Stretch and tone: Claims of health benefits draw participants to face yoga

The prospect of reducing wrinkles naturally has people flocking to a face yoga class in Prince Albert.

"I've taken chair yoga, laughter yoga and when I saw the advertisement for face yoga, I just thought it would be really interesting to try out," said participant Sheryl Jarvis.

She had heard about the benefits of exercise for the facial muscles and wanted to try it out, she said.

Instructor Judy Turcotte is helping people strengthen their faces to minimize worry lines, wrinkles and sagging in a public class once a week at the Prince Albert Seniors Heritage Centre.

An advertisement for the course claims you can see improvements in as "little as eight weeks."

Turcotte became a certified instructor in the Fumiko Takatsu face yoga method during the pandemic. She noticed a lifting effect and lessening of creases, but most of all she liked how it made her feel and she wanted to help others achieve that joy, she said. 

"Today we live in a very stressful world and if there's anything we can do to help us to feel better I think it's important to share because I know it makes me feel good."

The method exercises 60 major and minor muscles in the face. It incorporates facial exercises, body posture, breath work and mindfulness. Some of the exercises promote muscle relaxation and lymphatic drainage.

"Benefits are just like you're exercising your body; you also need to exercise your face. So when you exercise your face, it brings in circulation, it brings in blood flow, nutrients come in and so when you do that you're more equipped to be able to work the muscles," Turcotte said.

The class begins with a lesson on posture. Elongating your spine helps the exercises work better, opens your chest and improves facial appearance, she said.

Turcotte teaches an evening stress-reliever routine and morning routine. She said regular facial exercises help define the jawline and cheekbones. 

Fumiko Takatsu, 56, is the founder of the face yoga method. She said she began her practice more than 22 years ago after a car accident that left her body and face out of alignment.

She started teaching face yoga to help others and was surprised to learn that students consistently reported it helped change the way they felt about themselves, she said.

"That was like a huge moment that I decided I want to really spread this message to, you know, people who need it," Takatsu told CBC News from her studio in California.