Happy New Year! I promised you last time that I would share some ancient yogic wisdom for staying wrinkle free and these ideas are
Cow Face provides a great stretch for the buttocks, hips and groin
certainly cheaper than Botox!
My number one choice for anti-aging yoga is the Lion posture (Simhasana). This is definitely one to be done in the privacy of your own home (or at yoga class where everyone else is also doing it!) so I’m going to sell it to you first….amongst other things it strengthens wrists and pelvic floor, it tones the neck, throat and jowl area, firms facial skin, releases tension and clears the mind.
Here goes with the instructions then:
Sit on your heels, big toes together, knees apart.
Rest your hands on the floor with the finger tips facing you (adjust as necessary if your arms / wrists are not happy to rotate)
Inhale, feeling your spine lengthen, but keep sitting on your heels, lifting your chin slightly.
With your next exhalation, stick your tongue out as far as you comfortably can, opening your eyes wide (you can even take your gaze to the space between your eyebrows) and roar like the lion 🙂
Relax, breathing naturally for a couple of breaths, before repeating.
I promise you, this is a real yoga move and not one I’ve made up for fun!! Great if you suffer from sore throats too.
In yogic tradition, it is said that “…for the one who practices shoulder stand, time is reversed”. I have to be honest they are referring to some deeper energetic principles here and not really looking for an alternative to a face lift, that said, it is a great way of boosting all the systems of the body, toning muscles, improving circulation especially to the head and face, and giving us a good clean out, plus wrinkles miraculously disappear when you’re upside down 🙂 . There are many, many benefits to practicing inverted postures but they do come with a few contra-indications, so before you add these to your home yoga routine, do check first that you are OK to practice them and you know how to do them safely – your Inside Out tutor will be able to advise you.
Another of my favourite youth enhancing poses is Face of the Cow (see photo). It’s the arms in particular that are of interest. Taking your arm behind your back is one of the tests to see what your physiological age is (ie to test how fast you are aging!), so make sure you do adequate shoulder warm ups, and use a strap if your fingers do not connect behind your back and practice every day. I promise you will quickly see a great improvement. This is not a posture to be done if you have a history of shoulder dislocation and being careful if your shoulders are a problem.
All breathing practices will help to release worry lines, with alternate nostril breathing being of particular use. Whilst the best anti aging tool of all is meditation. It has been proven that a daily meditation practice increases the amount of the so-called youth hormone DHEA. I’ve written plenty about meditation, so do take a look at previous blogs, and just do it. The hardest thing about meditation is often just getting started. Commit to sitting for just 5 minutes first thing in the morning, you’ll soon find you want to sit for longer.
My final anti-aging tool is my old favourite salt water nasal washing. Amongst all it’s other wonderful benefits, it also keeps your face looking youthful! Especially good for lightening dark patches under the eyes. I really cannot understand why the whole nation is not washing out their nostrils 🙂
Enjoy your practice. Ix
PS. I am taking no responsibility if you practice these regularly and are then repeatedly asked for ID to prove your age 😉