The Unexpected Result of Saying “Yes” to Yourself
Today I want to share with you one of the most valuable -- but totally unexpected -- side effects I personally experienced when I first started practicing face yoga...
First, a little background: My first career was as a television news reporter and anchor in a small Midwestern city. I ran around town in my cute, fitted suits and matching pumps on the "health beat" and reported the day's news at 6 and 10 every night. My hair was artificially blonde (because ALL news women were blonde in the early 90s) and my eyes were artificially blue (to match the hair). I even wore acrylic nails.
Little me (and my shoulder pads), circa 1993!
My entire persona was centered on how I looked. And I had spent years pouring money into maintaining this largely phony "look". These expenditures were not "investments". They were hard costs. And they added up and up, the older I got.
So when i discovered face yoga in my late 40's (many years after I had left television), I was thrilled to finally find a way to invest in myself in a meaningful and lasting way.
Yes, I noticed the physical changes—smoother skin, more defined cheekbones, that natural glow that comes from improved circulation. But what surprised me most about adopting this practice was something far more profound: the confidence that came from taking my appearance "into my own hands" to to speak.
For the first time, I was learning a beauty "skill" instead of buying a beauty "treatment". And I could see that this was a skill that would become part of me forever, something no one could take away.
There's something deeply empowering about that shift.
Instead of depending on external solutions, I started developing my own expertise. Instead of slathering on more expensive makeup (and hoping a facial would "fix" the acne it caused), I was learning to care for myself in a much more sustainable way. Instead of feeling like a victim of aging, I was taking an active, loving role in how I aged.
That's the unexpected gift of investing in yourself through practices like face yoga: It changes not just how you look, but how you see yourself and how you move through the world.
Teaching Face Yoga in 2024
In my experience, when you invest in learning rather than just purchasing, when you develop skills rather than accumulating products, when you practice self-care that aligns with your values rather than fighting against your nature—something profound happens to your relationship with yourself.
🍃 You stop feeling like aging is happening TO you and start feeling like you're actively participating in your own wellness
🍃 You develop a sense of mastery and competence that radiates from the inside out
🍃 You create a daily practice of self-connection and self-appreciation
🍃 You model for others (daughters, granddaughters, friends) what it looks like to age with intention and grace
This confidence isn't about looking years younger—it's about feeling more fully yourself.
That kind of transformation doesn't happen because face yoga is magic (though sometimes it feels that way!). It happens because when we invest in ourselves thoughtfully and consistently, we are reminding ourselves of our own worth.
We remember that we deserve care and attention—not because we've earned it through some impossible beauty standard, but simply because we exist.
We remember that our faces are worthy of love and appreciation, not constant criticism and correction.
We remember that taking time to invest in ourselves and learn a new skill isn't selfish—it's an essential part of becoming our best selves.