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Barefaced Yoga

A Self help method of maintaining outer and inner beauty, Barefaced Yoga consists of a series of simple exercises for the face and beyond! Helping to transform your energy in the moment!
As we all know, beauty is more than skin deep. In this constantly changing and often demanding world we can, at times, find ourselves pulled in several directions at once. We can also sometimes spiral into negative feelings about ourselves, with issues over self confidence and self esteem. This can take its toll on our energies and our looks!

Barefaced Yoga works to help to:

1. Increase the supply of oxygen and nutrients to our faces improving muscle, skin tone and connective
tissue.
2. Stimulate cell growth.
3. Slow down the process of ageing - with healthy, toned and supple skin fewer wrinkles will develop!
4. Gain awareness of how our tensions are reflected in our face.
5. Help us change old tension patterns.
6. Present a more positive face to others.
7. Renew our energies making us better equipped to take on what is ‘thrown’ at us.
8. Develop greater confidence in ourselves.
9. Maintain a sense of humour!
10. Learn to relax more and take things in our stride.

When to practise: if you are practising the whole sequence then try to choose a time when you are least likely to be interrupted. (It can have a very energising, yet relaxing effect on all levels.) As you become more familiar with the sequence you can also select those exercises most appropriate to do on the move which will give you a chance to revitalise in the moment.

Preparation –you don’t need a great deal of preparation to practise Barefaced Yoga although you might like to practise after you have cleansed and moisturised your face. This will provide a gentle ‘warm up’ for your practise and well moisturised skin is more elastic than when your skin is dry and taut and the gentle massage will help soften the muscles prior to action.

(Contra-indications – Although Barefaced Yoga is a gentle series of movements for the face, if you have health or medical issues in this area it’s best to check with your GP prior to practising).

Try this short sequence (10 to 15 minutes) for a taster of how it works - you may well be surprised at the difference it makes to how you feel and look!

1. Warm up - Shoulder and Neck release
Start with a good relaxed posture – loosen up your shoulders by bringing them up to your ears and letting them drop down a few times , then rotate your shoulders in a circular movement backwards and forwards (about 5 times each way) whilst your arms hang relaxed by your sides.

a) Allow your head to drop forward so your chin is close to your sternum and let your head gently swing like a pendulum from left to right taking your left ear towards your left shoulder and then your right ear towards your right shoulder. Repeat 5 times each way.

b) Keeping the body still and maintaining a good posture gently lengthen your neck (notice this helps to relax your lower back.) Slowly move your head first to the left and then right as if you are simply checking for cars on a main road prior to crossing. Repeat 5 times each way.

c) Try gently rotating your head first in small circles then gradually increasing circle size 5 times clockwise and anti-clockwise. (If it helps you can imagine a pencil attached vertically to the top of your head and that you are drawing circles on the ceiling from the size of a tennis ball to a large beach ball.)

2. Total squeeze and release


Contract all face muscles into the centre of the face, hold for a few seconds and then expand out opening the mouth wide into the shape of an unvoiced scream. Repeat 5 times and then relax the muscles and resume a mid-point position between these two extremes where the face is relaxed but toned rather than flaccid.

3. The Star

Imagine 2 interlocking triangles making a six pointed star super-imposed on your face. Feel the face being gently pulled in the 6 directions of the star opening it up by first expanding upwards and downwards whilst simultaneously expanding out from the sides of the face (once you have got the feeling of this exercise then let go of the star image and retain the feeling.)
This will give your face a feeling of opening whilst decreasing any frowns and wrinkles. Allow you true Self to sparkle through. (Repeat anytime you need to help de-stress the face and re –kindle your inner glow.)

4. Howling Wolf


With the head tilted back and your mouth firmly closed, feel the stretch at the front of your neck, after a few moments open and close your mouth 10 times. (Helps to tone muscles of neck and throat and release tension in the jaw.)

5. The Lion

Take a deep breath in and hold for a moment. Expel the breath through the mouth quickly as you pull your tongue out and down towards your chin as far as it will go. Keep it there until all the air has been expelled.
Repeat 3 times.
(Good for toning the whole face and stretching the muscles of the tongue and throat.)

6. The Clown

Smile like a circus clown by stretching the sides of your mouth upwards. Hold for a few moments, relax and repeat 5 times. Then resume a relaxed expression.
(A good toner for the cheek muscles as well as those around the mouth.)

7. Nose Rub and Bellows Breath

Place the palm of your hand lightly on your nose and gently massage in small circular movements, 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti clockwise. Repeat the whole sequence three times.
With your mouth closed, breathe rapidly in and out through both nostrils like a bellows for 10 breaths, relax for a few moments and allow the natural rhythm of the breath to return repeat five times.
(If you have time watch the breathing for a few minutes – this will help you to relax and centre.)

8. Bright Eyes

Preparation - try frowning and letting go a couple of times to release any tension in your forehead.
Whilst maintaining a good posture, with eyes closed or open, look downwards towards the lower rim of your eye lid and follow the outer rim of the eyes with your gaze 5 times clockwise and 5 times anti-clockwise (effectively drawing circles with your eyes.) Then try drawing a figure of 8 lying on its side 5 times each way.

With eyes open feel into left eye and then squeeze close, hold for a few moments and then open.
Repeat the same exercise with your right eye and continue alternating between Left and Right for a while (notice how many muscles in your face this exercise involves.)

Then open both eyes wide and check you have opened the forehead and the space between the eyebrows. Take a few deep breaths and relax.

9. Hair and ears tug.


Best done when you are not too precious of your hair style (easier to do at home before you sort your hair for the day). With both hands take hold of clumps of hair that outline the face and gently tug the hair away from scalp. Take hold of your ears with thumb and index fingers of both hands and massage the outer rim of the ear starting at the top, when you get to the soft fleshy part of the lobe tug downwards gently.

10. Face Dance


This is a great to do any time of the day when you get a moment to yourself. Move your face freely in any way shape or form - you want to feel the freedom of self expression! No half measures! Break out into wild and wonderful facial expressions as if your face is dancing freely and uninhibited – if you have space you can let the rest of your body join in! Good for stress release and breaking any old fixed /glum face expressions you may have been holding.

11. Peeling the Mask


Close your eyes and imagine your face is a mask with a join down the centre of your face. Once you’ve established this feeling imagine you are taking hold of it at the centre and slowly peel it back allowing your real face to peer through. Feel free to smile now the mask is off and allow your real Self to shine through.

12. Internal Smile

Sit quietly with a relaxed smile on your lips. After a while close your eyes, still aware of your smile and swallow. Imagine that you are swallowing your smile into your body and feel your smile coming down inside your whole body and reaching all parts (5 minutes approx.)

When you finally surface, reaffirm the face without the mask and allow your inner glow to radiate out.

Carol Richards is a qualified yoga practitioner with The British Wheel of Yoga and has over 25 years experience as a yoga teacher/ therapist. More recently she has joined forces with Dr Paul Richards to create the Herbfarmacy range of Organic Skin Care.