Yoga & Pranayama for healthy & glowing Skin

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

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 inutes.

Benefits of Bhastrika-

• Helps to correct digestion.
• Helps to clear blockages in respiratory passage, chest and the nose.
• Improves metabolism.
• Stimulates all the organs.
• increases oxygen supply to the skin

Anulom Vilom Pranayam-

Anulom Vilom Pranayama

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.

Benfits 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

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

 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.

Matsyana-

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 Matsyasna-

• 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-

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 helthy & glowing skin.

Sarve santu Niramaya.!

Pregnancy care & Ayurveda

Pregnancy related facts with more consideration to Vata humor.

  Dr.Varun Ram Raj 

Ayurveda Practioner and Writer

drvarunramraj@gmail.com 

   

              To get pregnant  fertilization must take place. The proper implantation after fertilization helps in the growth of fetus . After full term growth, if the baby comes with a Cephalic presentation associated  with a good pelvic floor muscular activity in  that lady helps in a Normal Labor . 

  Ayurveda has explained the methods to conceive properly and the proper care of the lady till she attains complete health after labor.

-      Importance of care taken by men and women before planning to get conceived

-      Proper care of the pregnant lady up to her attainment of normal health after labor is explained properly in Ayurveda.

  The male as well as female reproductive organ is situated at the predominant site of Vata humor. Ayurveda explains the site of Vata humor below navel. Movement is important function of Vata humor.  From the action done for conception to the proper delivery of child  , Vata humor has the major role.  

This article compiles those points from Ashtanga Hrudaya , related to the importance Vata humor and some extra Ayurveda regimens done during this time.

-      Ayurveda advices Men to take Rice along with Ghee and milk, which are Vata and Pitta humor pacifying food combination.

-      For Women Vata pacifying oil (Sesame oil or Gingely oil) added food is mentioned.

-      Women laying on spine and man on the top is best position for conception according Ayurveda. The mind should concentrate in the thought of conception is also very important. This position helps in maintaining all humors of body in level.

-      Counting from first day of Menstrual bleeding, Ayurveda suggests avoiding 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd and 11^th day for having sexual act for conception.

-      Cork swallow wort  - root tuber or whole plant can be used internally and externally as medicine for Pregnant lady. Milk, decoction, food etc can be made from the above mentioned plant.

-      Butter , Ghee and Milk is good as food for the pregnant lady.

-      Avoid over exertion, carrying over weighed goods, day sleep, less sleep at night, tensions, fasting, blocking natural urges, over walking , alcohol, food which causes humor imbalance ( over spicy , dry, food which causes burning sensation ) , emesis, purgation and enema (  oil enema can be done from 9^th month) .

-      Triphala ( Emblica officinalis , Terminalia chebula , Terminalia bellerica dried and powdered) water  can be used for washing and bathing  , if itching in lower areas due to imbalance in humors .

-      Sweet milk porridge with ghee pacifies vata and pitta humor

-      Oily enema from 9^th month added with ghee and salt controls Vata humor.

-      Meat soup also is suggestive with oil from 9^th month.

-      Also cotton soaked with oil over vagina during the days near to Expected day and lukewarm water bath is good.

-      Mild oleation below hip and porridge made of milk and ghee on the day labor also is suggestive.

-      After labor drinking ghee and coriander water, cleaning the orifice with oil helps in reducing pain. Milk porridge can be continued even after the labor.

-      Avoid heavy meals which causes indigestion, burning sensation.

All the above mentioned advice if followed properly will control Vata and other humors and will help in proper conception and a normal delivery. From the action done for conception to labor, excess care is required. For each individual the constitution is different, in order get the personal Ayurveda advice always consult a doctor.  

 Read Ashtanga   Hrudaya for more details and can enquire with us on given contact details.

Note: All the above mentioned measures must be followed with the guidance of a doctor.

God bless you.

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Authors Introduction-

 Dr.Varun Ram Raj is Ayurveda physician & panchakarma Practitioner from Kerala. He is also a passionate writer with the motto to spread ayurveda science to community. He is spreading ayurveda & health knowledge through his articles. 

Suffering from Headache? You should know this.

Suffering from Headache? You should know this.

(Ayurveda Tips to treat/Avoid Headache)

Dr.YogeshChavan, M.D.(Ayu.)

Headache is pain & aches in the region of forehead, scalp, behind eyes, temple & neck, it can be mild, moderate to severe & can be acute or chronic in origin. Nature of the pain can be throbbing, squeezing, pulsating, constant, unrelenting, or intermittent. In ayurveda this is called as Shirashul. Primary reason of Shirashul is vitiated vata dosha, which gets combined with other vitiated doshas, accumulates in the region of head & causes pain. In ayurveda classic 11 types of primary headaches (Shirashul) are described. According to world health organization (WHO) headache is simple form of nervous disease & half of the population in the world suffers from headache at least once in a year.

There are many reasons & types of Headache but this is classified in 2 main types- Primary Headache & secondary headache.

Primary headache is due to pathology in the pain sensitive structure of head.  Secondary headache is symptom due to any other disease present in the body eg.-headache due to sinusitis or dental carries.

Most common reasons of primary headache are - Migraine, Cluster Headache & Tension Headache.

Migraine-

Migraine is excruciating or throbbing pain in the half of the head or all over the head. In ayurveda Migraine can be compared with Ardhavbhedak & Vata vitiated with pitta dosha is the main reason behind it. Modern science is unable to describe etiology (reasons) of this disease but in ayurveda classics some cause are mentioned like- excess alcohol & smoking, stress, suppressing natural urges, late night sleeping, sleeping in a day, long time work in smoke & dust. Migraine comes in form of attack which can last for 45 minutes to 24 hours. After attack person feels very normal but during migraine attack pain is so severe that one cannot able to do any work. Ayurveda classics compare this pain like scorpion bite or someone hitting head with hammer. This pain can be followed by nausea & vomiting.  Migraine can be with aura or without aura. Aura is preliminary subjective symptoms before headache, like ringing in ears or weakness or visualization of special things in light. Headache is followed by aura in 30% population suffering from migraine. Photo phobia, loss of concentration, tinnitus in ears etc. are some associated symptoms of Migraine.

Tension headache-

Tension headache is most common form of headache. Yearly many people suffer from this type of headache. This is continuous or constant type of pain in the scalp or forehead which can last for few minutes to one week. Stress, improper or less sleep in night, heavy work load, travel and emotional stress are some precipitating factors for tension headache. Though reasons are not known but in ayurveda Vata dosha prakopa is primary reason. Due to precipitating factors mentioned above muscle surrounding head becomes stiff & contracts which causes continuous pain in that region. Tension headache is totally harmless type of headache but quality of work & life may get affected due to this.

Cluster headache-

Cluster headache occurs in cluster pattern hence this name is given. This headache come in groups i.e. It occurs daily at same time for some weeks to month then there is symptom free period of 3 to 4 months, after this 3- 4 months same pattern occurs. In this type, headache is unilateral affecting one side of head, cheek, eyebrow & eye, also associated with redness of eye, watering of eye & jaw pain. Nature of pain is pulsating, intermittent & severity of pain is moderate to severe, which can be followed by nausea & vomiting. This type of headache is not associated with aura. Causes of cluster headache are unknown but some scholars believe that it may be due to a sudden release of the chemicals histamine and serotonin in the brain. Smoking, Alcohol, disturbed biological clock, stress are triggering factors for cluster headache.

Management of Shirashul/ Headache-

In moderns medicine some NSAID’s & antidepressants are used, also triptans & ergotamine class drugs are used to treat headache but due to their side effects & cost, these medicines are not advised to take for longer duration.

Ayurveda believes in treating root cause of disease so there is no any pain killer medication used. Main reason of headache (Shirashul) Vata & associated doshas are treated with the safe herbal medicines like bhringaraja(eclipta alba), rasona (allium saivum), vasa, Shirish, ardrak(Ginger).  If these doshas are accumulated in excess quantity in body then body purification with Panchkarma’s like Virechan, basti, Nasya, Shirodhara can be done. There are many medicines in ayurveda for shiroraga (diseases of head) which can be used according to person’s digestive capacity (agni), dosha prakopa, body constitution (prakruti) etc.

While treating Shirashul, Yogasana & Pranayama also works very well with the ayurveda treatment. Anumloma-Viloma Pranayama & Tratak is very helpful for relieving symptoms of Shirashul.

Tips to avoid Headache- (diet advice for headache)

-Stop eating food which aggravates vata dosha like- horse gram, dried food, packaged & refrigerated products, cold drinks, icecream etc.

- Do not eat spicy & heavy to digest foods like pickle, chillie products, sago etc.

-also avoid fermented food like bakery products- bread, Idli-dosa, cake.

- Avoid eating fast food like pizza, burger, vadapav, missal etc.

-Do not suppress natural urges like urination, defecation etc.

-Avoid cold breeze which comes from east side, especially while riding bike.

-Avoid excess alcohol, tobacco & smoking; also avoid late night parties or study.

- Avoid stress either physical or emotional. Avoid habit of sleeping in a day time.

-Follow Yoga practice & do regular Anuloam-viloam pranayama & Tratak to avoid & cure any kind of headache.

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Authors Introduction-

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 blogs. He is expert in Ayurveda medicine & panchakarma treatment. His work & sound knowledge in this field has been acknowledged by many institutes.
for more details about clinic visit-  https://ayurvedanashik.com

Protect your health by Following Ayurveda Daily Regimen (Dinacharya)

Protect your health by Following Ayurveda Daily Regimen (Dinacharya)

   Dr.Varun Ram Raj 

Ayurveda Practioner and Writer

drvarunramraj@gmail.com 

Man is a superior member of Nature which gives  the responsibility of  following  all the rules of Nature.  From the dawn to dusk is the high active time of a living being in a day. Ayurveda gives more emphasis on prevention of diseases than treating a disease. Ayurveda in its literature has given detailed rituals or practices (Charya) that one should follow every day to establish the balance of Tridosha in our body, which helps to regulate a person's biological clock & keep Life style related disorders away.

1.Waking up with Nature – 

BrahmaMuhurtha – last Muhurthas of a day is called as Brahma Muhurtha , the last 48 minutes before sun rise. To wake up in Ayurveda never means waking up simply from bed, the waking up the smallest working unit also is considered here in this context. Calm & quite environment helps in proper prayer study, feeling of happiness & freshness,

2.Shareera Chinta- 

Have a complete self analysis before starting our day, get positively tuned by our own thoughts and then go for physical ashwell as mental  cleansing.  Proper bowel movement and excretion, brushing  of teeth , meditation and exercise according to one’s own strength is suggestive in the morning.

3.Snanam (Bath -physical and mental)-

     Body and mind cleansing is called as snana, that should be done with       water and intellect. Fresh water or hot water is used for bathing according to season to maintain hygiene. Hot water is contraindicated for head bath it causes harm to eye & hair.

4.Food intake- 

only after the digestion of earlier meal completely, one must intake food. Food must be taken in time and in required and limited quantity( 1/3^rd of stomach capacity). Avoid incompatible combinations, after assessing one’s own constitution ( Example- Using curd at night and curd without honey )

5.Collyrium (eye wash or kajal)  applying, Oleation  , Chewing mint leaf according to ones constitution,  helping others, having Virtuous thoughts, speaking  good words to others, avoiding  enmity in all aspects ,avoiding sinful acts, cleansing of mind  and body, keeping  control over senses and kindness toward all creatures must be followed .

6.Profession should be approached with   passion. All virtuous acts should be done in not less than moderate level. In a day, good and neat dress must be used and  must wear a  perfect  and proper footwear . When walking outside enough precaution must be taken against wind , rain ,sun, snow etc.

7.Winding up or reduce the activities by dusk is a good habit. As the bird  reaches back to its nest in time and meets family members, an individual  must follow the same rule with his/her family. Timely sleep also  helps to maintain good health.

8.The whole Universe is our teacher and Ayurveda  specially teaches Maithri ( proper relationship maintaining) . Family , friends, teachers  and all other creatures  must be given with proper consideration. 

9.Dharma (virtuous acts), Artha ( wealth) , Kama ( desire) and Moksha ( eternity) are the goals for a human life , so all acts must lead toward the goals. Health is an important factor for attaining above goals , so follow Ayurveda always to be healthy.

10.Protect and drive  body like a King protects his Nation or like charioteer drives his Chariot , and reach  Success line,  supported by positivity in all aspects

Have a good Day !!

(the above notes are based on Ashtanga Hrudaya, Susrutha Samhita and Caraka Samhita textbooks)

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Authors Introduction-

 Dr.Varun Ram Raj is Ayurveda physician & panchakarma Practitioner from Kerala. He is also a passionate writer with the motto to spread ayurveda science to community. He is spreading ayurveda & health knowledge through his articles.