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Face yoga, Zena massaging her temples

Everything you need to know about Face Yoga

face yoga, Zena strengthening the muscles around her eyesface yoga, Zena releasing tension in her jawFace yoga, Zena strengthening her facial muscles

Why I trained to teach face yoga?

Over the years of teaching yoga (more than 25 years now!), I gradually started to incorporate some kind of face relaxation techniques and stagnant energy shifting for the face, head, ears, neck and eyes. It intuitively made complete sense to me, to also work the 57 muscles of the face/neck and my students loved it … the feedback was “We want more!”.

I noticed when I was regularly doing these simple face yoga techniques, it gave me a connection and awareness of where I was holding tension, my dull headaches and eye strain disappeared and my skin look vibrant again!

Two and a half years ago when I researched the techniques, and looked into the training, I was astounded by the huge benefits and why it was super important I train and introduce face yoga to my students.

Eighteen months on and fully qualified, I set up a face yoga clinic – the study of facial movements. I have termly group  Zoom classes for all levels and an 8 week in-line beginners programme that is suitable for everyone. I will launch the advance course in the coming months.

zena kidd-may explaining face yogaYou may want to watch a 6 minute video of me explaining the full benefits of face yoga, whilst I am doing some of the techniques  Click to see the recording

Who is my face yoga course for?

A 30-minute, twice weekly Zoom class, that will work on the upper & lower portions of the face. We do lots of repetition to allow students to really become familiar with the techniques, so they are empowered to fit them in on a daily basis. I encourage students to take a photo of their face at the beginning of the course, this is a great way to see positive changes at the end of our 10 or 20 sessions together.

The benefits of doing my face yoga programme & what we will work on

1.   Lifted muscles
2.   Removing facial tension … everyone’s favourite!
3.   Less eye strain
4.   Relaxed jaws
5.   Become familiar with your facial strain and stress points
6.   Better circulation and oxygenation
7.   Calmer mind
8.   Overall feeling of wellbeing
9.   Better sitting posture – I talk through the importance of sitting tall, so a good chair and cushion is helpful
10. Better breathing – always reminding you to pause and breathe slowly and deeply
11.  Plumper skin

Do I need to use a moisturiser and if so, which one?

Yes, using a good quality organic oil is really important for face Yoga exercises. The oil will help with the glide on some of the movement and it will stop the fingers dragging at the skin, especially on areas of the skin that are sensitive and thin, like around the eyes and neck. Also, these oils don’t get absorbed into the skin straight away, which is what normal facial moisturises tend to do.

The products I recommend are raw organic coconut oil and Fushi almond oil.  These are easily purchased from any good health store. What we put on our skin is very important because our skin is our biggest organ and everything gets absorbed into the body and blood circulation.

Can I do face yoga everyday and how long will it take for me to see results? Face yoga, Zena releasing tension in her neck muscles

Face yoga has so many benefits (as you can read above). However, one must do a little everyday or every other day to get the full benefits. I would suggest do a little everyday, either in the morning or evening before bed. If you can manage to do it 4/5 days per week you will see and feel a vast difference. Even if you only manage to fit in 5-minutes on these days, it will make a difference to your overall wellbeing, this will become part of your daily self-care routine.

Results from face yoga will vary from person to person. There are many factors that play a part in how quickly you will see results, like overall stress levels, diet, lifestyle and age. The most important advice is to try to do a little everyday for best and quickest results.

With daily practice, you will begin to see and feel a notable difference within 10 days. Most students see some changes within a month.

Face  Yoga tips

1. Wash your hands before starting to stop the spread of bacteria
2. Have a full glass of water for drinking during the session to hydrate your skin
3. Remove all make-up and apply a small amount of oil (not too much otherwise the fingers will be too slippy)
4. If it feels comfortable for you, remove your glasses or contact lenses
5. Use a mirror to see you are not tensing your facial muscles while doing the exercises
6. Keep checking in with your breath that you are breathing deeply and slowly
7. Good standing or sitting posture is important for your breath and wellbeing

There is so much more I can say about face yoga … book into one of my Zoom sessions or purchase a beginners bundle from my shop and feel the full benefits for yourself!

CONTACT ME 

CLICK to BOOK

CLASS TIMETABLE

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tea ceremony with James

Seasonal Tea Ceremony

James has chosen a life steeped in tea and medicine. As an acupuncturist, James used tea as medicine for his patients, sourcing living wild and biodynamic teas from Asia.
Read James' bio below.

His chayou tea house was listed #1 in the Guardian’s companies.

Yoga | Lunch | Seasonal Tea Ceremony

Wednesday 26th Feb 2025
10:00 - 15:15/15:30
Yoga Studio, Islip, Oxfordshire
£130 per person
Opportunity to purchase tea
Min 5 / Max 7 people

In this part of the retreat we will share a simple, guided tea meditation. Tea meditation acts as a bridge to help you connect with a state of mindful awareness - using sight, sound, smell and taste to develop bodily awareness and connection.

Bio: tinyteahouse is run by James Thirlwall. James is a certified tea sommelier and educator who uses tea to help people connect. tinyteahouse workshops are designed to promote fellowship, harmony and inclusion - the values of a traditional Asian tea house. After years living in Japan, James spent a decade as an acupuncturist before a career as a tea sommelier creating tea programs for the world’s leading hotels, restaurants and spas. tinyteahouse has been lucky enough to host workshops for retreats by Lama Rod Owens, Bamford Haybarn. He is the master tea practitioner at The Bothy by Wildsmith and is honoured to be an Artist in Residence at The Dreaming in 2025.

Link to tinyteahouse 

All about our Day Retreats

James Thirlwall conducting a tea ceremony
tea ceremony with James
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Yoga Day Retreats Oxford

How can yoga change everything?

There are many aspects to yoga but largely it’s about learning how to stay in an uncomfortable place. The concept goes wherever you need it; to your relationship, work, parenting, friendships. This idea of staying present can support every aspect of your life.

Here is what I mean. Imagine yourself standing in a balance pose, like the tree for example, your teetering on one foot, ankles are aching and wobbling. You might say to yourself….’if I shift my weight a little to the left, relax my shoulders away from my ears and lift my chest, I might handle this a bit better. I might breathe better and make this situation a whole lot easier’.

And later when you are in a meeting that is hard to tolerate, you find yourself using the same principles; shifting your posture, becoming aware of your natural breath and the situation becomes a little more bearable.

This is how yoga can change everything but it doesn’t happen overnight. We must return to our mat again and again because it takes time for these principles to be part of who we are.

On the mat is where we practise.

And once we get it, even a little bit of it, life feels a little bit sweeter, more hopeful. But you will lose it if you stop practising. That’s why yoga is called a practise. You stay on the path and keep discovering new scenery.

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Nine tips when starting yoga

1. Find a good teacher

It is much easier to learn yoga with all its detailed and subtle physical and mental aspects from a qualified teacher, rather than from a book or video. Especially at the beginning, a teacher’s presence and ability to actually see you and respond to what you are doing is essential for building your confidence.

2. Respect your body’s inner wisdom and limitations

Do not push yourself to do anything that feels dangerous or wrong. Tell your teacher if you are pregnant or have an injury such as to the knees or spine, or any serious medical condition before the class.

3. Breathe

Breathing is central to yoga. Breathe into your whole body in the poses and relax. There is a lot to learn about healthy breathing in yoga.

4. Don’t compare yourself with others

Look inwardly to your own progress. There will always be more flexible, strong and beautiful people around in your yoga class – as in life! Yoga maybe fashionable but it is not a spectator sport or a competition.

5. Have a sense of humour!

Yoga is a quiet focused activity, but we need not to take ourselves too seriously. We may feel ungainly and stiff as we try to navigate ourselves into new postures. An inner smile and gentleness can save us from pushing ourselves to the point of strain and injury.

6. Eating and drinking

It is advisable not to eat for two hours before yoga practice and to drink only small amounts of water beforehand.

7. Make practice frequent

Little and often is more effective than occasional long sessions of yoga. Even 15 minutes a day of a few well-chosen poses can have a very positive effect on your physical, emotional and mental well-being. A regular discipline will reap more benefits, as that way the body begins to feel comfortable and familiar with the process and gradually becomes more flexible.

8. Wear loose comfortable clothing

You will stretch your body in all directions, don’t wear anything that will dig in or restrict your movement.

9. And turn your mobile OFF!

 

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