Grand Master Akshar
Philanthropist || Spiritual Master || Lifestyle Coach || Yoga-preneur || Author
To promote hair growth, it is necessary to have a healthy scalp. There are specific yoga asanas and pranayama techniques that enable this. Practice the following basic level asana of downward dog or Adomukhi Svanasana and Kapal Bhati pranayama to enjoy the benefits of a healthy scalp.
Adomukhi Svanasana
Formation of the posture
• Start on your fours, ensuring palms are under the shoulders and knees below hips
• Lift the hips up, straighten the knees and elbows, and form an inverted ‘V’ shape
• Now keep the hands shoulders width apart. Fingers point ahead
• Put pressure on your palms and open your shoulder blades
• Try to push your heels to the floor
• Keep your eye focused on your big toes
Word of Advice
• Please go slow in case of heart disease: The flow of blood to the Brain cells in this position can bring uneasiness.
• High Blood Pressure: Sudden flow of blood and some pressure to the brain may cause some difficulty in breathing.
• In case of Slip Disc
Kapal Bhati
In Sanskrit, ‘Kapal’ means skull and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining/illuminating’. Therefore, this Kapalbhati Pranayam is also known as Skull Shining Breathing Technique.
Method
• Sit in any comfortable pose (such as Sukhasan, Ardhapadmasan or Padmasana)
• Straighten your back and close your eyes
• Place your palms on your knees facing up (in Prapthi Mudra)
• Inhale normally and focus on exhaling with a short, rhythmic and forceful breath
• You can use your stomach to forcefully expel all the air from the diaphragm and lungs by compressing it
• Inhalation should happen automatically while you decompress your stomach
Benefits
• Strengthens and stimulates the digestive system and abdominal muscles
• Strengthens the nasal passages and removes blockages in the chest
• Promotes blood circulation
• Improves the complexion of the skin and brings a glow on the face
• Increases memory power
• Gives mental clarity and helps overcome stress and depression
• Removes any extra fat from body
Meditation to remove dandruff
Stress is known to increase the level of perspiration in the body, and it also causes the scalp to become dry. All these factors increase dandruff which can be eliminated through the practice of meditation. Meditation reduces stress making your mind calm, and relaxed. Meditation not only promotes mental health, but also improves your physical well-being thus nourishing your skin, hair and scalp in the process. Asanas like Headstand Pose or Sirsasana along with increasing blood flow to the scalp to improve hair health can also be done as a meditative pose to alleviate stress which is one of the causes of dandruff. In this way, yoga and its holistic practices can generate good health for all parts of the body, and the mind.