Happy Face Yoga is a type of exercise created by Gary Sikorski that focuses on yoga facial exercises. Many people forget to exercise their face while working out, ignoring the dozens of muscles around the eyes, cheeks and mouth. Happy Face Yoga exercises offer toning and strengthening for all the muscles of the face, reducing the appearance of wrinkles, sagging jowls and double chins. If you can make a face, you can do Happy Face Yoga exercises, achieving a number of benefits for your skin and your underlying facial tone and structure.
Cheek Lifter
A common Happy Face Yoga exercise is called the cheek lifter. This exercise works the muscles around the mouth and cheeks. Smile and then open your mouth as wide as you can. Pull your upper lip toward the inside of your mouth. Place the sides of your index fingers on the lower part of your eye socket, just above the cheekbone and press gently downward while trying to lift your cheeks by smiling at the same time. You mouth should still be open. Repeat this exercise about five times, suggests Sikorski.
Eye Exercise
This exercise will help reduce the appearance of bags under the eyes, giving them a more alert, fresh appearance. Working all the muscles around the eye, it's also effective as a face freshener throughout the day. Open the mouth, slightly smiling. Pull the upper lip to the inside, over your teeth. Squint your eyelids, looking upward, then place the pads of your fingers beneath the lower eyelid, just above the ridge of the bottom portion of the eye socket. Pull down gently and then try to close the eyelids until your eyes are almost closed. Hold that contraction for several seconds and then release.
Happy Face Lion
Sit in a chair or on the floor. Stick our your tongue as far as you can and say "Blah," stretching the word out as long as you can, while at the same time placing the palm of your hand on your forehead, making your eyes as large as you can and rolling your eyes your eyes upward, suggests Linda Saether of CNN.com/health. The Lion Pose adaptation is designed to work nearly every muscle in the face, though if this is your first time trying it, be prepared for watering eyes and a slight loss of balance. Repeat the exercise two to three times once a day, then work your way up as you grow accustomed to the combination of stretching and toning this exercise offers the face, jaw and neckline.
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