Yoga Lifestyle with Cristina

Lymphatic drainage and facial acupuncture

That is a mouthful, but it is what the first two videos are all about. Acupuncture can be achieved with your own touch. By arousing the areas of the face around the lymphs, the lymphs are drained, and the skin is lifted and enhanced.

Flushing lymphs

The Tanaka massage is a massage which focuses on the lymphs, flushing the waste from our lymph vessels. Less waste means a firmer face, less puffy skin. By massaging from the ears down to the neck and collarbone, you are flushing out a lot of toxins. This is a great starting point. With a few simple movements, you can flush out a lot of toxins from your skin, and begin to relax and soothe your facial skin.

Lymph nodes positions

Parotid lymph nodes are located in front of and behind our ears. These nodes can affect facial skin immensely. If they are not taken care of, then your skin can swell and become less firm.

Improving contours and preventing sagging

When you massage your cheeks and push them in an upward direction, you are reducing the fat and cellulite in that area. Our tip, when massaging your cheeks, is to be firm. This is not a massage to immediately relax your face, it is one to stimulate it, and you need to apply pressure if you are going to remove the fat. Massaging around the nose will help to lift the skin in that area.

Additional points

When we watched the videos, we found the technique to be rather simple (as long as we followed the method exactly). We liked that it took a relatively short amount of time. With a little practice, we were able to achieve the desired effect in five minutes. Let us talk about this for a second. What is the desired effect? We have talked about how you should perform the massage and why. You will have watched the videos and seen how to perform the massage yourself. What we want to mention, is how you should feel at the end of the massage. As we have said before, this massage is not one which will relax the face. You should apply pressure to your face as you are massaging. The end result should not be one of pain, but it should also not feel as if your face has not been touched. Aim for a tingling feeling when you are done.

Q: How often should this massage be done?

This massage can be done daily. We would recommend first thing in the morning or last thing before bed.

Q: What type of massage cream should I use?

We would recommend a cream which does not absorb into the skin too quickly. Two of our favorites are sweet almond oil and coconut oil.