YOGA FOR HEALTHY COMPLEXION

Yoga is an ancient and integrated practice that not only keeps us physically fit, but also helps in other aspects such as pain relief, stress relief etc. Yoga also plays an important role in maintaining healthy complexion of the skin.

Skin is the index of healthy body. A glowing and flawless skin is an indication of fit body and peaceful mind.

OBSTACLES FOR HEALTHY SKIN:

• Over exposure to sun
• Poor blood circulation. Blood circulation is the main necessity for the healthy skin.
• Unhealthy eating habits leading to insufficient nutrition.
• Frequent intake of tea, coffee, sugar, soft drinks etc.
• Improper digestion or constipation.
• Perspiration is an important requirement for the healthy skin. But due to improper cleansing, dust particles get accumulated on the skin and lead to the closure of sweat glands. Due to this perspiration can’t take place properly.

Use of yoga for healthy complexion:

• Detoxification is essential for healthy complexion.
• Yoga helps to remove toxins from the body (detoxification) and improves blood circulation .This helps in optimum absorption of nutrients from the food.
• Yoga provides natural glow to the skin by balancing hormones.
• Yoga also helps in the promotion of oxygen rich blood to the skin (main reason for healthy complexion).
• Dehydration is the reason for dry and unhealthy skin. Yoga helps in preventing dehydration.
• Yoga activates the functioning of all internal organs especially endocrine glands.

YOGA POSES FOR HEALTHY COMPLEXION:

FACE MASSAGE:

• Sit on the floor, with your eyes closed and rub your palms vigorously for warmth.
• With your fingers next to each other, place finger tips on eyebrows.
• Now moving from left to right and right to left press your eyebrows. Repeat this several times.
• Move up your fingers an inch every time until you reach your hairline.
• Now, placing your hand on the nose, move your hands as if you are wiping your tears. Repeat this several times.
• Next, open the mouth wider, press the palms in to your jaw (near ear lobes) and palms are moved as small circles.
• With the help of your finger tips, press your chin towards cheeks.
• All the above steps are repeated 3-5 times in a circular manner.

TADASANA(mountain pose):

• This is a simpler standing pose.
• This pose mainly focuses on breathing which is very important for healthy skin.
• During this pose care should be taken that one should not breathe into their throats.
• Taking oxygen in to the body and breathing out of the body helps in removal of toxins.

SURYANAMASKARA:

• Stand straight with your legs close together and palms joined in front of chest.
• Exhale completely and now by raising your hands above the head, inhale and bend backwards.
• Exhale and bend forward.
• Inhale, by supporting yourself on hands and left leg, extend your right leg as far as possible.
• Now, exhale and bring your left leg also to the position of right leg such that your body rests on hands. The body should be straight.
• Exhale and make your body touch the floor.
• Now, inhale, raise your head and trunk slightly.
• Exhale keeping your arms and feet touching the floor.
• See that your head hangs between two hands. Now inhale and bring right leg forward and look up.
• Keep the left leg extended backward.
• Now, bring the left leg forward and bend up your waist.
• Inhale and raise the trunk. The arms are raised over the head with arms joined.
• By exhaling bring arms down together to the sides slowly.
• By this one round, the surya namaskar gets completed.

DHANURASANA (bow pose):

• Slowly bring your forehead rest on the floor by lying on the stomach.
• Now bend your knees until they touch stomach.
• Now with the help of your arms get hold of your ankles and raise your head and torso.
• See that abdomen bears your weight.
• Hold the pose as long as you can and return to the position with forehead resting on the floor.

PAVANAMUKTASANA (wind releasing pose):

• With legs stretched out and arms on the sides lie on your back with palms rested on the ground.
• Inhale and lift your legs up.
• The legs are folded at the knee and are brought near the chin.
• The knees and ankles of both the legs are brought together.
• The arms are wrapped around the knees.
• Try to catch the elbows of both hands.
• With your forehead try to touch the knees.
• Try to maintain the pose for some time with normal breathe.
• Now return to the normal position by first bringing back your neck down, releasing knees and bringing arms on the sides.
• Inhale and lift your legs 90 degrees to the ground.
• Exhale and bring back the legs to the ground.

PRANAYAMA FOR HEALTHY COMPLEXION:

The below mentioned exercises should be practiced at least for 5 minutes each on empty stomach.

BHASTRIKA:

A good volume of air is inhaled through the nose and exhaled. This is very simple and a form of warm up exercise.

Anulom Vilom:

The air is inhaled from one nostril and exhaled from the   other. While inhaling from one nostril, the other should be closed with thumb and the thumb should be removed while exhaling.

KAPHALBHATTI:

In this the air is blown out for detoxification. The speed out of blowing out should be moderate.

SHITLIKUMBHAK:

This is an extremely useful pranayama for skin. The facial wrinkles get reduced and blood gets purified by this. To perform this, tongue is folded in such a way that it comes out a little from mouth. Through the mouth air is inhaled and coolness is felt in the neck while inhaling. The breath is swallowed and held inside stomach for few seconds before it gets exhaled through the nose.

YOGIC TIPS FOR HEALTHY SKIN:

• Take as much as water as you can in a day as it hydrates the skin and removes skin. Water also helps in free bowel movement.
• Be happy and be laughing all the time.
• Avoid taking non nutritious food.
• Maintain healthy life style.
• The skin should be cleaned regularly.
• Avoid over exposure to sun.
• Eight hours sleep is very compulsory as restless mind affects overall health.
• It’s good to have body massage regularly .Oil massage improves blood circulation and improves health of the skin.