Pranayama For Glowing Skin

Everyone wants beautiful glowing skin. It has been proven that yoga has positive effects on the skin. While many asanas help to clear out the skin and impart a natural warm glow, Pranayamas help accentuate the effects.

What Is Pranayama?

It is said that Pranayama is the ideal regulator of life currents, or Prana, through the controlling of your breath.

Through ages, Yogis have used Pranayama to calm their minds and solve various problems. Pranayama works on the respiratory system and removes any energy blocks. It helps purify the blood and also increases the supply of oxygen, all of which leads to great skin.

However, you must remember that Pranayama alone is not enough to solve your skin woes. It must be done in combination with the asanas to be more effective.

Pranayama For Glowing Skin – The Best Techniques

1. Kapalabhati
2. Anulom Vilom
3. Bhastrika

1. Kapalabhati

Pronounced As – Kah-bah-lah-bah-tee.

Thanks to Baba Ramdev, the Kapalabhati breathing technique has become increasingly popular. This advanced Pranayama has a host of benefits. It is also called the skull-shining breath. Kapala is a Sanskrit word that means skull, and Bhati means light. This exercise is known to rejuvenate, refresh, and purify your mind and body. It is said that when you practice this Pranayama, you must visualize a bright white light filling your skull.

This cleansing breathing technique helps you release stress, toxins, and negative emotions. This automatically leads to a fresh looking skin. With regular practice, your skin is cleared, and there is a natural warm glow that takes over.

Other Benefits of Kapalabhati

1. Cleanses the lungs and the respiratory tract.
2. Boosts the oxygen in the cells, thereby purifying the blood.
3. Improves digestion.
4. Increases heat and energizes the body.
5. Allows you to focus.

How To Do It

You must remember to inhale passively and exhale forcefully when you start this practice. Start slowly and then gradually increase your speed.

1. Sit upright with your legs crossed. Place your hands on your lower belly.
2. Take a deep breath to cleanse your system. Inhale through your nose, and exhale from your mouth.
3. Inhale deeply through the nose, such that your belly is about ¾ full with air.
4.  In a quick motion, forcefully exhale all the air, drawing your navel upwards. Remember, the main movement must be from the diaphragm.
5. Allow the lungs to fill up without any effort as your belly expands.
6. Repeat this 10 times. Then, slowly breathe normally as you observe all the sensations in your body.
7. Repeat this single cycle of 10 breaths three to four times.

Precautions And Contraindications

It is best to avoid practicing this Pranayama in the following cases:
a. Pregnancy
b. Gastric problems
c. Acid influx
d. High blood pressure
e. Heart diseases
f. Abdominal diseases

Stop the practice immediately if you feel dizzy or anxious.

Curing Tip

For best results, practice this Pranayama first thing every morning. It will also serve as an invigorating wake-up call.

2. Anulom Vilom

Anulom Vilom is also called alternate nostril breathing. It is a simple, yet extremely powerful breathing technique that, much like the Kapalabhati, settles the emotions, body, and mind. It clears the channels of circulation and calms you down. Your lungs and bloodstream are filled with a fresh supply of oxygen and all toxins are removed.

Remember, when you are stress-free, and your blood is purified, you have beautiful glowing skin. And this Pranayama helps with both.

Other Benefits of Anulom Vilom

1. Cleanses the lungs and the respiratory tract.
2. Allows you to focus.
3. Restores balance in the right and left hemispheres of the brain.
4. Clears all energy channels.
5. Invigorates the nervous system.
6. Prepares you for meditation.

How To Do It

1. Sit comfortably with your spine erect.
2. Relax, and place your left palm on your lap.
3. Bring your right palm in front of your face. Place your thumb and ring finger on either side of your nostrils. You could place your index finger and middle on either side of your nostrils and use them as anchors.
4. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.
5. Use your thumb to close the right nostril. Inhale through the left.
6. Use the ring finger to close the left nostril such that both the nostrils are shut for a brief second.
7. Open up the right nostril and exhale slowly.
8. Now, inhale through the right, and repeat the procedure.
9. Do the Pranayama, alternating between right and left for about 10 cycles.

Precautions And Contraindications

You must make sure you don’t use force to inhale or exhale while practicing this Pranayama. Breathe in and out gently.

Stop the practice immediately if you feel dizzy or anxious.

Curing Tip

For best results, you must try and keep the breath consistent. Try to inhale, hold and exhale for the same period. As you keep practicing, you must try and increase the time of your breathing.

3. Bhastrika Pranayam

Bhastrika Pranayam is also called bellows breath. It is a traditional method of breathing and is said to increase the life force. It is usually used to clear your mind and give you a boost of energy.

This Pranayama is known to increase the oxygen levels in the blood. This helps to impart a glow to the skin.

Other Benefits Of Bhastrika Pranayam

1. Increases metabolism.
2. Activates proper digestion.
3. Removes the blocks from the chest and the nose.
4. Stimulates all the organs.
5. Great for health and well-being.

How To Do It

1. Sit upright, with your legs crossed.
2. Relax and take a breath a few times deeply. Expand your belly with every breath.
3. Inhale and then exhale forcefully through the nose.
4. Inhale forcefully.
5. You must ensure that you breathe from the diaphragm. Also, remember to keep your shoulders, chest, head, and neck still while your belly moves.
6. Take 10 Bhastrika Pranayam breaths in the first cycle. Break for a few seconds, and do 20. After a few seconds, do 30.

Precautions And Contraindications

You must avoid practicing the Bhastrika Pranayam if you have hypertension, seizures, panic disorders, epilepsy, or if you are pregnant.

Also, avoid practicing this Pranayama close to bedtime. It will energize you and activate your mind, and you will not be able to sleep.

Stop the practice immediately if you feel dizzy or anxious. Always maintain a two-hour gap between your meals and the Pranayama.

Curing Tip

Place your hands in the Varun Mudra as you do this Pranayama. This mudra is known to balance the water element in the body. You can incorporate it into any breathing exercise. It helps to keep your skin hydrated all the time.

Just touch the tips of the little finger to the thumb, and straighten out the other three fingers.

So there you have it – the secret to beautiful, glowing skin. Who knew it would be so simple? All you need to do is breathe! Have you ever considered pranayama for glowing skin? How did it work for you?

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Author

Shirin MehdiHealth & Wellness Writer

 

Shirin is a health and wellness writer with three years of experience and specializes in writing articles on yoga and has extensive knowledge about the postures of the asanas. Prior to joining Stylecraze, she interned with an advertising firm as a copywriter and as an editorial intern for a luxury fashion magazine.

Read full bio of Shirin Mehdi