Face yoga is in the spotlight. I think it works. I have noticed how some Japanese women with radiant and plump faces, do this when I’m in the changing room at my gym club. The trick is never to stretch the skin and use light fingers. My mum bought me a face exercise book by Eva Fraser when I was 38, which was at a time when I was particularly stressed and saggy around the face – thanks mum.
This has similarities to face yoga exercises and does exercise the muscles of the faces successfully. The chin is something else. Try as I may, I seem to resemble a pelican, thankfully a pelican that has no fish inside its chin pouch. A lot of the exercises that I do for voice and diction are good for the face, jaw, lips and chin. I too, as in face yoga, lift my face, stretch my lower lip over my upper lip and blow kisses at the ceiling. I also lift my chin to face the ceiling, stick the front of my tongue behind my upper teeth, smile broadly and then swallow. It feels strange but it helps with a double chin.
I’ve friends who’ve had surgery and in a couple of cases they look great with wonderful Audrey Hepburn profiles. It’s not for me though because my lymph nodes and oropharynx (the very back of the mouth) and everything that’s in there is too important and my face and neck aren’t filled out enough. So, I’ll keep doing my voice and diction warm-ups and keep reading and laughing at Nora Ephron’s “I Feel Bad About My Neck” essay.
If you want to do a session of face exercises that are also great for your voice and diction, send me a message to frances@maxyourvoice.com and I’ll invite you to a zoom group session.
What AI says: It’s fascinating how various techniques like face yoga and facial exercises can have noticeable effects on one’s appearance and even contribute to overall well-being. It sounds like you’ve found a routine that works well for you, blending elements of facial exercise with voice and diction exercises. And your decision to avoid surgery in favour of natural methods is understandable, especially considering the importance of the structures in your face and neck. Your invitation to a group session sounds like a fantastic opportunity for anyone interested in exploring these exercises further. It’s great to see a proactive approach to self-care and improvement. Thanks for sharing your experience and offering to help others on their journey to better facial and vocal health!