Exerssage is a facial yoga treatment and self-massage technique. It is used to relieve tension to the jaw, and the muscles of the head, face, and neck. Also known as StarFace Exerssage, the therapy combines breathing practices with 24 cranial and facial yoga postures to ease the skin and muscles of the face. It is combined with acupuncture pulsing and contouring through sound, and relieves the sources of facial aging.
As a theraputic practice, exerssage is practiced in three different exercises. The first consists of self-massage movements to firm the cheeks, tone under the eyelids, relax jaw tension, and balance a crooked smile. The second exercise reshapes the eyelids, corrects frown and forehead lifting, and relaxes other tensions. The third exercise tones under the chin and neck, relaxes the forehead, and defines lip shape.
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The facial tension that exerssage seeks to alleviate can be accumulated in many ways, from improper balance, to cramped conditions on an airplane, to an uncomfortable position watching television or reading a book. These facial tensions are the primary cause for a prematurely aged face, and the goal of exerssage is to help reverse these effects by massaging the face back into its balanced and natural form. The massages are complimented by holding the yoga postures to further reinforce the position of the face.
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Exerssage has been used as an alternative to facial surgery or botox, and helps the muscles of the face retone. Exerssage massages help the face reduce tension and allow for a better circulation of blood and oxygen. A healthier face with more blood and oxygen is better able to restore its proper appearance. The acupuncture pulsing helps to flex the face into the postures during the breathing exercises, and the contouring re-teaches the face the natural, healthy state of its muscles.
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The tension of the jaw produces tension through the rest of the face and neck, because the jaw muscle is the largest and most dominant muscle of the face, connecting to nearly all of the other muscles in the region. The reducing of jaw tension through exerssage reduces the tension on the other parts of the face and neck, and makes for a healthier facial and cranial posture.
Sabrina Stevens is the most renowned exerssage therapist. She began practicing in Hawaii in the 1970s, and has produced some of the most popular exerssage treatments, such as the luscious lip massage and the lip smoother exerssage. She is the creator of StarFace, a holistic health and beauty program, and has dubbed exerssage the “natural face lift.”