It is said to be normal if you are losing 50-100 strands each day. On the other hand, finding the clumps of hair on your hairbrush or in the shower is the harbinger of poor hair health. Prevalence of hair loss, pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia), and complete baldness have become a subject of psychological distress. Many research studies have also revealed the impact of hair loss on mental health. The desire of thick, voluminous, and healthy tresses is innate in every human being on this earth. Poor hair health not only makes you conscious about your self-image but also corrodes your self-confidence. Seeing a lot of hair fall out is definitely a great deal of frustration, mental anguish, and unhappiness. However, you should never forget that there is always a way out of every difficulty.
If you are dealing with excessive hair fall or reduced hair growth issues, then you will be glad to know that head full of luscious hair is not a far fetched dream. Fortunately, a myriad of options is available to arrest hair loss and promote hair growth. In this quest, certain yogas for hair have been identified as one of the most promising ways to restore and rejuvenate hair health. In 2018, a research study published in the Journal Of Harmonized Research in Applied Sciences has elaborated the benefits of yogic practices for healthy hair. It has been found that diligent yoga practices not only prevent hair loss but also help to attain a calm state of mind.
Important things before your first yoga class:
- Guidance is good
- Warm-up before your asanas
- Rule of breathing
- Never force your body
- Stay motivated
1. Guidance is good
Taking advice from an experienced yoga teacher will help you to get most of your practice. To add to this, you can also take help from free yoga videos available on YouTube for beginners.
2. Warm-up before your asanas
Warm-up is a great way to prepare your body for any kind of stretching or bending on your yoga mat. Gentle warm-up exercises like body rotations, jumping ropes, and walk out, etc help to loosen up the body.
3. Rule of breathing
Yoga is not only about twisting, turning, stretching or performing the toughest poses but is more about raising the flow of energy in the body. Breathing consciously helps to perform a particular yoga posture with ease along with pacifying your bombarded mind. Hence, you should consider knowing separate inhale and exhale rules for different yoga asanas.
4. Never force your body
Patanjali yoga sutra describes the yoga asanas as “Sthira Sukham Asanam”. This means that practicing yoga in a steady and relaxed way is good for the complete harmony of body, mind, and spirit. Instead of pushing your limits and creating extra burdens on the body, try to do yoga as per your comfort level.
5. Stay motivated
It could be a possibility you might feel too lazy to perform daily yoga practices. To stay motivated and diligent, be in touch with people who are more committed than you and experienced in this art.
Yoga asanas to enhance hair growth:
- Utthanasana (Standing Forward Pose)
- Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
- Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
- Pavanamuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose)
- Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose)
1. Utthanasana (Standing Forward Pose)
A study cited in Journal of Sanskrit Samhita Siddhanta has also demonstrated the benefits of Utthanasana in hair loss disorders. In this asana, the flow of blood and oxygen increases to your head and scalp area. This wonderful posture helps to allow an abundant supply of nutrients to nourish the hair follicles.
Instructions to do
- Stand straight.
- Keep your legs close to each other.
- While exhaling, bend forward and try to touch your feet with hands.
- You can slightly bend your knees to avoid any strain in the muscles and tendons of upper legs.
- Hold the position for 30-60 seconds and breathe normally.
- Inhale deeply and gradually come back to the standing position.
Additional benefits
- It helps to improve sleep.
- This stretching pose is also known to relax your hamstrings.
- Improves digestion by activating the abdominal muscles.
- Relieves stress, anxiety, and depression, one of the major causes of hair loss.
- Reduces fatigue.
2. Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand)
Sarvangasana is considered a wonder yoga asana for resolving the hair woes such as hair fall, reduced hair growth, and gray hair. This shoulder stand pose increases the supply of blood to the scalp which helps to strengthen your hair roots. The daily practice of this yoga asana is not only an effective way to prevent hair loss but also helps to boost hair growth.
Instructions to do
- Lie down comfortably on your back.
- Keep your arms alongside your body with your palm facing to the ground.
- Inhale and raise your legs slowly until your feet pointing towards the ceiling.
- Rest your body on your shoulders, keep the neck straight, and look at your feet.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and release the asana slowly.
Additional benefits
- Accelerates the blood circulation to the facial region, hence prevent wrinkles and fine lines.
- Considered good in leucorrhea and some sexual disorders.
- Helps to improve the eye vision.
- Great for healthy and glowing skin.
- Improves digestion.
3. Pavanamuktasana (Wind Relieving Pose)
Your poor digestive health can be a possible reason behind your hair thinning. Latest researches have revealed that poor digestion and hair loss are closely interlinked to each other. It implies that when your body is not able to extract the essential nutrients, biotin, vitamins B12, and vitamin K from your food, which in turn affects your hair health. Wind Relieving Pose is quite beneficial in improving stomach health, which ultimately improves hair growth.
Instructions to do
- Lie down on your yoga mat.
- While inhaling, slowly stretch your legs towards the chest by using your hands.
- With the exhalation, take your forehead towards your knees.
- Be in this position while breathing in and out.
- Relax and go back to the initial position.
Additional benefits
- Resolves indigestion and constipation.
- Strengthens the back muscles.
- Good for gastrointestinal problems like acidity and gas.
- Tones the legs and arms.
- Improves blood flow to the hip region.
4. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog Pose)
This is another extremely good yoga for healthy, luscious, and long hair. This yoga pose has wonderful results for faster hair growth along with improving the volume and texture of hair. Since the head comes down while performing this asana, it helps nourish the scalp to grow hair faster and thicker.
Instructions to do
- Stand on your hands and feet.
- Exhale gradually and lift your hips to form an inverted “v” shape with your body.
- Try to touch your head to the ground as much as you can do.
- Be in this position for a few seconds while doing the inhalation and exhalation.
- Bend your knees and repose in the child's pose.
Additional benefits
- Helps to achieve strong calves.
- This part of sun salutation helps to improve the blood flow to the brain.
- Helps to strengthen your core.
- Tones your lower abdominal region.
- Benefits for those having depression or anxiety issues.
5. Sasangasana (Rabbit Pose)
Daily practice of this yoga is known to be quite good in increasing hair growth. This forward bend pose helps to maintain good stomach health and also improves the supply of blood throughout your body.
Instructions to do
- Firstly, get into the child pose.
- Hold on your heels slowly using your hands.
- Slowly inhale and lift up your hips.
- Stay in this position at least for about 30-60 seconds.
- With exhalation, slowly come back to child pose.
Additional benefits
- Improves concentration and memory.
- Good for strengthening the spine.
- Regularize the hormones.
- Ideal posture to do before sleep.
- Relieves the stiffness of the lower back.
The role of a balanced lifestyle, healthy diet, and yoga practices can never be overvalued when it comes to healthy hair. Managing the hair woes in the first place can save you from cicatricial alopecia i.e. irreversible hair loss. Identifying the problem and opting for the right solution is the most realistic approach to triumph against any difficulty. Being in lockdown in the corona pandemic, adopting a new habit of yoga is the best thing you can do to revive your dead hair follicles. Leave the laziness, repose mind, and body in the best yoga asanas. Embark on your yoga journey with reverence and be ready to flaunt your beautiful hair now and forever.
P.S.
Recent researches have concluded that hair cosmetics also play a great role in maintaining healthy hair. The use of harsh chemicals ingredients in your shampoo and conditioners may cause severe damage to hair cuticles. Silicones, sulfates, and parabens are a few commonly used ingredients that have been known to cause frizzier, dehydrated, and damaged hair. Using hair care formulations that comprise the botanical extracts such as Indian Cress and Water Cress, and vitamin ( B3, B5, & B7) are considered one of the best ingredients to strengthen hair roots and boost hair growth. It is always wise to keep an eye out for ingredients while buying your hair care products.
