Have you seen models in beauty cream advertisement? Their skin looks so radiant and beautiful. We all wish to have such young and beautiful skin like they have. You can also have such healthy and beautiful skin if you really want so. It is not a very difficult task. Moreover, you need not spend lots of money buying expensive skin care products to have a healthy and flawless skin. Yoga is the solution for getting glowing and healthy skin. First of all, let us see why Pranayama is ideal for glowing skin and how pranayama can help you to get beautiful skin.
Pranayama is the regulation of the breath by following certain techniques and exercises. Pranayama provides you relief from stress, which is one of the reasons for the appearance of fine lines on the skin and for breakouts. By practicing pranayama, you can not only get rid of stress, but also remove toxins from the body. This helps in providing a radiant and healthy skin that is free from wrinkles, fine lines and breakouts.
Best Yoga Asanas and Pranayama for Beautiful Glowing Skin:
Anulom vilom(Alternate Nostril Breathing):
Anulom vilom is a Sanskrit word, which means ‘alternate nostril breathing. ’. It is easy to perform and helps in totally purifying your body and mind. When you practice this pranayama, you breathe through each nostril, alternately. Doing this exercise helps in cooling your body and provides you a glowing skin.
- Sit on the ground or a yoga mat with your legs crossed. You can sit in Padmasana pose, which is excellent for practicing this pranayama.
- Next you have to place the thumb of your right hand over your right nostril and close the nostril. Draw in air through your left nostril, as slowly as you can. continue till your lungs are full.
- Now exhale through the same nostril.
- Then you have to close your left nostril with your ring finger and inhale air very slowly through your right nostril.
- Exhale through the same nostril till your lungs are empty.
- You can keep the duration of inhalation to 2 seconds in the beginning and then go up to 20 seconds or more.
Practice this for 15 minutes daily. You can practice it two times a day, once in the early morning and once in the evening. This helps in providing you glowing skin without any blemishes.
Bhastrika Pranayama:
Bhastrika or “bellows breath” pranayama is a breathing exercise, in which the breathing pattern is quite similar to the blowing of bellows. This type of breathing helps in flushing out all toxins in the body and ensures that the body gets a fresh supply of oxygen. By practicing this pranayama, you will get a glowing and healthy skin. Do this regularly in the morning to get the best results. With regular practice you will see that you look more beautiful, and that too without spending any money in expensive beauty parlors. It is also good for treating various breathing problems.
- Sit in the floor or on a yoga mat with your legs crossed and in a comfortable position. Siddhasana, Vajrasana and Padmasana are suitable for practicing this pranayama. Place your hands on your knees and relax your body and mind.
- Keep your body erect and close your mouth.
- Now you have to breathe in forcefully through both of your nostrils. Inhale till you feel that your lungs are filled with air. After inhaling completely, exhale or breathe out through your nostrils with force, making a hissing sound as you do so. Remember that you have to apply force when you breathe in and breath out.
- When you breathe in while doing Bhastrika pranayama, you must try not to blow up your abdomen area. Instead, you must try and blow up your chest. This will give you better results. Repeat this pranayama for 6 to 10 minutes. It is important that you perform this pranayama for 5 minutes a day.
- You can do it twice a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, if the temperature is cool in the evening.
Kapalbhati kriya (Skull Shining breathing technique):
Kapal Bhati is a type of pranayama that is very effective for removing toxins from the body. Kapal means forehead and bhati means glowing. The first thing that you notice after doing this exercise is the naturally glowing skin. To start this exercise, control your breathing through counts. This helps in making your body and mind rejuvenated. Doing this pose helps in increased supply of oxygen to all parts of your body. There is an increase in the supply of blood to the head and face and as a result, you will get a radiant and glowing skin.
- Sit on a yoga mat in a cross-legged pose and make sure that you spine is held straight.
- Now you have to take a deep breath and exhale quickly. Make a puffing sound as you exhale. Concentrate on exhaling forcefully instead of giving more attention to inhalation.
- As you exhale, remember to draw your abdominal muscles inward. Make sure that your abdomen rises when you inhale and it folds when you exhale.
- You can continue for 10 breaths.
- You can practice this pranayama for 10 to 15 minutes without any discomfort.
Try to do it twice a day and you will get better results. You will see that the more you do this pranayama, the more your skin will glow from within.
Pranayama is effective for your soul and it also provides you a glowing skin without undergoing any beauty treatments. By practicing pranayama daily you can get rid of stress and tension, and become relaxed and calm. It makes you beautiful as well as radiant and glowing, making you feel new and refreshed.