Have you heard of face yoga? Certified instructor Christabel Chua tells us what it is
With the increased focus on wellness in recent years, many have taken up yoga as a form of exercise, especially during the stay-at-home period in 2020. However, have you heard of or try out face yoga?
Intrigued, Yahoo Lifestyle SEA understands more from the newly-certified face yoga instructor, Christabel Chua (also known by her Instagram handle @bellywellyjelly), on what exactly is face yoga, the benefits of this exercise, and various wellness tips that you can easily follow.
“The face yoga method is a unique face exercise used to activate underworked facial muscles and release tension from overworked ones. Through a series of facial exercises, you can tone your muscles on your face and increase blood flow and circulation, which results in a more youthful look.”
Debuting face yoga in Singapore at the Glow On event on 27 Jan, Chua is, however, no stranger to the exercise even though she had only embarked on her certification journey during the circuit breaker in 2020. Sharing that her mother had been practising face yoga for the past three years, Chua said that she had seen the positive effects, which encouraged her to take a leap of faith into being a certified instructor herself.
“I wanted to pick up a new skill that was complementary to my job as a beauty content creator. I also started thinking of how we don’t do enough to take care of our facial muscles, which help us so much to emote every day,” Chua shared. According to her, face yoga’s benefits include improving skin metabolism, increasing blood circulation to achieve more radiant skin, activating the lymphatic system, youthfulness, and lifted face line.
During the event, Chua had guided the guests through a series of facial exercises as part of face yoga, which helped activate and relax facial muscles. Although it takes regular practice to see the positive results of face yoga, the exercise’s quirky nature is an ideal family exercise to try with loved ones.
Learning directly from face yoga creator, Fumiko Takatsu, who is based in the United States, the 30-year-old entrepreneur found herself becoming a night owl to attend the lessons, sharing that the classes usually begin at 1am.
The certification had not come easy too; the course and training took place over nine months, with lessons and exams which the beauty content creator had to take time out to prepare in advance for. “It was tiring but really fun and worth it!” she said.
Chua had also seen face yoga as something that perfectly complements her busy schedule, providing her with an outlet for stillness and relaxation.
The unique exercise is easily incorporated into daily life and gives a message of self-love to its practitioners. “I’m all about fuss-free habits to my daily routine, and I sometimes practise face yoga moves in the car when I’m feeling tired. It gives me a quick boost of energy and makes me feel happier,” Chua shared.
Finally, we asked the beauty guru for some easy to follow wellness tips in this stressful pandemic period.
“Sleep more, drink more warm water and take time off for yourself,” Chua shared. Surprisingly easy, she added that it is “very important to listen to your own body and understand what it needs.”
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