The health of your hair depends on your overall health, and practising yoga can benefit you in more ways than one. It can help improve blood circulation, reduce stress and aid in sleep, all of which will ultimately benefit your hair.
If you have never tried yoga before, ensure you start slowly and gradually move to the ones you may find a little difficult to perform.
- Adho Mukha Svanasana or the dog pose – It helps increase the flow of blood and oxygen to your head and face. This in turn stimulates the nerves in your scalp.
- Lie down on your stomach, palms placed flat on the ground next to your ears and your legs straight
- Toes should be pointing downwards and heels pointing towards the ceiling
- Keep your knees straight while pushing your hips upwards and standing on your toes
- You will end up making an inverted ‘V’ position
- Press your palms to the ground and straighten your spine as much as possible
- Slowly pull down your hips and return to the first position
- Balayam yoga or rubbing your nails technique – It enables the roots of hair follicles to send the energy to the scalp to aid hair growth. The technique helps fight hair loss and prevents dandruff and greying of hair.
- Curl your fingers inwards towards your palm
- Bring your fingers together to touch the nail of the other finger
- Rub them together fast for about 5 minutes at a stretch
- Make sure you do not do this for your thumbs
- Sasankasana or rabbit pose – In this pose, as the crown of your head is on the ground, there is improved blood circulation to the scalp. This leads to hair growth.
- Sit on the ground, with knees touching the floor and hips touching your heels
- Stretch back your hands to hold the knees
- Bring down the crown of your head to touch the floor
- Inhale slowly and lift your hips up
- Stay in this position five breaths
- Unroll your body and exhale slowly
- Relax as you return to the first pose and repeat again
- Ustrasana or camel pose – It is especially good for hair growth and improves blood circulation to your head and heart.
- Get down on your knees
- Place your arms on your waist, keeping the thumb behind and fingers in the front
- Slowly bend your spine backward to hold the heels with your hands
- If you find it too difficult, you could also simply touch the soles of your feet
- While in this pose, move your face upwards and try looking straight up
- Hold this pose for a few seconds while breathing slowly
- Now exhale slowly as you return back to your original pose
- Relax and repeat
- Sarvangasana or shoulder stand – This asana particularly helps to regulate the functioning of your thyroid glands and also improves blood circulation to your head. This asana can be a little difficult to try in the beginning, so you may take the help of a partner. In case you have spine or neck problems or suffer from high blood pressure, please do not attempt this.
- Lie down on your back, your legs touching each other
- Bend your knees and slowly raise them upwards
- Place your palms towards your spine to provide support
- Shift your weight slowly to your shoulders as your body starts rising upwards
- Point your face inwards, lock your chin in your chest and your elbows on the floor
- Hold the pose as long as you can and slowly lower your body to the first position
