15 Best Yoga Asanas and Pranayama for Naturally Glowing Skin

| Author: Manoja Kalakanti
This content has been Medically reviewed by Dr. Surya Kedara, MBBS – General Physician

Each and every person, irrespective of the gender dreams of achieving healthy and glowing skin that shines from within. But in today’s world where we are surrounded by pollution and toxins at all times the possibility of having naturally glowing skin seems to be an unachievable and unrealistic desire. Even the harsh weather and UV rays also take a toll on your skin. But what if I tell you that the ultimate answer to the question of how to have glowing skin naturally lies in the benefits of yoga, pranayama, and meditation? Yes, it is true, and the results can be noticed within just a few weeks of getting started with the asanas.

15 Best Yoga Asanas and Pranayama for Naturally Glowing Skin

Benefits of Yoga for Maintaining Healthy Skin

Yoga and Pranayama are two effective things that you can practice on a daily basis in order to keep your skin beautiful, youthful and glowing at all times. There are a number of poses, breathing techniques and hand gestures that you can master in order to deal with the skin problems.

  • Yoga provides a natural glow to the skin by flushing out toxins from the body. It also helps in regulating the digestive and excretory system that helps the internal purification system to work in a better way.
  • The soothing yoga poses help in relaxing the mind and the body and reduces stress. Stress can make your skin appear dull, tired and worn out. Yoga rejuvenates and revitalizes the skin and makes it blemish-free by cutting down stress level.
  • Allergies or impure blood can lead to infections, boils, and pimples. Yoga helps in healing skin infections and allergies by maintaining proper blood circulation and flushing out toxins from the blood.
  • Yoga promotes restful sleep. Lack of restful sleep can make your skin lose its natural shine and luster.
  • Yoga helps the skin to become tight and firm and gives it a natural lift thereby reducing wrinkles and fine lines.

10 Amazing Yoga Poses for Healthy and Glowing Skin

The handful of yoga poses and meditations mentioned below can help you to attain younger and prettier skin by improving blood flow to the nerves present underneath your face that aids in skin cell renewal. Devote at least 15 to 20 minutes to these yoga asanas every day to see amazing results within a few weeks.

Sarvangasana

Also known as the shoulder stand, this is the most effective yoga for glowing skin that improves skin texture and quality by promoting blood circulation towards your face. As the name suggests, this particular asana benefits an individual’s entire body. Practicing this pose for 3 to 5 minutes every day works as an amazing natural remedy for pimple, acne, and blemishes and it also helps to get rid of wrinkles and dullness.natural remedy for pimple, acne, and blemishes and it also helps to get rid of wrinkles and dullness.

SarvangasanaLie on your back; raise your legs and torso off the floor so that your body rests on your shoulders. Use your hands to keep your hips up off the floor. Close your eyes and breathe deeply in this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute and slowly return to the starting position.

Halasana

It is also known as the Plow pose, and it is one of the best asanas for achieving healthy glowing skin naturally. This asana helps to improve your digestive process that is essential for glowing and healthy skin. It is also a healing yoga for lower back and hip pain that relieves strain on the lower back and boosts the metabolism.

halasanaLie on your back and gradually raise your legs and torso off the floor and lower the legs behind your head to touch the ground. Stay in this pose for 10 to 15 seconds and come back to the relaxing position. You can hold your back as a support during this asana.

Uttanasana

This is forward-bending pose that promotes blood flow to the face and makes it one of the functional yoga poses for glowing skin. This yoga pose increases oxygen supply to the skin cells and supplies helpful nutrients that fight the damage caused by free radicals and encourages skin cell renewal. It is one of the easiest exercises to reduce tummy fat without putting in much effort.

UttanasanaStand straight with your feet closed and arms raised overhead. Now, bend forward from the pelvis and try to touch the ground while keeping your legs straight. Keep your eyes closed and let your head hang freely. Try the stay in the forward-bending position for 1 minute and then gradually come back to the standing posture.

Bharadvaja’s twist

Improving your digestive health is the ultimate answer to the question of how to get glowing skin naturally. The seated twist helps to improve digestive health and move out toxic and harmful substances from the organs. Clearing the body of waste is always good for the skin. It is one of the healing yoga exercises for neck pain relief.

BharadvajasanaSit on the floor with your legs stretched in front. Shift onto your right buttock, bend your knees and tuck your legs to the left. Now twist your torso to the right, put your right hand on the floor for support and keep your left hand under your right knee. Stay in this posture for 1 minute and then repeat the twist on the opposite side.

Matsyasana

It is also called the fish pose that promotes healthy skin by improving the functions of the thyroid, pineal, and pituitary glands and normalizes the hormones. This asana gives a good stretch to the muscles of the face and throat which makes it one of the beneficial exercises to get rid of a double chin.

Fish-Pose-MatsyasanaLie on the floor and tuck in your hands under your hips. Now, lift your body off the floor so that it forms an arch form he head to the hips. Stay in this pose for 1 minute and return to the starting position.

Trikonasana

Also known as the Triangle pose, it is by far the best yoga for glowing skin that opens up the lungs, chest and heart and supplies more oxygen to the skin so that your skin feels refreshed and rejuvenated. This pose also restores the equilibrium of the body and the mind. It is the best solution to the question of how to slim down arms, thighs, and legs.

Extended Triangle Pose Utthita TrikonasanaStand with your legs placed wide apart. Turn the right foot out, raise the hands to the sides and bend to your right side from the hips. Let your right hand come down towards the floor and your left hand up in the air. Maintain your head in a neutral position or turn to the left with eyes gazing upwards. Remain steady in this position while taking long deep breaths and then return to the standing position and repeat on the opposite side.

Bhujangasana

The Cobra pose is a relaxing yoga asana that helps to reduce tension, stress, and fatigue by opening up the chest but how to get glowing skin with the cobra pose? This pose helps to supply extra oxygen to the skin cells which in turn helps the body to flush out the accumulated toxins from the system.

BhujangasanaLie on your stomach with toes flat on the floor and hands placed under the shoulders. Take a deep breath in and gradually lift the head and torso off the floor, only keeping your navel on the floor. Support your torso up with your hands and straighten them so that your back is arched. Hold this posture for 1 minute and come back to the initial position.

Ustrasana

This asana is also called the camel pose, and it involves and intense back bend that helps to open up the rib cage and increase lung capacity for inhaling more oxygen. This pose reduces stress and balances the hormones in the body that are responsible for acne and pimple outbursts.

UstrasanaKneel down on the floor with the hips, knees and thighs perpendicular to the floor. Now bend back and hold your heels. Let your head hang back, opening your throat. Hold for 1 minute and then come back to the starting position by releasing the hands.

Pavanamuktasana

The wind relieving pose is by far the best asana for improving digestion and it also helps in relieving bloated abs. The compression effect created by the pose helps to improve the regulating effect of the nervous system and aid all the muscles to relax. It also cures constipation which in turn cures acne and pimples and gives you youthful and clear skin.

PavanamuktasanaLie on your back with the feet together and arms resting on the sides. Breathe in and bring up the right knee towards your chest as you exhale and press the thigh on the abdomen with clasped hands. Now, lift your head and chest off the floor and try to touch your chin to your right knee. Next, loosen the clasp and let your leg return to the straight position. Repeat the same with the left leg.

Tadasana

It is also known as the Mountain Pose, and this simple standing pose helps to concentrate on deep and rhythmic breathing that is a vital element of healthy skin. Getting in more oxygen through controlled breathing helps the body to release harmful toxins and keep the skin healthy and glowing.

TadasanaStand straight with your feet flat and heels a little distance and base of big toes touching. Now, raise both hands and join them in a Namaste in front of your chest. Extend the shoulder blades, bend towards the back and then release slowly. Keep your head straight in line with the middle of the pelvis and stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Concentrate on your breathing through the entire duration of the asana.

5 Pranayama and Meditation for Healthy and Glowing Skin

Pranayama and meditation involve a lot of simple breathing exercises that supplies more oxygen to your system and regenerates and rejuvenates the skin cells. Some of the best pranayama breathing exercises that you can practice for healthy skin are Kapalbhati, Narishodan pranayama, Bhastrika and Anulom Vilom. You should also include the Varun Mudra in your breathing exercises in order to balance the water element in the body.

Kapalbhati

This one of the most common pranayama practiced by common people and it helps to increase stamina, provide a flat belly and develop healthy and glowing skin.

Kapalbhati PranayamaIn this pranayama, you need to sit with your legs folded in Padmasana and practice forceful breathing by inhaling softly and exhaling forcefully.

Narishodan Pranayama

This pranayama can be done sitting in Ardha Padmasana or Purna Padmasana.

Narishodan PranayamaPlace the left hand on the knee, thumb and index finger touching and the other three fingers stretched. Put the index and middle finger of the right hand between the eyebrows, breath in from one nostril while keeping the other blocked and vice-versa. Use your thumb and ring finger to close the inactive nostril.

Bhastrika

This pranayama involves forceful breathing. You have to sit in Vajrasana with your fists clenched and continue forceful breathing for 3 to 5 minutes at a stretch. Beginners can target 1 to 2 minutes and then slowly continue it for longer period.

Bhastrika Pranayama

Anulom Vilom

This is a simple breathing pranayama where you sit in Padmasana and breath in through one nostril while keeping the other blocked and breath out with the other nostril keeping the former blocked. Continue this procedure for some time.

deep breathing exercises

Varun Mudra

The Varun Mudra helps to balance the water element in the body. It is incorporated in almost all breathing exercises. It promotes the flow of body fluids, thus, keeping your skin moisturized and hydrated at all times.

Varun MudraThis hand gesture is done by pressing the little finger and the thumb together while keeping the rest of the three middle fingers straight.

Essential Yoga tips for glowing skin

There are some specific yoga poses and mudra that are specially designed for improving blood flow to the head and face. Practicing these yoga poses is especially beneficial for achieving healthy and glowing skin naturally.

  • Choose yoga postures that promote blood circulation to the upper part of the body – the head and face area. Some examples are Cobra Pose, Plow Pose, Shoulder Stand, Fish Pose, Child pose and Triangle pose. All these postures increase oxygenation by opening up the chest. Forward bends and Inverted postures also increase blood flow to the head.
  • People with oily skin face problems of acne and pimples during summer. Cooling pranayama and breathing exercises can render a soothing and cooling effect on the skin and help to retain its glow. It also aids emotional and physical cleansing.

natural yoga tips for glowing skin

 

  • Try the wind relieving pose, Vajrasana, Bow pose, Naadi Shodhan pranayama and Kapal Bhati on empty stomach in order to detoxify the body. The detoxification takes place through forceful exhalation. It also helps to improve the digestive process.
  • Meditate at least 2 times a day daily in order to radiate natural glow from within.
  • Devote 20 minutes to facial yoga exercises every day. It helps to tighten and tone the facial muscles and keep the signs of aging at bay. Massage your jaws and eyebrows to reduce stress and relax the facial muscles. Work your cheeks and chin by doing the “Kiss and Smile Technique”. Push your lips out as much as you can as if you are about to kiss and then smile broadly.
  • Get into some fast-paced yoga such as a few rounds of Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar to break into a sweat and promote natural detoxification of the skin.

Natural Tips to Keep Your Skin Glowing

Yoga is all about increasing your harmony with nature and staying close to the earth. Here are some simple and useful natural tips that you can follow in combination with these yoga asanas and pranayama in order to have naturally glowing skin.

  • Drink Water – Begin your day with a glass of lukewarm water with lemon juice and honey. It helps to detoxify the system and keeps your skin healthy and clean.
  • Eat Fresh Produce – Stay away from foods that come in packets or boxes. Include more of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your diet.
  • Take Rest – Out body needs 6 to 8 hours of undisturbed sleep every day in order to rejuvenate and restore the daily wear and tear.

Natural Tips to for Glowing Skin

  • Use Natural Stuff on Skin – Try to avoid chemical-laden skin products, cosmetics, creams, and cosmetics as much as possible. Use ayurvedic products and opt for natural remedies instead.
  • Reduce Stress – Smile a lot and try to stay happy and enjoy the things you do in order to keep your mind stress-free. The happiness that is reflected in your smile is the best make-up for your face.

So, embrace yoga and make it a part of your daily life in order to bring positivity in your life and enjoy its numerous beneficial aspects.

15 Best Yoga Asanas for Naturally Glowing Skin – PDF

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