When I first started my face yoga practice, I had no idea that doing a few facial exercises would initiate a personal revolution for me.
Firstly, I began to perceive aging differently. I developed a positive attitude toward it – I wanted to embrace pro-aging rather than being anti-aging.
Secondly, what truly surprised me was that it set me on a path that completely transformed how I perceive my overall health and well-being, leading me to make significant changes in my lifestyle.
Here's how it all began...
In 2018, I reached the heaviest and unhealthiest point in my life. At 5’ 2”, I was on the brink of weighing 13 Stone (182lbs) and wearing a size 20. That summer, my brother was getting married, and I couldn’t bear the thought of looking the way I did in the wedding photos. So, I decided to join a weight loss program, and I achieved more success than I could have ever imagined, shedding 4 stone (54lbs).
I managed to keep the weight off, but I had loose skin, and I still wasn’t very fit. When we entered lockdown in 2020, I decided to start exercising. I began practicing yoga and started to see positive changes in my body, but my face remained unchanged.
That's when I discovered face yoga…
I soon realized that face yoga is more than just exercises. When you fully embrace the practice, you come to understand that it’s a lifestyle. You can choose the depth of your practice, but I was ready to fully embrace it—mind, body, and soul.
I have always maintained that there are five pillars of face yoga: exercise, massage, acupressure, meditation, and lifestyle. It’s in this fifth pillar, “Lifestyle,” that some of the most significant changes can occur.
So, how has it transformed my world…
Every day, I engage in what you would expect from a face yogi: facial exercises, a bit of massage, and some acupressure. I’m experiencing great results – my jawline is more defined, my face has lifted, I have prominent cheekbones, and the lines between my eyes have softened. However, my practice has become much more than that…
Nourishing my skin from the outside:
At the beginning of this year, I completely revamped my skincare routine. I replaced all the chemical-laden products (which I used to love) with gentle products from Tropic. Their formulations incorporate organic ingredients without synthetic dyes, fragrances, or harmful chemicals, and I started seeing the results of these quality products within days. My skin became more resilient, less congested, and had a newfound radiance. In fact, I love these products so much that I have become an ambassador for the brand.
You can check out Tropic products at: https://www.tropicskincare.com/jacquelinetaylor
Feeding my skin from the inside:
As I mentioned earlier, in 2018, I went on a diet and initially had great success, but like many traditional diets, I started regaining weight and struggled to lose it again.
However, as the saying goes, “We are what we eat.” In a fortuitous conversation with my dear friend Sheila Keilty, she pointed out that despite eating what we consider healthy diet food, much of what I consumed was highly processed, filled with chemicals, sugar, and factory-made foods that were causing inflammation in my body.
After some reluctance and a bit of a “I don’t want to change” meltdown, I joined Sheila’s Optimal Health Reboot and learned about dense nutrition, intermittent fasting, and mindful eating.
The results have been remarkable – not only have I shed 20lbs, but the difference in my skin, hair, and nails has been astounding. My skin is firmer because I’m consuming more collagen, which encourages my body to produce more of its own. My skin tone has improved because I’m eating foods that make vitamins and minerals bio-available without the need for supplements. I’ve also noticed a significant reduction in puffiness and inflammation because I’ve eliminated sugar, grains, and highly processed foods from my diet.
For more information about the Optimal Health Reboot visit: https://optimalhealthreboot.com
Finding alignment:
Our facial muscles are unique; they connect to each other and also to our facial skin. Thus, how we use and hold these muscles influences how our skin ages. Additionally, all the muscles in our body, from head to toe, are enveloped by fascia, a connective tissue that affects our facial muscles’ alignment through posture, movement, and even breathing.
As a Fibromyalgia sufferer, I’ve always experienced bodily pain. However, since becoming a face yoga instructor, I’ve become aware of how this pain and its associated misalignment affect my face. So, I knew I needed to take action.
Another fortuitous event introduced me to the wonderful Tracy Seider, who has developed The Reshape Method. Through a series of gentle workouts and alignment techniques, you can train your body back into anatomical alignment, reducing pain and tension. It’s not a quick fix, but I’m already noticing improvements in my strength, flexibility, and mobility. My neck and shoulders are less tense, my hips are better aligned, and I can straighten my legs for the first time in years. And, of course, since everything in the body is interconnected, this will ultimately help relax and align the muscles in my face.
You can learn more about Tracy’s work at: https://tracyseidercoaching.com
To conclude…
I don’t expect everyone who takes up a face yoga practice to dive in as deeply as I have, but I want to emphasise that a face yoga practice can serve as a gateway to optimising your health and well-being in wonderfully holistic ways. It gives you control over your own body, what you put on it, what you put in it, and how it supports you as you navigate the world.
For more information about In the Glow Face Yoga and me, Jacqueline Taylor, then head here.
2 Responses
Brilliant article Jacki. xxxx
Thank you xx