Muraki Method: Self Facial Massage for a Younger Look

The Japanese Hiroi Muraki, an expert in aging, suggests simple exercises to tone the muscles around the eyes and combat fluid retention in her manual "Rejuvenate Now!"

Rejuvenate your eyes and face by performing very simple exercises to which you should dedicate just 5 minutes a day. This is what the Japanese Hiroi Muraki promises in her manual "Rejuvenate Now!" (Kitsune Books)

The author, a renowned aesthetics professional, created the Muraki method after almost 30 years of career to combat the most common signs of aging (wrinkles, bags, sagging, and loss of muscle mass) through a series of simple but effective techniques.

Exercising the muscles too much or too little causes them to tighten, pull on the bones and cause distortions in the face and body. In addition, as the years go by, blood and lymph circulation slows down, causing toxins to accumulate in the skin, making it flabby. As a result, the symptoms of aging appear, and it seems like there's no way to escape it. 

To prevent this, her exercises focus on working the muscles by pressing them vertically. According to this expert in aging, doing so stimulates the internal part to recover elasticity and improve blood and lymphatic circulation.

Exercises to rejuvenate the area around the eyes

Undoubtedly, one of the parts of the face where aging is most noticeable is the eyes. Many of the muscles around the eyes we use to gesture also help us to see well. 

The exercises we show you below are part of the manual written by Hiroi Muraki and, thanks to them, you will be able to regain firmness in the main muscle that surrounds them (the orbicularis oculi), as well as in others that also influence the general appearance of the eyes, such as the muscle that is just above the eyebrows (the superciliary) and the one in the forehead (the frontal).

These exercises not only help to rejuvenate the eyes but also reduce eyestrain.

You will mobilize areas you do not usually activate in our day-to-day life, such as the inner corner of the eyebrows. And this helps to improve blood and lymphatic circulation and to increase oxygen in the tissues.

You will relax the muscles that tend to tense more, so your eyes will gain serenity and wrinkles will be reduced.

Combat drooping eyelids

Rest your elbows on a table and place the index finger of both hands on your brow, forming a hook with it.

Drop the weight of your head on your hands to exert pressure with your index fingers. In this position, nod slightly five times and then shake another five times.

Move your finger along the line that marks the eyebrows and repeat the pressure in the central part and on the outside. Then, lower your fingers two inches and press just at the corner of your eyes.

Reduce puffiness

Looking straight ahead, rest your index and middle fingers on the arch of the eyebrow and press lightly to hold the upper eyelid in place.

Without moving the upper eyelid, lightly press the lower eyelid with the fingers of the opposite hand until it closes. If you notice the fluttering of the lower eyelid, it means that the muscle is working well. Repeat ten times and do the same with the other eye.

Improve circulation and get rid of dark circles under the eyes

Place your thumb in the crevice above the tear trough (in the bone surrounding the eyes) and your index finger on the top of your head. With your other hand, hold the bridge of your nose with your index finger and thumb, and rest your other fingers on your face.

In this position, pull the eyebrow upwards and the nose downwards. While continuing to press in both directions, move your head up and down and then sideways.

Repeat three times and do it all over again pressing the other eyebrow.

Firm the eye contour against the crow's feet

With the pads of your index and middle fingers, press your crow's feet while looking up and gently pulling the skin.

Now look straight ahead. With your fingers resting on the corner of your eyes, open them as wide as you can and, as you close them, notice the movement of the muscle. Perform ten repetitions on each side.

Release the tension that wrinkles your forehead

Place your index and middle fingers horizontally on your forehead, and gently pull upward while applying pressure.

Bring the middle finger of the other hand to the bridge of the nose, also horizontally, and slide it slightly from left to right. Massage ten times.

Now slide the middle finger to the inner corner of the right eyebrow (the one closest to the nose) and massage the area. Do the same with the left eyebrow. To make the treatment more effective, slide your forehead fingers to the same side.

Stretch the scalp

Form two fists with your hands and place them both on the forehead, in the area between the two eyebrows.

While palpating the bone, relax the frontal muscle by making circular movements from the inside out, in the same clockwise direction, until you reach the temples.

Repeat the same on the central area of the forehead and on the hairline.

You can finish by massaging the scalp, from the forehead to the crown of the head in a zigzag pattern, as if you were soaping your hair, for 15 seconds.

Final Word

Maintaining firm and radiant facial skin depends on your diet, genetics, daily habits, and massage. 

The Muraki method is one of the most effective self-massage facial treatments that will boost your skin glow in 5 minutes a day.