You read it right! Yoga helps with hair growth. If you are encountered with hair on the pillow, towel, bathroom floor, you should give our list of yoga asanas a try. The following yoga asanas are easy to follow and take hardly 15 minutes of your day.
Long hair without having to use chemically induced products? Who could say no to that? This article will explain to you how yoga asanas help boost hair growth. And a list of yoga exercises that show promising results.
How Does Yoga Aid in Hair Growth?
This Indian-originated fitness form is practiced far and wide in developing sturdy mental health. Besides improving strength and flexibility, it also eases respiratory tract-related disorders and benefits people with acute health disorders such as heart diseases, arthritis, joint pain, etc. Yoga has recently progressed one step forward and assisted in hair growth.
Yoga Adopts Two Different Approaches in Promoting Hair Growth:
1. Stress Relief:
Cortisol levels correlate with high-stress levels. Stress affects your breathing, mind, and body. Yoga is an excellent stress relief remedy as it keeps cortisol levels under control; a 2007 study advocates for the same. Practicing yoga will help your body relax and enhance your mood.
A considerate amount of stress impairs the ability of hair follicles to promote hair growth. Researchers observed that stress hormones suppress the cells responsible for hair growth. Resulting in a significant amount of hair fall during brushing, hair wash, and hairstyling. Check out the report on the National Institute of health.
2. Increased Blood Flow to the Head:
A steady supply of blood and oxygen to the scalp is essential for growing and maintaining healthy hair. Dermatologists prescribe minoxidil (medication that increases blood flow to the scalp) for people seeking hair loss treatment. According to 2020 research, minoxidil help counter hair loss. Yoga exercises that involve positioning your body upside down direct more blood flow towards the head. It is necessary to understand yoga is not a permanent solution. It benefits you as long as you practice it.
Author’s Note: People who consistently practice yoga for at least one hour every day will observe better results than those who practice yoga less frequently.
7 Yoga Asanas That Help with Hair Growth
1. Kapalbhati (Breath of Fire)
‘Kapal’ translates to the skull, whereas ‘Bhati’ means illuminating.
Benefits:
Kapalbhati is a purification exercise that helps eliminate all the toxins in your head. Besides providing an ample oxygen supply to the hair follicles, this exercise also eliminates free radicals. This pranayama also helps in supplying the brain cells with more oxygen. It also reduces anxiety and stress levels which are the significant factors contributing to hair loss.
How to do it?
- Sit in vajrasana or a cross-legged position (sukhasana) on the floor.
- Now keep your palms facing upwards on your knees or your navel. Relaxing the entire body
- Through your nose, take a deep breath and then exhale, contracting all the abdominal muscles.
- Inhale and exhale a gust of air swiftly for 10 to 20 minutes.
Author’s Note: Kapalbhati works better when done on an empty stomach early in the morning.
2. Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana is an easy alternative to a headstand. It is also one of the poses in Surya Namaskar.
Benefits:
Adho Mukha Svanasana is a resting pose that increases blood flow to the scalp, which leads to healthier hair growth. This exercise also has additional benefits, including rejuvenating the body, soothing the mind, and increasing energy. Besides managing depression and stress, Adho mukha svanasana is particularly beneficial for maintaining a proper posture of the back and head.
How to do it?
- Keep shoulders width distance between your hands and hip-width distance between your legs. Then touch your hands and legs on the floor, balancing your body weight.
- Take a few steps behind, forming an ‘A’ shape with your body stretching your arms and legs simultaneously with your arms touching your ears.
- Push your abdomen inwards, breathing in and breathing out.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds before gradually lowering your body.
3. Uttanasana (Camel Pose)
Although this pose takes a while to master, the list of asanas that encourage hair growth is incomplete without Uttanasana.
Benefits:
This exercise stretches and relaxes all the body muscles. It also boosts blood circulation to your head. Besides making your hair grow faster, it also improves the texture of the hair, making it shinier.
How to do it?
- Stand in tadasana ( hands above your head ), also known as the mountain pose. Keep your feet together.
- Bend your upper body and reach for the floor with palms touching the ground with both hands.
- Inhale while in the tadasana pose and simultaneously exhale while bending down.
- Stretch to your full potential and hold the position for 10 seconds
Author’s Note: Avoid performing this asana if you have some knee, ankle, or back injuries.
4. Vajrasana
Vajrasana, also known as the thunderbolt pose, is a perfect exercise for beginners as it is relatively simple to do.
Benefits:
Besides encouraging hair growth, this pose also helps you prolong premature greying hair. Frequently performing this asana will make the hair robust and thicker over time. This asana has no limitations and can be practiced after having meals straight away. As this asana deals with any problems in your gut, People facing difficulty with digestion can benefit significantly from it. A happy gut leads to healthy hair!
How to do it?
- Kneel and sit on your buttocks. The heels should be as close as possible, and the back should be straight.
- Place your hand’s palms facing down on your thighs. Keep your head and eyesight straight.
- Maintaining this position for 30 seconds, take deep breaths while at it. Relaxing your mind and body.
5. Sarvangasana
Sarvangasana, also known as shoulder stand, is another variation of a headstand. It has numerous benefits and long-lasting effects.
Benefits:
The thyroid affects hair health leaving them in poor condition. Sarvangasana is specially designed to combat hair fall caused due to thyroid imbalance. Besides restricting hair fall by increasing blood circulation to the scalp, it also hydrates the scalp and prevents dull and dry hair.
How to do it?
- Lie on the mat keeping your back flat.
- Slowly raise your legs with the help of your arm and core strength.
- Keep the spine straight, place the hands on your spine, and balance your body weight on your shoulders.
- After holding for 10 seconds, slowly lower your legs.
6. Sirsasana
Sirsasana might not be a piece of cake, but it’s so worth mastering.
Benefits:
Sirsasana is known for its ability to stop thinning and baldness. This completely upside-down position optimizes the reach of blood and oxygen to the scalp. Due to the abundant blood supply to the hair follicles, the hair follicles use their total capacity to achieve hair growth. Besides preventing hair fall, it also prolongs greying hair. This asana has additional benefits, which include benefits for the core muscles and
How to do it?
- Sit down in vajrasana with your heels facing upward and keeping your back and neck in a line.
- Interlock your hands behind the crown of your head and bend forward.
- Touch your head to the ground and gradually lift your legs until your body forms a vertical line.
- Maintain the balance for 10 seconds before lowering it down
- Lower yourself by folding your knees, then your legs, touching your knees to the stomach, and eventually sitting on your heels.
7. Balasana
Balasaana is literally a child’s pose. Perfect for beginners, this pose has several benefits.
Benefits:
Balasana does not direct combat hair fall but prevents 2 leading causes of hair fall digestive disorder and stress. People facing stomach-related issues are recommended to practice Balasana. This asana also makes you mentally stable by keeping away anxiety and stress. Besides encountering lightheadedness and fatigue, Balasana also often comforts people with back, neck, and leg pain.
How to do it?
- Sit on the floor or the mat in vajrasana
- Take a deep breath and stretch your hands towards the sky
- Exhale while bending down until you touch your palms and forehead to the ground.
- Use your core strength to hold the position. You would optimally benefit if you could easily rest your elbows on the floor.
FAQs
1. Which time of the day is best to practice yoga?
The ideal time to practice yoga is morning and late evening. Practicing yoga in the morning helps you concentrate on your work later that day, whereas practicing yoga in the evening will help your body and mind relax after a hectic day at work.
2. How frequently should I practice yoga to make the hair grow faster?
There are no limitations to practicing yoga. One can benefit highly by practicing yoga every day. Three to five times per week is appropriate for beginners. However, you can always gradually increase from three to five days per week to six days per week.
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Conclusion
As many vouches for natural methods to improve hair quality, yoga offers a range of exercises that aid in hair growth. These exercises direct the blood towards the scalp to encourage healthier hair growth.
An intake of a balanced diet is among the many factors contributing to a healthier body and mind. However, just exercising isn’t enough. This article covered how to do seven highly effective asanas and how they aid in hair growth.
Let us know your experience with yoga in aiding hair growth in the comments section below.
