In today’s modern world, everybody wants youthful and healthy skin. Anti-aging creams and facial treatment masks are often not enough. If you want to look and feel younger without costly treatments or surgery, try pranayama for healthy skin. Pranayama works through the respiratory system and helps create youthful and healthy skin by purifying the blood, increasing oxygen supplies, removing energy blocks and toxins, and by reducing stress.
The 6 best pranayama exercises for youthful and healthy skin are:
- Kapalbhati pranayama
- Anulom Vilom pranayama
- Bhastrika pranayama
- Sheetali Pranayama
- Surya Bheda Pranayama
- Dirgha pranayama
Pranayama as it is an excellent breathing exercise for overall health and quite effective if done on a daily basis. In pranayama, ”Prana” means controlling the breath. Pranayama has been used for centuries to calm the mind and solve various mental and physical problems. It not only helps the respiratory system but also removes any energy blocks. It works great in purifying the blood and increasing the supply of oxygen which results in glowing and healthy skin.
Practice pranayama along with the asanas to solve skin problems. People often experience wrinkles from a very young age due to stress and unhealthy lifestyle like smoking, alcohol, drugs, consuming junk food etc. This may result in skin problems like acne which can also occur due to improper digestion.
Combine Pranayama with Yoga Asanas for Youthful and Healthy Skin
Asanas along with pranayama help in achieving smooth and youthful skin. Yoga helps in increasing circulation of the blood to the head and face which improve skin color and tone. Various postures help in stimulating the nervous system and increasing energy levels. With the help of Pranayama, oxygen reaches every part of the body in ample amounts. One can get healthier skin if the body organs get enough oxygen without any difficulties. Pranayama helps in opening or removing blockages in the path of energy.
Go here for more about the 8 types Pranayama and their benefits.
Breathing exercises aid the respiratory system by improving its functioning and removing unwanted energy blocks. In this way, it purifies the blood and helps in creating beautiful glowing skin along with a healthy body. It provides a natural glow to the skin by flushing out toxins from the body. It regulates the digestive and excretory system which in turn helps in purification of internal system. People have so much stress nowadays. Over time, chronic stress makes the skin look dull, tired and worn out.
In addition to pranayama, yoga relaxes the mind and body and reduces stress. By reducing stress levels, yoga helps in rejuvenating and revitalizing the skin. Often, people suffer from allergies which can cause skin infection, boils or pimples. Pranayama heals allergies and skin infections by flushing out toxins from the blood. It also helps in maintaining proper blood circulation.
Pranayama and Sleep Quality
With the help of yoga and pranayama, one can increase sleep duration and quality. This helps in bringing the shine and luster in skin. In this way, pranayama not only helps in reducing wrinkles and fine lines but also tightens and naturally lifts the skin. And to discover more ways to improve your sleep quality and alleviate insomnia, check out this article. The yoga poses described there are perfect for beginners to yoga.
The 6 best pranayama for youthful and healthy skin are:
Kapalbhati Pranayama (The Skull Shining Breathing Exercise)
Kapalbhati Pranayama is great in detoxifying the body as it helps in releasing carbon dioxide from the blood. One of the best methods of internal purification is Kapalbhati pranayama. ’Kapal’ stands for skull and ‘Bhatti” means shine. Kapalbhaiti pranayma helps in cleansing the cranial sinuses. It is really helpful for glowing skin.
This pranayama is done by folding the legs in the Padmasana position and inhaling softly and exhaling forcefully. This is one of the most common pranayama for increasing stamina and developing healthy and glowing skin. It also helps in providing a flat belly. As it massages the internal organs, it is also great for the digestive system. It not only boosts the oxygen in the cells but also purifies the blood.
As kapalbhati pranayama is also known as the skull shining breathing technique, it produces heat which opens blockages in the respiratory tract and region of the lungs. This helps in increasing energy level and boosting concentration. It helps in improving digestion and rejuvenating and refreshing the mind and body. This is a cleansing breathing technique that helps in releasing stress and toxins from the body. It alleviates negative emotions which automatically gives fresher looking skin. One should practice this pranayama regularly as it will give a natural warm glow.
Anulom Vilom (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
This pranayama relaxes the body and mind and is also called as alternate nostril breathing. It is a very powerful breathing technique which helps in clearing the channels of circulation and calms the person down. This in turn fills the lungs and bloodstream with fresh oxygen and removes toxins. This blood purification helps create beautiful glowing skin. When a person is free from stress and anxiety, then it has positive effects on the skin. And if you’re struggling with too much stress and anxiety in your life, take a look at these breathing techniques. Try them out and see what they do for you. It only takes a few minutes, so it’s definitely worth it.
Apart from that, it helps in cleansing the lungs, respiratory tract and energy channels. It allows the person to focus and stimulates the nervous system. This alternate nostril breathing is great for the mind as it calms it while also reducing negative emotions. This is a very simple breathing technique which is done while breathing through one nostril and keeping the other blocked. This helps in removing the toxins from the body and filling the bloodstream with fresh oxygen. This is one of the most popular and effective pranayamas.
Bhastrika Pranayama (The Bellow’s Breath)
Bhastrika Pranayama is also called as “the bellow’s breath” which helps in youthful and healthy skin. As there is quick inhaling and exhaling involved in this type of pranayama, it helps in increasing the blood circulation in the whole body. Because of the forced and quick exhalation, the chest is compressed and the blood is pushed towards the head. The reverse occurs in the inhaling process. As the blood flow increases in every part of the body, it helps in strengthening the organs and tissues. If performed on a daily basis, Bhastrika purifies the body and arouses the intrinsic higher powers.
This is a traditional method of breathing which helps in increasing the life span. It is great in clearing the mind and boosting the energy. It helps in increasing the oxygen levels in the blood and refreshes the mood which has positive effect on the skin. This freshness make the skin look youthful and healthy. Apart from giving youthful skin, it helps in increasing metabolism, activating proper digestion and removing the blocks from the nose and the chest. It not only helps in stimulating the organs but is also great for overall health and well-being.
Sheetali Pranayama (The cooling Breath)
This type of pranayama is also called as the cooling breath which is done after practicing the asanas. It not only gives the cooling effect on the body but also relaxes the mind. The cooling effect is visible on the skin and makes it youthful and glowing.
We wrote a detailed guide on the Sheetali Pranayama here. Check for yourself how to stay cool, calm and relaxed with the help of this pranayama.
Surya Bheda Pranayama (The Vitalizing Breath)
This pranayama can also be referred to as ‘the vitalizing breath’ and it is practiced with Kumbhaka. With the help of this pranayama, the right nostril channel is activated. Various yoga texts mention the benefits of this ancient pranayama. When one practices this type of pranayama, it aids digestion, improves immunity, clears frontal sinuses, and improves circulation. Surya Bheda Pranayama is excellent for youthful and healthy skin as it delays agings, increases oxygen in the blood, and helps with skin conditions such as vitiligo/leucoderma.
Dirgha Pranayama (The Three Part Yogic Breathing)
Dirgha Pranayama is also known as “the three part yogic breathing” and is done through the expansion of the abdomen, chest and neck. It is very important to be aware of the natural respiratory mechanism. There shouldn’t be any strain while performing this. This kind of pranayama should happen naturally. Benefits include improved mental clarity, better sleep, increased energy, better digestion and more! It can also help you lose weight naturally as well as improve hair and skin health, too. This has a great overall effect on the skin and it makes it look tight, young, healthy and fresh.
Conclusion
These are the 6 best types of pranayamas which help in anti-aging and making a person look and feel younger. Apart from doing these breathing exercises, it is also important to stay positive and exercise regularly. Healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle are also equally important. When practiced on a daily basis, Pranayama helps to reduce various skin disorders like eczema, scleroderma and psoriasis.
Practice Pranayama before or after every yoga session for better skin. For healthy and young skin, proper blood circulation is necessary. One often starts to look older or get wrinkles if the lifestyle or choice of food is poor and if the person is experiencing stress and anxiety. Due to these reasons, there can be less glow and freshness on the face over time. Treating these skin problems with costly chemical products can be harmful for the skin and is often only a temporary solution.
The most effective natural way to keep skin young and healthy apart from yoga and massage is pranayama. It helps increase blood circulation and will create glowing skin. Pranayama energizes both body and mind and releases anxiety. It also helps in removing energy blocks. Pranayama calms the mind and purifies the blood. In this way, Pranayama helps in getting youthful, glowing and healthy skin. Combine the 6 pranayamas here and practice them regularly to reduce aging and keep your skin forever young!
References
Breathing to younger skin: ‘reversing the molecular mechanism of skin aging with yoga’
The Skin Benefits of Practicing Yoga
The Leader Of LA’s Yoga Scene Says Kundalini Can Change The Shape Of Your Face
Shanti Arunkumar, Senior Contributor At L’Aquila Active
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