Deeply associated with Indian culture and spirituality, yoga is undoubtedly one of the most healthy and trending practices worldwide.
Yoga is known to give you a flexible and fit body, but did you know your time on the mat can also help your skin? There are some yoga poses that can help you attain that charming glow on your skin.
Yoga is known to destress your body, reduce tension and bring flexibility. There are many poses that also take care of your skin and give you a natural glow and texture. A basic pranayama daily can help firm up and tighten the skin. It can also boost collagen and reduce the appearance of fine lines.
The practice can improve flexibility, strength, sleep quality, and overall well-being.
When an individual performs yoga, the blood circulation in their body gets improved, which means more oxygen and lesser free radicals. Also, fresh blood imparts a warm glow to the cheeks. Besides, yoga flushes out toxins, and the body is toned.
With more people understanding the benefits of yoga in various aspects of their life, I would like to introduce you to our favourite side of yoga as beauty buffs — the skin benefits!
Here are a few asanas to practice regularly to achieve a healthy, rejuvenated glow on your skin.
Padmasana, which means ‘Lotus throne’, is an asana that helps you relax your mind. Lotus pose is an established meditative asana in Hindu, Jain and Buddhist traditions where a person sits in a cross-legged posture placing his/her feet on the opposite thighs.
Padmasana calms down your brain and relieves your stress making it amazing for healthy glowing skin. Padmasana also relieves menstrual pain. When the blood flow in your skin is improved, it glows naturally and it gets easier for the skin to absorb the nutrients you consume from food. Proper circulation also detoxes your skin, which solves problems like excess oil or dryness.
The lotus pose also encourages the digestive process and tones sacral nerves by increasing the flow of blood.
Tadasana: This basic posture contains the secrets of how to hold yourself in countless other poses. Known as ‘Mountain Pose’, it acts as the foundation for all other standing yoga postures. it helps to concentrate on deep and rhythmic breathing, which is one of the essential components for healthy skin.
This asana is vital for all those who wish to have a radiant and glowing complexion by practising yoga poses. This asana can be practiced any time of the day. The foundational posture asks you to stand upright with your feet facing forward parallel to each other and your arms at your sides, palms facing forward. But there’s actually a lot to pay attention to in the basic pose.
It is best to avoid this asana if you are experiencing headaches, insomnia and low blood pressure.
Halasana: This yoga pose is effective in improving the overall blood circulation of the body. It helps you feel relaxed and calm, and the positive effect reflects on your skin too.
If you have trouble sleeping, this asana will definitely help you since it improves blood circulation giving you a calm and relaxed body that will reflect on your face and skin. It is also called ‘Plow Pose’, and it is the best asana for attaining naturally healthy glowing skin. It assists in improving the digestive process, which is vital for glowing and healthy skin. It also heals lower back and hip pain and boosts metabolism.
Halasana also works on your core muscle to give you a toned abdomen.
Lying on your back, raise both legs above the stomach. Bend your body and try to extend your legs above the head to touch the ground with the toes. Hold this posture for 10-15 seconds, relax for a minute and repeat.
Bhujangasana: This type of asana reflects a cobra’s posture — one which has a raised hood. It’s a great asana for increasing flexibility and strength in your back, arms, and shoulders.
Practicing this pose every day will also help you stay relaxed and elevate your mood, leading to smoother skin. If you find your skin rough and often feel stiff, then Bhujangasana or simply known as the Cobra Pose is for you. This yoga pose helps reduce the stiffness in the back and shoulders.
Lie flat on your stomach and place your head on the ground.
The hands are placed near the body while the palms touch the ground. The legs are to be kept straight and palms firmly pressed against the floor. The arms should be straightened as one inhales and the chest lifted as one follows the upper back. The hips are to be kept steady and this position is to be retained for a duration of 15-20 seconds and then released.
Doing this pose helps with premature ageing, acne, psoriasis and helps in improving your overall skin and body health.
Anulom Vilom Pranayama or The Nadi Shodhan pranayama: Pranayamas are the most effective way of keeping the skin young and healthy. They ensure proper blood circulation and keep the skin glowing.
Pranayama is a breathing exercise that helps clear blocked energy channels called nadis and thus calming the mind. Alternate nostril breathing helps to purify the blood and oxygenation is better resulting in a natural facial skin glow.
Pranayama or breath control is a purification technique that directly targets your respiratory system and corrects its functioning by removing unwanted energy blocks.
Regular yoga practise, pranayama, and meditation aid you in reversing the signs of ageing, including wrinkles, saggy skin, crow’s feet and fine lines.
Pranayam helps purifying the blood because of the increased intake of oxygen, which is very crucial for improving immunity. Yoga is one of the most effective and time-tested natural immunity boosters that can lead to a healthy, sickness-free body.
Mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure and enhanced cognitive function.
Those who regularly practice yoga and meditation have a certain glow about them that comes from within and radiates outward. Yoga helps lower stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs and respiratory tract, stimulating the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body, and bringing oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function, which helps us to remain healthy and attain inner beauty.
Mindfulness meditation can have benefits for health and performance, including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure and enhanced cognitive function. Meditation produces more antibodies in people. It significantly increases left-sided, anterior brain activation (pattern indicating positive emotions) in meditators (compared to non-meditating controls) and this activity is associated with the rise in antibodies.
The practice of yoga may greatly aid in helping you look more youthful and refreshed.
I have always said a strong immune system, good health and beauty are complimentary to each other. You cannot reflect true beauty unless you are healthy from the inside. Good health must be on top of the list for flawless skin, shiny hair, and a slim figure. In fact, I promoted the Ayurvedic principles of holistic health, with yoga as an integral part of the programme. This concept of holistic beauty care was unique and caught on worldwide. I believe that yoga is very relevant to our modern lifestyle, in terms of both health and beauty. It has been a part of my life, and I have experienced its numerous benefits.
The appeal of Yoga lies in the fact that it helps both body and mind. It not only works on all muscle groups but also increases vitality, tones the internal organs, stimulates the nerve centres, relieves stress and clears the mind, boosting immunity and gives you attractive personality and beauty from within.
Although it is an ancient Indian discipline, it has gained relevance as a means of attaining a well-balanced personality and delaying the visible signs of ageing. The other important aspect of yoga is that it involves breath control and specifies the inhalation and exhalation of breath during the exercises.
Thus, it helps oxygenation that boosts immunity and imparts a feeling of physical and mental exhilaration. This is so important for beauty because feeling good is an integral part of looking good.
Yoga improves blood circulation, including the circulation of blood to the skin surface. This is so important for the good health of the skin, as it helps to supply essential nutrients to the skin. It also promotes the removal of toxins through the skin which boost immunity. This is so important, especially in cases of skin congestion. It tones the skin, improves oxygenation to the skin, imparts a beautiful glow and keeps the skin youthful and free from problems.
The same goes for the hair. Yoga helps to promote blood circulation and oxygenation to the scalp and hair follicles. This helps to supply nutrients in the bloodstream to the hair follicles. It promotes hair growth and keeps the scalp healthy.
When we talk of beauty, we do not talk only about the beauty of the face. It also includes the figure, giving it suppleness, good posture and grace. Where appearance is concerned, a slim figure can take years off and helps in staying youthful for a longer time. It supplies oxygen to every tissue and this, itself makes way for both health and beauty.
If you are leading a life that does not provide enough physical activity, you are actually encouraging ageing. Exercise is a potent remedy for premature ageing not only because it strengthens the body, but also keeps it looking trim, fit and enhances immunity. The yogic asanas are designed to keep the spine and joints flexible and supple. They make the body strong and agile, tone the muscles, improve blood circulation, impart vitality and enhance both beauty and good health.
Many beauty problems are triggered off by stress. Since yoga helps to induce relaxation and reduce stress, it certainly helps in dealing with stress-related conditions like acne, hair loss, dandruff, etc. Studies conducted on those who practise yoga have shown that positive changes also occur in personality, attitude, emotional stability and self-confidence. It has a direct effect on the mind, emotions and mood. In fact, it is a regular stress-buster and puts the glow back on the skin. You will feel instantly rejuvenated and good about yourself.
Indeed, the benefits of yoga reflect external beauty. For flawless skin, shiny hair and a slim, graceful figure, make yoga a part of your daily life.
