A Natural Face Lift?

Get upside-down, open your mouth and stick our your tongue, roll your eyes, make a face.

No, we are not imitating zoo animals..in fact we are practicing yoga!

Some people may literally roll their eyes, but other yogis believe that these and other practices can actually act like a natural facelift.

If you think about gravity, frowning, scowling, concentration lines from frowning...all these movements are bring the muscles in our faces down towards our toes...literally causing sagging and wrinkles in a downward direction.

Throughout the day we voluntarily go for runs, do push-ups, and practice yoga in the hopes of toning our bodies….but what about the muscles in our face? In reality, the face is made up of dozens of muscles, which respond just like any other muscles in the body.

In yoga we have the chance to get upside in down-dog which allows blood to move towards the face bringing circulation and a healthy complexion. We can even get right upside down in a headstand which invites the skin on the face to fall against gravity.

Interested in getting upside down?

Tips to get upside down in headstand:

1. Position yourself a few inches from the wall, with your face towards it.

2. With your knees on the ground, plant your forearms and elbows on the ground and clasp your hands together.

3. Plant the top (crown) of your head in between your hands and lift your hips into downward facing dog.

4. Begin bending your knees and lifting your heels to feel the weight (2/3 of weight on arms, and 1/3 of weight on top of head)

5. Walk your feet out wide (off the sides of your mat) so you are in a very wide legged forward fold.

6. Walk your feet closer towards the wall, while lifting the heels and belly towards the sky.

7. Engage the core by lifting the belly so much that the feet begin to lift off the floor and hover.

8. Play with lifting your feet until gradually you begin to bend your knees, hug them together and extend the feet up into headstand.

With love,

Grandmother's Kitchen