It’s no secret that we’re big fans of face yoga. Having written exhaustingly on the subject in our own guide, we always like to explore how others are following this relaxing beauty practice. It was inevitable then that we soon came across Fumiko Takatsu’s Face Yoga Method. Based on a philosophy that centers on the face as inclusive to holistic wellness, Takatsu’s Face Yoga Method gained traction on social media a few years ago.
Starting initially with face yoga exercise tutorials on YouTube, Face Yoga Method has branched into books, cosmetic kits, digital courses and even face yoga teacher certifications. There are countless testimonials online swearing by the effectiveness of the Face Yoga Method. We decided to check it out for ourselves and see if all the hype was worth it.
Here’s our review of the Face Yoga Method.
Fumiko’s Heroic Journey
The story of the Face Yoga Method is a real survivor’s heroic tale. In her mid-thirties, Fumiko Takatsu experienced a car accident that would permanently change her life. The shock of the trauma was exacerbated by the facial disfigurement caused by her injuries. A determined survivor, Fumiko took on facial exercises for several weeks to regain her normal appearance. She soon realized that much like the body, face muscles also need exercise. Her efforts resulted in many compliments, but it also became the motivational seed which would lead her to create the Face Yoga Method.
Previously a teacher in Tokyo, Fumiko has since moved to the USA where she spread her Face Yoga Method wisdom through various social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Her biggest platform has been the Face Yoga Method Youtube channel which has garnered millions of views. Her Face Yoga Method book has also become an international bestseller. She managed to transform a moment of lost confidence into one of strength.
As a Method for Holistic Wellness
Yoga is essentially a meditation practice that incorporates physical exercise. It is usually done for a healthier body as well as a method of mindfulness. There are many benefits to face yoga since, after all, the face is also a muscle like any other.
Exercising your face helps to align your appearance against the asymmetry that comes with aging or daily bad habits. We have written extensively on the studies and expert opinion proving the benefits of face exercises. Takatsu emphasizes that the face, too, is in need of a meditation and exercise practice.
Training your face to reduce sagging skin can be a commitment. Fumiko helps you streamline through face yoga by first taking a survey that deduces that subconscious facial habits that make us age.
Ever notice the premature wrinkles on your neck from texting too much? You probably have. It is also no secret that our posture affects our neck and spinal alignment. Similarly, our facial habits affect our facial symmetry.
The face has 45 muscles – are you using them?
So, right off the bat, it made us feel secure that the Face Yoga Method survey took into consideration our habits along with our age. It also mentions that the face has 45 muscles, so you need to work on most of them to really tone your face.
That being said, the method goes beyond just alignment and aging. The book, YouTube testimonials and digital classes all assist you in understanding how we treat our face and ourselves. It’ll make you privy to all these details you never would have noticed. We were quite impressed.
At its core, yoga is about mindfulness and relaxation. Dealing with minimal stress can show on our face in negative ways. The body, mind, and face are all connected. Correcting symmetry, eating well and relaxing is ultimately the philosophy of the method. And we think it’s a good starting point, too.
Going about the Face Yoga Method
If you have already bought the book or the online 28-day challenge package, it isn’t hard to get started. Fumiko recommends that the Face Yoga method not take a large part of your day. Rather, like brushing your teeth, it should become a habit that lasts 2 to 3 minutes.
The method is to be practiced twice a day. Early in the day, face yoga works to activate your endorphins and lymphatic drainage. The second time is before sleeping, to de-stress and release tension in your face. The key to the practice is making it a time for yourself.
Face Yoga is after all easy to do alone and at home, so set up a good few minutes for your “me-time” and treat the toning of your face as a relaxing meditation session.
The Face Yoga Method Book
An Amazon bestseller, the book is without a doubt the best text we’ve come across on the practice of face yoga. The book itself is split into 4 parts.
- The first section generally explains face yoga as an effective method of generating beauty from the inside out. It also lists out fundamental wellness steps important to mindfulness, thus preparing you for face yoga.
- The second section of the book focuses on exercises. The list of yoga poses outline is exhaustive. There are more than 50 exercises that cover everything from a warm-up to complete facelifts to cooling down at the end, with every facial muscle covered in detail.
- The third section, our favorite, is for target areas and involves acupuncture as well as face yoga for those on-the-go.
- The closing section discusses good skin philosophy as complementary to face yoga practice. This section includes skin-benefiting food recipes, skincare, the crucial “Splash Your Face 100 Times” method as well as bonus advice on how to keep your skin young and healthy.
Our verdict? The book is a must-read for anybody interested in face yoga.
A Holistic Package: The Face Yoga Method
Before you dive deep into the Face Yoga Method, we suggest taking the aging habits quiz. It is a very good questionnaire that looks into your daily habits and what face yoga does to stop negative effects. After the survey, you will get a healthy list of what best suits you based on the method. Valued at over $100, the lifetime access Face Yoga Method package generally comes out to just around $20 or so (at least it did for me, after doing the survey).
The total order includes lifetime access to the “Beauty in Symmetry” Face Yoga Method 28-Day Challenge. For 28 days, you practice yoga on every detail of your face catered to the habits you’ve outlined in your survey.
Also included is a “10 Minute All Over Toning Routine” which is a series of exercises that you can do along with Fumiko. It is far more comforting to have her as a partner as you do various yoga poses to help reduce lines and wrinkles on your face.
You will also receive a bonus video on the “Seven Habits That Age You,” an informative video on the unconscious habits that add to premature facial wrinkles.
Face Yoga Method on Youtube
If signing up and paying for the full method is not for you, do not be disheartened. Fumiko has your back. Check out the Face Yoga Method Youtube channel for several free video tutorials.
We narrowed down our favorite videos based on problem areas.
Problem Area: Forehead
This video is recommended before going to bed for a tingling after-effect that encourages lymphatic drainage. It especially tackles those frown lines we all dread.
Problem Area: Nose
With over 3 million views, this popular video is geared towards reshaping and slimming down your nose. We recommend this for a relaxing and effective method towards facial alignment.
Targeting the smile lines or the nasolabial lines near our upper lips, this video is relaxing. The end effect feels like your face is moving upwards.
A Full Facelift
A little something for a full facelift: do this and you feel your face firmer within weeks. These poses are easy to do and very effective.
This video targets the so-called “smoker’s lines,” those annoying lines around the lips and mouth.
Before and After: Some Testimonials
The reason why we chose to check out the Face Yoga Method was the countless youtube testimonials (like this one). They all rave about the effectiveness of face yoga and the empowering opportunity of being a face yoga method teacher (a ‘face yogi’).
Fumiko Takatsu’s certification process for becoming a certified face yoga teacher has given countless women the chance to encourage self-care and look at beauty from inside out. The before and after Face Yoga Method pictures of practitioners stand as documented proofs that the method does, in fact, work.
So, what’s the verdict of our Face Yoga Method review? The truth is, it’s worth it. Fumiko is our face yoga hero!
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