Discovering the benefits of Funny Face Yoga

The plank, the downward facing dog, the cobra pose: I’m familiar with these common body poses since I’ve done yoga, but Funny Face Yoga is something new to me.

I thought it was just child’s play, since you’re basically making yourself look silly by doing funny facial expressions, but apparently there’s a science behind it, just like the traditional yoga.

The first time I encountered Funny Face Yoga was at demonstration of basic techniques by Vivien Tan, a former model who is now a Kundalini Yoga teacher.

Vivien Tan demonstrates a Funny Face Yoga breathing exercise, which involves sticking your tongue out as far as you can. Photos: Snow Caps

Tan shared three basic exercises to get us started: breathing exercises, kissing exercises, and eye exercises. I found all easy to perform and very doable. I could even imagine myself doing such exercises while at my work desk. “It’s an opportunity for people who have not had any exposure to yoga to at least try and have a tip of the iceberg,” said Tan, who added that anyone can do funny face yoga because it is easy to research online.

“The fact that it’s funny and crazy and a little bit kooky kind of makes you smile and you might even laugh out loud. [It's] a good thing when you feel good about yourself and you’re able to laugh. You actually are already radiating a more positive beauty. When you see somebody with a smile on their face, they’re already instantly beautiful,” said Tan.

Those who live sedentary lifestyles like me—always in front of the computer and not spending enough time in the gym—might find this a good starting point to get in the habit of exercise.

However, “Funny Face Yoga is not the be-all, end-all,” said Tan. She suggests doing it in conjunction with other activities that complement a healthy lifestyle such as eating more nutritious foods, drinking plenty of fluids, working out, and other related activities.

“Having said that, Funny Face Yoga can give you immediate effects. You’re smiling,” she said.

After doing the kissing exercise for at least one to two minutes, she added, “The blood flow to your lips is bringing fresh nutrients on a cellular level to your skin there, the muscles are exercised around there, and your palate will be fuller, and your fine lines and wrinkles will actually be fuller, too.”

The kissing exercise: pucker up with loud, noisy sounds while imagining that you're kissing a loved one.

There’s no hard and fast rule with Funny Face Yoga. You can choose one movement and concentrate on doing it for the next couple of weeks. Or you can learn all the movements and do them religiously every day. Whatever works for you is best. There’s no bad thing that can come from this.

 Funny Face Yoga would be especially helpful to students who stay up studying all night, or call center employees who are always bombarded with negative energy at work, or performing artists who need exercises to help them articulate.

Eventually, Tan plans to have pop-up classes in places where people would appreciate it the most—schools, universities, and offices. But even without the classes, you can start doing it at home.

I, myself, have been practicing specific movements and found that they helped me release tension, lessen the tightening of my face, de-stress and smile more. Even without attending a formal class or following all the steps, it has already achieved its effect on me as I feel more positive already. Now, let’s see if my fine lines and wrinkles diminish in a few weeks’ time. — BM, GMA News