Yoga for Youthfulness

Although, aging is an inevitable part of everyone’s life, nobody wants to lose the charm and beauty of a youthful skin. Everybody wants to have that young and fresh look. The best thing is – with yoga one can have long lasting healthy skin. There are many poses of yoga for maintaining youthfulness. For a healthy skin texture, incorporate yoga, pranayama and meditation in your daily routine. As, these are the natural ways to maintain the health of the body and the skin.

Yoga for youthfulness is series of poses and breathing exercises that can be done on a daily basis.

 I. The Lion Pose (Simhasana)

Yoga for youthfulness series, starts with the Lion pose. Simhasana or the Lion Pose is an incredible asana that reduces tension on the face and chest area.  In Sanskrit, ‘Simha’ means ‘Lion’ and ‘asana’ means a ‘Pose’. It resembles a squatting lion in the final pose, thus the name. It is relatively easy to perform and can be done by all, irrespective of age group. Lion pose helps to remove wrinkles and delays aging.

Instructions:

1. Sit in a kneeling position or Vajrasana with your knees apart so that they make almost a right angle between them.
2. Now, tuck your palms, under your thighs. The palms should face downwards and point towards the body. An alternate way is to keep the palms on the knees stretched and spread wide apart.
3. Bend forward slightly, resting the weight of the body on the arms.
4. Now, tilt the head backwards. Keep the eyes wide open.
5. Open your mouth and draw the tongue forward and downwards as much as you can.
6. Gaze at the space between the eyebrows with eyes wide open. This is called Bhrumadhya Drishti. Alternatively, gaze at the tip of your nose, it is called Nasikagra Drishti. 
7. Breathe normally and deeply in this position. During exhalation make loud sounds ‘ahhh…’, to imitate the breathing of a lion with tongue outside. You may also roar like a lion, a few times in this position. Relax your muscles in the back, abdomen and chest in the final position. 
8. Remain in this position for as long as you’re comfortable.
9. To exit, join your knees and come back to kneeling position. 

II. The Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana)

Next pose in the yoga for youthfulness series is Uttanasana. The Standing Forward Bend Pose or Uttanasana is one of the most versatile poses of yoga for maintaining youthfulness. It involves intense bending of the hips and creates a very flexible body. In Sanskrit, Ut means ‘Intense’, Tana means ‘Stretched’ and Asana means a ‘Pose’.

Instructions:

1. Come in standing position or Tadasana with your hands placed on your hips.
2. Take a deep breath and expand your chest. Slowly exhale and fold over the hips and bend forward. Keep the torso and head in one line. Your upper body will be perpendicular to the legs.
3. Now bend further and try to place the hands on the floor on the side of the legs (This requires some level of flexibility). If you are not able to touch the floor with the hands, do not strain. Just go as far as you can without pain. Do not bend your knees while performing this asana.
4. Maintain this position for as long as you are comfortable.
5. To exit, inhale and bring back the hands on the hips and raise yourself up to the standing position.

III. The Warrior Pose (Virabhadrasana)

The third pose in the yoga for youthfulness series is the warrior pose. The warrior pose or Virabhadrasana is is named after the legendary warrior Virabhadra in Puranas. In Sanskrit, Vira means ‘Brave’, Bhadra means ‘Friend’ and Asana means a ‘Pose’. This asana relieves stress and improves nervous balance of the body.

Instructions:

1. Stand straight with your legs spread out. Let there be a distance of at least 3 feet between the two feet.
2. Raise your hands above the head with your palms facing each other.
3. Turn to your left and slowly rotate the left foot about 90 degrees to the left so that it is aligned with the chest.
4. Turn the right foot slightly (around 15 degrees) towards the inside.
5. Bend your left knee and let your thighs should be parallel to the ground. However, the right leg should remain straight.
6. Your head, chest, left knee and the left foot should be aligned in one direction. Now bring your palms closer so that they touch each other.
7. Keep breathing slowly and deeply, stay in this position for a few breaths. 
8. To exit, raise yourself up and straighten the left knee. Turn to the right to go back to the original position.
9. Repeat this on the other side too. 

IV. Downward Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana)

Next in the yoga for youthfulness series of poses is Ado Mukha Svanasana. Downward Facing Dog Pose or Adho Mukha Svanasana is a simple inversion pose that help you stretch your whole body stretch. Practicing Downward Facing Dog Pose can help relieve back pain and sciatica. Also, this pose helps one to work out imbalances in the body and improves strength. 

Instructions:

1. Form a table top, press your palms into the floor
2. Now, lift your knees off the floor and push your hips up to get into an inverted V position. 
3. Now separate your feet as wide as your hips. 
4. Stack your wrists under your shoulders, keep the elbows straight, and spread your palms wide. 
5. Push your hips towards the ceiling and press your firmly heels into the mat. 
6. Keep your head in line with your chin tucked in slightly.
7. Engage your abdominal muscles and lengthen your entire body. 
8. Hold the asana for at least 5 minutes, while gazing at your navel. 
9. Don’t forget to breathe through your nose during the entire pose. 

V. The Plough Pose (Halasana)

The Plough Pose or Halasana. In Sanskrit ‘Hal’ means a ‘plough’ and ‘Asana’ means ‘pose’. Since in Halasana, the body resembles the plough that is why it is called the Plough Pose. Halasana can remove fat from the waist and improve the health of the abdominal organs, especially the kidneys, pancreas and intestines. Also, it increases the circulation in the thyroid, adrenal, pituitary glands, and send out feel-good hormones or endorphins in the body, which in turn help boost metabolism also. 

Instructions:

1. Lie down on your back. Relax fully and breathe normally. 
2. Keep your legs together and the hands should be kept close to the body.
3. Hold your breath and slowly raise your legs to vertical position. Make sure you do not use the arms to lift the legs.
4. Move your legs further back as much as possible. At this stage you can use your hands to support your lower back and to further push the waist and trunk, until the legs touch the floor.
5. You can move your legs as further from the head as possible. At this stage you will achieve a chin lock. And the pressure will be on the thyroid glands.
6. Stay in this position for a few seconds to a few minutes depending on your level of comfort.
7. To exit, slowly come back to the normal position. 
8. Now relax all the muscles and breathe normally.

VI. The Yogic Bow Pose (Dhanurasana)

The Yogic Bow Pose or Dhanurasana, is also known as Urdva Chakrasasana (Upward Wheel Pose). “Dhanur” means Bow in Sanskrit, since the pose resembles a bow when it is performed that’s the reason it is called Bow Pose. Bow pose is a good stress and fatigue buster, it stimulates the reproductive organs, tones the arm and leg muscles, keeps your metabolism strong and helps in building spinal and abdominal flexibility and strength. 

Instructions:

1. Lie down flat on your stomach, place your hands on the side. Relax and breathe normally.
2. Now slowly bend your knees backwards as much as you can, almost touching the back of your buttocks.
3. Now arch your head and neck upwards and backwards. 
4. Slowly move the hands towards the lower leg. Use both your hands and try to get a hold of your lower leg at the ankles. 
5. Hold on to the ankles till you complete the asana.
6. Now inhale deeply and expand your chest. At the same time, pull the legs upwards using your hands. 
7. Arch your trunk backward and upwards along with your head and neck. When fully stretched, your shape will resemble a bow. Your thighs will be raised above the ground and you will be resting on the abdomen and the lower part of the chest alone. 
8. To exit, slowly release the pose and rest in shavasana.

VII. The Corpse Pose (Shavasana)

End your yoga for youthfulness series with Shavasana. Your poses of yoga to improve metabolism should be concluded with Shavasana. In Sanskrit, Shava means ‘Corpse’. This Asana is created by observing corpse. Shavasana is the best asana to calm your mind, release any kind of stress in the body and sink in all the asanas at a deeper level.  Here is how to perform Shavasana

• Lie down on your back.
• Legs spread apart
• Place your arms beside your body facing upwards.
• Take deep breaths 
• Stay in the pose for at least 2 minutes and then release the pose.

PRANAYAMA

Performing pranayama after the yoga session is very good for one’s overall health. Prāṇāyāma is an art of conscious breathing, helps you release any kind of anxiety or stress along with strengthening your energy positively. 

Anulom Vilom or Alternate Nostril Breathing Exercise:

A very simple breathing exercise, known to balance the Tridoshas (three doshas) in the body, namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. More often than not, imbalanced Tridoshas causes ailments in the body. Anulom Vilom is the easiest and the most effective way to stay healthy and have a calm mind.

Kapalbhati Pranayama:

A great way to detoxify the body, as, the technique helps in expelling carbon-di-oxide from the blood. This breathing technique needs minimal effort, however, comes with a plethora of benefits.

MEDITATION 

Lastly, meditation – an amazing way to have a calm mind and rejuvenating skin. There are various techniques for doing meditation – such as mindfulness, or focusing on a particular object, or on a thought or on an activity or on one’s breath, etc. You can practice any meditation of your choice and achieve calm and stable state of mind.

To conclude…..

The regular practice of yoga for youthfulness along with pranayama and meditation can help you achieve wonderful skin and delay age signs. So, incorporate yoga in your daily routine and have a healthy body and impeccable skin.