Face Yoga Exercises: A Practical Guide to the Basics

Face yoga exercises are simple, targeted movements that work the muscles of your face and neck. They can help tone, lift, and relax these muscles, and when done consistently, they may soften fine lines and improve circulation. This guide covers the essential exercises, how to do them correctly, and what they can and can’t do.

Why Face Yoga Works

Your face has over 40 muscles. Like the rest of your body, these muscles respond to exercise. Face yoga strengthens and relaxes them, which can help maintain a youthful appearance. It’s a natural, non-invasive approach that you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment.

The Core Face Yoga Exercises

Fish Face

The fish face is a classic. It works the cheeks and the muscles around your mouth.

1. Suck your cheeks in as if you’re making a fish face.
2. Keep your lips pursed and try to smile. You should feel your cheek muscles engage.
3. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 10 times. This exercise helps tone the cheeks and can improve the appearance of nasolabial folds.

Lion Face

The lion face is great for releasing tension in the jaw and face.

1. Open your eyes wide and stick out your tongue as far as you can.
2. Open your mouth as wide as possible, stretching the facial muscles.
3. Hold for 10 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 5 times. This exercise helps relieve tension and can reduce the appearance of a double chin.

Forehead and Brow Lift

This targets the forehead and brow area to smooth lines and lift the eyebrows.

1. Place your index fingers just above your eyebrows.
2. Gently press down while you try to raise your eyebrows against the resistance.
3. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 10 times. This helps tone the frontalis muscle and may reduce forehead lines.

Eye Area Exercises

These exercises help reduce puffiness and strengthen the muscles around the eyes.

1. Place your index and middle fingers at the outer corners of your eyes.
2. Squint your eyes as if you’re trying to close them, but keep them open.
3. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 10 times. This targets the orbicularis oculi muscle and can help with crow’s feet.

Cheek Lift

This exercise lifts the cheekbones and tones the mid-face.

1. Smile without showing your teeth, but keep your lips closed.
2. Place your index fingers on the apples of your cheeks.
3. Gently lift the skin upward while you try to smile harder.

Hold for 5 seconds, then relax. Repeat 10 times.

Jaw and Chin Definition

This helps define the jawline and reduce a double chin.

1. Tilt your head back and look at the ceiling.
2. Push your lower jaw forward until you feel a stretch under your chin.
3. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

Repeat 10 times.

Neck Exercises

Your neck muscles support your face, so don’t ignore them.

1. Sit or stand tall.
2. Slowly turn your head to the right until you feel a gentle stretch.
3. Hold for 10 seconds, then return to center. Repeat on the left.

Do 5 times each side. This helps release tension and improve posture.

How to Do Face Yoga Correctly

Direction and Pressure

The direction you move matters. Lymph drains toward the lymph nodes, which are in front of and behind your ears, under your jaw, and at your collarbone. So the general rule is to stroke outward from the center of your face toward your ears. On the neck, always stroke downward toward the collarbone—never upward. Pressure should be light, like a glide, not a deep massage. You should never feel pain or see bruising.

Use a Lubricant

Always apply a few drops of facial oil or cream before massaging. This prevents dragging on the skin, which can cause irritation. In the MEWAI app, we show you where oil fits in your routine, but for any face yoga practice, a lubricant is essential.

Consistency Matters

Like any exercise, face yoga works best when you do it regularly. Aim for five minutes a day. You can do it in the morning to wake up your face or in the evening to release tension. The key is consistency.

What Face Yoga Does NOT Do

Face yoga is not a substitute for medical treatments. It won’t erase deep wrinkles or dramatically change your bone structure. It won’t cure skin conditions like acne or rosacea. It won’t give you instant results—you need to practice for weeks to see subtle changes. And it won’t prevent aging entirely, but it can help your face look more toned and relaxed.

Creating Your Routine

A good routine covers four areas: brow and forehead, eye area, cheeks and mid-face, and neck. You can do the exercises above in that order. Start with a clean face and apply a light oil. Then move through the exercises, using the correct direction and pressure. Finish with a neck stroke downward to help drain any fluid.

Getting Started

If you’re new to face yoga, start with just a few exercises and gradually add more. Listen to your body—you should feel a gentle stretch, not pain. And remember, the goal is relaxation and toning, not strain.

Face yoga is a simple, natural practice that can make a real difference over time. With the right technique and consistency, you can enjoy a more relaxed, toned face and neck.

The Fish Face and Lion Face: Why They Show Up in Every Routine

The fish face and lion face are two of the most common face yoga exercises, and they appear in almost every routine for a reason. They target areas that other exercises miss.

The fish face works the buccinator muscles in the cheeks and the orbicularis oris around the mouth. It’s one of the few exercises that directly engages the mid-face without pulling on the skin. When done correctly, you should feel a deep burn in the cheeks, not a stretch in the jaw. Keep the lips pursed and resist the urge to let air escape. If you feel it only in your neck, you’re tilting your head—keep it neutral.

The lion face is the opposite: it’s about releasing tension, not building it. The wide eyes, open mouth, and extended tongue stretch the entire face, especially the jaw and the platysma muscle in the neck. It’s a good counter to the fish face, which contracts. Use it after a long day or when you notice yourself clenching your jaw. Hold the stretch longer than you think you need—ten seconds at least—and breathe out as you hold.

Both exercises are safe for beginners and require no equipment. They’re also easy to overdo. The fish face should be held for a few seconds, not minutes, and the lion face should never cause pain in the jaw joint. If you feel a click or sharp pain, ease off.

Nichola Joss Face Yoga: What It Is and How It Fits

Nichola Joss is a prominent face yoga teacher whose method has influenced many modern routines, including the approach used in the MEWAI app. Her style emphasizes precise, small movements over large, dramatic stretches. The idea is that the facial muscles are delicate, so exercises should be targeted and controlled.

Her method typically includes:

• Resistance exercises: Using your fingers to provide gentle resistance, like pressing down on the forehead while trying to raise your brows. This isolates the muscle without pulling the skin.
• Breathing and relaxation: Releasing tension in the jaw, neck, and shoulders before starting facial work. A relaxed body means a relaxed face.
• Consistency over intensity: Five minutes a day, every day, beats a longer session once a week. This is the same principle behind the MEWAI daily routine.

You don’t need to follow her exact sequence to benefit. The core idea—small, controlled, daily movements—is what matters. If you’re following a routine from a video or an app, look for these elements. If an exercise feels like it’s dragging the skin or causing strain, it’s not aligned with this approach.

Good Facial Exercises: What Makes an Exercise Worth Doing

Not all facial exercises are equal. A good one has three qualities:

1. It targets a specific muscle group. Vague movements that involve the whole face are less effective. The best exercises isolate one area—like the cheek lift for the mid-face or the brow lift for the forehead.
2. It uses resistance, not just movement. Simply smiling or frowning repeatedly doesn’t build much tone. Adding gentle finger resistance, as in the brow lift, forces the muscle to work harder.
3. It’s safe for the skin. Exercises that involve pulling or stretching the skin can contribute to wrinkles over time. Good exercises move the muscles, not the skin. Always use a lubricant and keep pressure light.

Avoid exercises that cause pain, bruising, or a feeling of strain in the jaw joint. If an exercise feels like it’s stretching the skin rather than engaging the muscle, it’s not a good one for you.

Facial Exercises for Women: What’s Different and What’s Not

Face yoga is often marketed specifically to women, but the underlying anatomy is the same for everyone. The exercises work the same muscles. What differs is the goal and the starting point.

Women often focus on lifting and toning areas that change with age—the cheeks, the jawline, and the brow. But the principles are universal: work the muscle, not the skin, and be consistent.

One common concern is that facial exercises might make the face look more masculine or bulky. This is not supported by evidence. Facial muscles are small, and the movements are gentle. You won’t build visible bulk. Instead, you’re more likely to see improved tone and relaxation.

If you’re new, start with the basics—fish face, lion face, brow lift, cheek lift—and do them daily for a few weeks. Take a photo at the start and compare it to one after a month. That’s the most reliable way to see if the exercises are working for you.