Yoga & Pranayama for healthy & glowing Skin
Dr.Yogesh Chavan, M.D.(Ayu.)

Beautiful glowing skin is dream of every woman. If you are in search of remedy for beautiful ageless skin, then Yoga & Pranayama is one of them. Many researchers have proven that yoga has positive effects on the skin & regular practice of some yoga postures & pranayama makes skin look healthy & glowing.
Pranayama is a breathing exercise which directly targets your respiratory system and corrects its functioning by removing unwanted energy blocks along with it purifies your blood.

Pranayama for healthy & glowing skin includes -
- Bhastrika, Anulom Vilom Pranayam & Kapalbhati Pranayam.

Bhastrika-

Bhastrika pranayama is also called as Breath of Fire & it involves forceful breathing. Bhastrika Pranayama increases oxygen supply to the skin & also clears out toxins accumulated in blood through forceful expiration resulting in healthy glowing skin. That is why Bhastrika is called as best pranayama for healthy & glowing skin.

How to do it-

Sit in Vajrasana or Padmasana (legs crossed), take a deep breath & then exhale forcefully with help of abdominal muscles, while doing this concentrate your mind on your breaths. Remember to keep your shoulders, chest, head, and neck still while your belly moves.
After doing 10 bhastrika take a break for 10 to 20 seconds & then continue for next 2 to 3 minutes.

Benefits of Bhastrika-
1. Helps to correct digestion.
2. Helps to clear blockages in respiratory passage, chest and the nose.
3. Improves metabolism.
4. Stimulates all the organs.
5. increases oxygen supply to the skin

Anulom Vilom Pranayam-
Anulom Vilom is the excellent breathing technique to balance vata , pitta & kapha Tridoshas. Balance of these tri-doshas is important for health, immunity & healthy glowing skin. Anuloma Viloma Pranayam is very simple but has a powerful impact on your body, mind & soul and a good Pranayama for healthy & glowing skin. It clears and opens the channels for good circulation & helps to remove all the toxins from your body.

How to do it-
Seat in Padmasana and breathe in through left nostril while keeping the other blocked with the thumb of right hand. Take a pause for few seconds then close left nostril with forth finger of right hand & exhale through right nostril. Again take breath though right nostril & exhale through left. Continue this procedure for some time.

Benefits of Anulom Viloma-
-Cleanses the lungs and the respiratory tract.
-Balances tri doshas in body.
-Restores balance in the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
-Clears all energy channels.

Kapalbhati Pranayama-

Kapalbhati is also called as the skull-shining breath. Kapal means skull or head and Bhati has meaning of lightning, shining or illuminating. Gherand Samhita says Kapalbhati is very important process for body purification before Yoga & Pranayama. It eliminates toxins from body resulting in opening of energy channels & increases oxygen supply to all vital organs & skin, which results in healthy & glowing skin.

How to do it-
Sit upright in Padmasana or Vajrasana take a deep breath through nostrils. Then exhale forcefully through mouth. Repeat procedure in speed by passive inhalation followed by active forceful exhalation through mouth by contracting abdominal muscles & drawing navel upwards. Repeat this cycle for 20 to 30 seconds then take a break for 10 to 20 seconds. Continue this cycle again for 4 to 5 minutes.

Benefits of Kapalbhati-
-Eliminates toxins from blood
-Clears respiratory track
-Boosts the oxygen in the cells, thereby purifying the blood.
-Improves digestion.

Yoga for healthy & glowing skin -
Following asanas makes skin healthy & glowing by improving blood flow to the nerves present underneath your face that aids in skin cell renewal. Practice these asanas daily at least for 15 to 20 minutes to achieve desired effects.

Halasana-

Halasana is one of the best Yoga for healthy & glowing skin. This asana helps to improve your digestive process that is essential for glowing and healthy skin.

How to do it-
Lie on your back & relax your muscles. Keep palms facing downwards, then slowly raise both legs upwards & make them straight. After this, try to touch legs to the floor behind your head. Hold this position for 1 to 2 minutes & then release slowly to come to your original position.

Benefits of Halasana-
-massages the digestive organs, and therefore, improves digestion and regulates appetite.
-It regulates metabolism and helps in weight loss.
-It is an excellent asana for diabetic patients because it normalizes the blood sugar levels.
- It gives the spine and shoulders a good stretch.

Matsyasana-
Matsyasana is also called as Fish Pose. It is also called the fish pose that promotes healthy skin by improving the functions of the thyroid, pineal, and pituitary glands and normalizes the hormones.

How to do it-
Sit in Dandasana (Staff pose), relax your muscles. Slowly roll onto your back. Relax your head by placing on the ground and make an arch by your back as well as raise your chest also(making an arch of back & lifting of the chest is depend on your ability). Keep on your mind don’t rest your head completely on the ground try to place your crown part on the floor. Hold this position for 1 to 2 minutes then release slowly.

Benefits of Matsyasana-
-Activates thyroid & pineal glands which are important for metabolism.
-Releases energy by activating channels.
-Relieves tension in your neck, throat, and shoulders
- Stretches and tones the front of your neck and your abdominals.

Trikonasana-
It is also known as Triangle pose. It is by far the best yoga for glowing skin that opens up the lungs, chest and heart and supplies more oxygen to the skin so that your skin feels refreshed and rejuvenated. This pose also restores the equilibrium of the body and the mind.

How to do it-
Stand erect. Now, keep distance between your legs about 3 to 4 feet
Extend your arms at the shoulder level. Inhale and raise your right arm by the side of your head. Now, bend your right arms with exhaling towards the left side by keeping your body weight equally on both the feet. You should ensure that the right arm become parallel to the ground.
Hold position as per your comfort with normal breathing and come to the original position by inhaling. Do the same procedure with the left arm. Perform three to five rounds of Trikonasana.

Benefits of Trikonasana-
- Opens up the lungs, chest and heart and supplies more oxygen to the skin so that your skin feels refreshed and rejuvenated.
- Reduces back pain & improves flexibility of spine.
- Reduce neck, knees and shoulders stiffness.

Yoga is all about increasing your harmony with nature and staying close to the earth. Some Diet & regimen for healthy glowing skin also need to follow in combination with these yoga asanas and pranayama in order to have naturally glowing skin. If everything followed properly these are best yogasana for healthy & glowing skin.

Sarve santu Niramaya.!

-Dr.Yogesh Chavan, M.D.(Ayu.)
Nashik (India) ,

Author's Bio: 

Dr.Yogesh Chavan is renowned Ayurveda physician from Nashik(India). He is also a passionate blogger with the motto to spread ayurveda science to community. He is spreading ayurveda & health knowledge through articles in many newspapers & his blog – www.ayushmanbhavayurveda.com . He is expert in Ayurveda medicine & panchakarma treatment. https://ayushmanbhavayurveda.business.site/ His work & sound knowledge in this field has been acknowledged by many institutes.