Yoga for Glowing Skin

Yoga for Glowing Skin

Have you ever noticed how yogis always leave class beaming with a radiant glow? Well, now it’s time for you to glow too! Today, I want to share some of my favorite yoga Asanas for radiant glowing skin, poses that will ACTUALLY help you achieve the skin of your dreams! Asana is Sanskrit for body posture or pose. Asana can also be translated as “steady, comfortable seat”. It is particularly used in meditation practices by adding declining, standing, inverted, twisting, and balancing poses.

We all want beautiful radiant glowing skin, and sometimes it feels like an impossible task. Sure, man-made products can help enhance your beauty and skin health but remember – real beauty starts from within. From bettering physical to mental health – yoga truly does wonders to us!

Now let’s jump into it!

1. Uttanasana (beginner)

   1. One of the few poses that stimulates the entire body. It increases blood flow to your face – which means your skin cells rejuvenate faster and fight off free radicals. It keeps skin looking youthful and naturally glowy! Plus, it can aid in the removal of toxins and other waste products found in us. If you want to challenge yourself even further, another pose that promotes blood circulation to your face is Adho Mukha Vrksasana (which translates to Downward-facing Tree Pose).

Step by step instructions on how to perform this Asana:

1. Stand on your yoga mat, with your thighs and feet firmly pressed against one another. Exhale and bend forward from the hip joints (place your hands on your hips to prevent yourself from bending at your waist). In all forward bends, the emphasis should be placed on lengthening the front torso.

2. With your palms, or finger tips, on the ground, begin to straighten out your knees. If this isn’t possible, cross your forearms and hold your elbows. Press your feet and heels firmly into the floor and lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling.

3. As you inhale, lift and lengthen the front torso, slightly. Let your head hang, feeling the muscle stretch and alleviate in soreness. If possible, wrap your arms behind your calves, and hold on to your heals.

4. Stay in this pose 30-60 seconds.

5. To exit this pose, don’t roll the spine to come up. Rather, bring your hands back onto your hips and press your tailbone down and into the pelvis. Inhale, and come up with a long front torso.

2. Ustrasana (advanced)

   1. This is one of the more difficult poses, as it consists of a strong back bend. This pose opens the rib cage, allowing for an influx of oxygen to the body. It is one of the key poses for stress reduction and hormonal balance (which means you can say goodbye to those blemish breakouts!)

Step by step instructions on how to perform this Asana:

1. Kneel onto your yoga mat, with your knees hip width apart and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Rotate your thighs inward slightly, to prevent knee pressure, narrow your hip points, and squeeze your glutes.

2. Press your shins and the tops of your feet firmly into the floor.

3. Rest your hands on your lower back, for support. Then, lightly firm the tail forward, toward the pubis.

4. Lean back even more, firming your shoulder blades now. While doing this, you want to create a balance between your front and back body. While you push toward, you want to create an equal energy balance by using your thighs to push back.

5. Once your eyes can see the back wall, bring your hands to meet your ankles, and hold them. During, keep pushing your front pelvis forward, and pushing back with your shoulders.

6. Stay in this pose for roughly 30 seconds. This is a cardiac-intensive movement, therefore you should not stay in this position for longer than 1 minute.

7. Once you are ready to come back up, gently and slowly place your hands, one by one, on your lower back, for support. After, slowly come up, straightening your spine one vertebrae at a time.

3. Halasana (Intermediate)

   1. One of my favorites poses, as it seamlessly calms you down while pressurizing your abdomen to relieve digestive organs. In short – it results in maximized beauty rest, improved detoxification, and happy skin. It is also very therapeutic for backaches, headaches, insomnia, and sinusitis believe it or not!

Step by step instructions on how to perform this Asana:

1. Lie on your back on your yoga mat. Extend and straighten your arms along your body, palms facing down.

2. Exhale and bend from the hip joints to slowly lower your toes to the floor above your head, as much as possible.

3. With your toes on the floor, lift your top thighs and tailbone toward the ceiling. Continue to draw your chin closer to your chest, while relaxing your throat. You will feel a sense of tightness in your throat. That’s perfectly OK, those are all the toxins trying to escape your body!

4. Continue to press your hands against the back torso, pushing the back upward.

5. Perform this pose for 1-5 minutes

6. To exit, bring your hands onto your back again, lift back into Sarvangasana with an exhalation, then roll onto your back. Exhale again.

4. Matsyasana (intermediate)

   1. This is another one of my favorites, as it gives a good stretch to your facial and neck muscles, resulting in a firmer and more toned skin complexion. This pose was long considered to be the “destroyer of all diseases”. It strengthens the upper back muscles and the neck, while also improving spinal flexibility and posture. Not only that, but it is also a proven remedy to aid in the healing process of both thyroid and pineal gland diseases. Matsayasama helps regulate these processes which results in healthy, glowing, ailment free skin.

Step by step instructions on how to perform this Asana:

1. Sit on your yoga mat, with your feet pressed together and parallel to each other (also known as Dandasana or Staff Pose).

2. Take each leg at a time, cross it over one another, and bring your feet closer to you, making a pretzel sitting position.

3. Slowly roll onto your back, while pressing your palms down into the mat.

4. Walk your fingers toward your feet until your arms are straight. Pressing firmly with your palms and tucking your shoulder blades into your back.

5. Keep your legs and feet strongly engaged. You may hold your feet (as in the picture below) or place your arms by your sits, palms facing up.

6. Pay attention to the sensation of your breath. Instead of visualizing your breath, try to tune into the feelings of the energy passing through your body. Allow for this to settle into your mind.

5. Dhanurasana (advanced)

   1. From stretching to adding flexibility - this miracle yoga pose will provide instant relief from stress and anxiety – the two major enemies to healthy glowing skin! This pose not only regulates oxygen supply to the entire body but also revitalizes skin cells. No wonder it is considered one of the best yoga poses!

Step by step instructions on how to perform this Asana:

1. Lie down in a supine position on your yoga mat. Bend your knees while placing your heels as close to your sitting bones as possible.

2. Take your arms behind your head, allowing them to bend at the elbows, and place your palms near your head on the yoga mat. Spread your fingers to get a stronger grip.

3. Pressing your feet firmly into the ground, exhale and push your tailbone up into the air, gradually lifting your body off the ground. As the entire lower body is in the air, begin to bring your attention to your hands. Stay here for a few breaths to gain a grip on the pose.

4. To enter this pose completely, firmly press the palms of your hands and feet further into the ground and straighten your hands to full length. The knees will be slightly bent and the tailbone and knees will come into the same focus line.

5. Stay in this pose for 3-5 breaths and gradually release from it. First, by bringing your head to the floor, then your back.

Remember, it is not your age that defines the beauty of your skin, rather your inner balance. Begin to practice these yoga poses daily and see the results!

Thank you for reading our beauty news!

Written by: Jennifer Belousov

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