What I Wish I Knew When I Started Face Yoga and Self-Care

Eight years ago, I thought face yoga and self-care were about turning back the clock, a natural replacement for laser treatments. I wanted glowing skin, fewer nasolabial folds, no more eye bags, and for people to stop asking if I was tired.

What I didn’t realize was this: face yoga and self-care aren’t only about erasing premature signs of aging. They’re about retraining how you carry your face, your posture, and even your emotions, creating both an outer and inner glow.

After teaching hundreds of women since then, I can honestly say the lessons I wish I had known in the beginning are the exact ones that keep beginners consistent and help intermediate students move past plateaus.

3 Beginner Mistakes (and the Fixes)

1. Over-squinting instead of engaging. Many beginners think “working the face” means big expressions or endless reps. But squinting and exaggerating can actually deepen lines and create more tension- worsening that "droopiness". ✨ Fix: Less force, more awareness. Learn to isolate the eyes with controlled movement — this reduces forehead wrinkles and under-eye puffiness without straining.

2. Skipping posture. Your face doesn’t exist in isolation, it’s supported by your neck, shoulders, and spine. A forward head or rounded shoulders can undo the best self-care and face work. ✨ Fix: Spend a few minutes stretching and aligning before you start. Lift the crown of your head, soften your shoulders, and lengthen the back of your neck. If you feel tightness, add shoulder rolls, head nods, or a gentle ear to shoulder stretch. Find the point where your head feels like it’s floating instead of weighing down on your body.

3. Expecting overnight changes. This is the toughest one. Even skincare requires about three months of consistency before results appear. Your muscles and connective tissues are no different. ✨ Fix: Commit to the ritual, not the quick win. Five minutes a day → over weeks → adds up to lasting change. Think bamboo growth: it looks like nothing is happening… until suddenly, everything shifts.

For Intermediate Students: Why Plateaus Happen

If you’ve been practicing for a while, you might ask: Why don’t I see more change?  Usually, it comes down to two things:

1. Your face evolves. Areas of tension and weakness shift over time. Your face is alive. It adapts, and so should your self-care. 💡 Breakthrough: Change up your sequence. Pay attention to spots where you feel sensitivity or tightness. Sometimes, simple consistent massage in those areas creates the biggest release. Add new angles or poses to re-challenge your muscles.

2. Habits aren’t fully integrated. If you’re still frowning at your phone or clenching your jaw during stress, those patterns can cancel out your progress. 💡 Breakthrough: Pair your practice with habit checks. Every time you sip water, check your tongue posture. Every time you text, release the furrows. These small “in-between” moments move your results forward.

Final Thought

What I wish I knew in the beginning is this: face yoga and self-care aren’t beauty hacks, they’re daily rituals of awareness. They teach you to notice where you’re holding tension, how your posture shapes your face, and how micro-choices create transformation.

You don’t need to catch yourself every time. But imagine if you could notice and shift 4 out of 10 times a day, that’s when real change begins.

If you’re just starting, begin gently. If you’re further along, refresh your practice with new challenges. Either way, remember: every time you show up for your face, you’re showing up for yourself.