Warm Up Exercises

Provides time to reflect intentionally about the exercises and effort taken to improve personal wellbeing.

It is vital to warm up to ensure that your body is prepared to handle Face Yoga exercises. As mentioned in the section titled The Importance of Warm-up and Cool-down, if we do not adequately prepare for our Face Yoga class, without realizing it, we may tighten our shoulders, neck, and even the muscles in our back. Limbering up these areas will help us to avoid injury.

It is helpful to use a warm-up to release tension in areas where we hold it, generally in supporting areas, such as shoulders, neck, and jaw, or in the face itself. The warm-up also opens up pathways for better circulation by loosening up our muscles and joints in the upper body. This helps eliminate stiffness, improves flexibility, and means we’ll be better able to carry out facial moves.

Our warm-up also provides an excellent time to set our intention for our face yoga practice. Focus on why you are doing the exercises, for example for toning, for happiness, or to improve your sense of self. Be aware of how you are standing or sitting. Become mindful of each movement and how that one movement affects the different areas of your body. Allow yourself to feel grounded in the earth, in the present, and in your intention. Pay attention to the quality of your breath, noticing how it feels moving in and out of your body. Doing this will help settle your body to calm your mind in preparation for the Face Yoga practice.

Warm Up #1 Basic Series:

The primary aim of your warm-up is to release tension in the neck, back and facial muscles, this basic warm up does exactly that. o Sit or stand with a straight back. o Look straight ahead with a level chin, close your eyes and take deep breath, in and out. o Gently turn your head to the right to align with your shoulder, feel the stretch in the neck. o Inhale and exhale deeply through the nose. o Slowly turn your head to the left to align with your shoulder, feel the stretch in the neck. o Return your head to first position, face forward with level chin (neutral). Take 2-3 breaths. o Intentionally lift your head up and back with your chin toward the sky. Take 2-3 breaths. o Move head back to neutral. o Slowly bring chin toward chest. Take 2-3 breaths. o Return to a neutral position. o Tilt your right ear toward your right shoulder. Breathe & count to 10. o Move head back to neutral. o Tilt your left ear toward your left shoulder. Breathe & count to 10. o Move head back to neutral. o Let the head roll back and then gently move in a slow circle over your shoulders, facing down and then back around. Make 2-3 circles in both directions.

Warm Up # 2 Increase Blood Flow to Face

Increasing blood flow helps to encourage skin cell renewal and fight free radicals. o Stand up, back straight. o Gently bed your knees and fold forward, hinging from your hips. o Let your body hang and arms dangle. Hold for count of 10.