Great skin is a direct reflection of our health. However, our modern lifestyle puts a greater emphasis on work and career, which often leads to us neglecting our health and letting stress overpower us.
The result? Well, the destruction caused by cortisol hormone (stress hormone) can lead to a lot of health issues and it doesn’t even spare your skin.
“When self-care is secondary, our health suffers causing the skin to break out into acne and develop premature signs of ageing such as wrinkles as well as fine lines,” says renowned lifestyle coach and yoga expert, Grandmaster Akshar.
However, he is quick to add that yoga is a holistic science and can rejuvenate the body, improve blood flow, and eliminate blockages to add a healthy glow to your skin and keep ageing at bay.
He recommends the following yoga asanas, which must be held for 30 seconds each and repeated up to 5 times during the practice to seal the deal:
1. Vajrasana
Begin by standing straight with your arms by the sides of your body.
Lean forward and slowly kneel down on your mat.
Place your pelvis on your heels and point your toes outwards.
Here, your thighs should press your calf muscles.
Keep your heels slightly apart from each other.
Place your palms on your knees facing upward.
Straighten your back and look forward.
Vajrasana is better than taking antacids! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Kneel on the yoga mat and place your hands on the hips.
Simultaneously, arch your back and slide your palms over your feet till your arms are straight.
Do not strain or flex your neck. Just keep it in a neutral position.
Breathe out and slowly, come back to the initial pose. Withdraw your hands and bring them back to your hips as you straighten up.
Ustrasana. Image courtesy: Shraddha Iyer
3. Halasana
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Lie down on your back.
Place your palms on the floor beside your body.
Using your abdominal muscles, lift your legs up 90 degrees.
Press your palms firmly onto the floor and allow your legs to fall back behind your head.
Allow your middle and lower back to lift off the floor to enable your toes to touch the floor behind. Try to bring your chest as close to your chin as possible.
The palms can remain flat on the floor but one may bend the arms at the elbow and support the back with the palms as per their level of comfort.
Give your weight loss regimen the push it needs with these yoga poses. Image courtesy: Shraddha Iyer/Sarva Yoga
Place your palms under your shoulders and lift your upper body, pelvis and knees up.
Grip the floor with your toes.
Straighten the knees.
Ensure that your knees, pelvis and spine are aligned.
Your wrists must be exactly below your shoulders with your arms straight.
Santolanasana aka Plank pose. Image courtesy: Grand Master Akshar
5. Padahasthasana
Begin by standing still and straight.
Exhale and gently bend your upper body, dropping your head and keeping your shoulders and neck relaxed.
Try to touch the knees with your forehead. This may require a lot of flexibility. If you are starting out your practice, go only as far as it is comfortable.
When you are bending forward, attempt to move your torso from the hip joints, instead of the waist.
Place your palms on either side of your feet.
Try to keep the legs and knees straight throughout the practice. If you are a beginner, you may have to bend your knees slightly to accomplish this.
With practice, slowly straighten your knees and try to touch your chest to your thighs
