drop below your hips if possible. Rest your hands on your knees with your palms up or down. Hagen recommends remaining in the posture for two to three minutes, or if you prefer, sit in meditation for 20 to 30 minutes.

Standing Forward Bend

In this posture, you drop your face below the heart, delivering more oxygen and blood to the head. According to Hagen, forward bends can create a rosier complexion and a fuller face, and can also prevent and correct facial hollows that develop over time. Forward bends also calm the brain and help relieve stress and mild depression, reports Yoga Journal. To begin, lengthen the torso as you bend forward from the hips. Bring the palms of your hands or fingertips to the floor and straighten your knees if possible. If your hands do not reach the floor, cross your forearms and grasp opposite elbows. Press the heels into the floor as you lift your sitting bones. As you inhale, slightly lift and lengthen the torso. One each exhale, surrender further into the pose. Remain in the posture for 30 seconds up to one minute.