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by Shree Akshar, Founder, Chairman & Course Director, Akshar Yoga

Keep your hair and nails strong with these Asanas

Even though there might be several expensive treatments to counter this problem, it’s important to first activate blood circulation within your body and maintain a healthy diet.

Hair and nails reveal the overall wellbeing of our health. With our lifestyles changing day by day, our hair and nails may actually not get the nutrients they need. When there is a lack of nutrients and oxidization in our blood, it results in lack of production of keratin, a protein essential for our nails and hair to grow.

Even though there might be several expensive treatments to counter this problem, it’s important to first activate blood circulation within your body and maintain a healthy diet that involves Vitamin A, Vitamin B2, Vitamin D, Calcium, Iron and Iodine. A combination of all these will ensure proper absorption of nutrients and creation of collagen and keratin resulting in a healthy composition of hair and nails. What better way to activate blood flow to your body than Yoga?

Below are 5 dynamic yoga asanas from Akshar Yoga that, if followed religiously, will help you with strong hair and nails:

Chakrasana (Wheel pose)

Formation of the Posture

• Lie on your back
• Fold your knees and open them
• Place your heels by the sides of your hip in such a way that your heels make a 90° angle with your knees
• Fold your elbows and place your palms under your shoulders in such a way that all the fingers point forward, i.e., towards your feet.
• Inhale, put pressure on your palms and legs and lift your entire body up
• Straighten your arms and legs as much as possible
• Look back and relax your neck
• Your body weight should be evenly distributed between your four limbs
• Hold the posture for 30 seconds.

Benefits

• The chest enhances and the lungs get more oxygen.
• It reduces the stress and tension in the body and the eye sight becomes sharp
• This asana helps to strengthen the back and increases the elasticity of the spine.
• It reduces the fat and muscles in abdomen area and tones the digestive and reproductive organs process.
• It strengthens the muscles of hands and the legs.
• It induces the endocrine glands and maintains the metabolism normally.
• It induces the brain cells and refreshes the brain.
• It rectifies the uterine and menstrual problems in women.
• It stimulates the process of the liver, spleen and kidneys.
• It purifies the blood and gives good peace and clarity of thoughts and removes the unwanted tiredness and the afraid.
• It cures the hernia and the kidney become stimulated and refreshed

Salbhasana

Time: 1 set- 5 counts

Formation of the Posture

• Begin with Shashtanga Pranaamasana
• Deep inhale and lift your arms (continuing in namaskar), chest and head
• Lift legs simultaneously, keeping them straight
• Raise as much as you can
• Hold for 10 seconds

Benefits

• It gives flexibility to the back muscles and spine.
• Massages abdominal organs
• It can strengthen the shoulders and neck muscles
• It strengthens the lower back muscles
• Stimulates nervous system and develops coordination

Halasana – Plough Pose

Formation of the Posture

• Lie on your back
• Using abdominal muscles with inhalation lift legs up 90 degrees
• Press palms down and lift back away from floor (you may take support of palms)
• Take both legs behind your head
• Put toes down on the floor
• Neck should remain relaxed and body weight should be carried by shoulders
• Straighten arms and place palms down
• Hold the pose for 10 seconds

Benefits

• It clears constipation and stomach disorders.
• Halasana helps to reduce both belly and body fat.
• The inner organs like thyroid, kidney, spleen and pancreas are nourished well.
• It normalizes high blood pressure.
• Menstrual disorders in women are cured.
• It improves memory power. Therefore a student practicing this yoga pose regularly helps to score high marks in examination.
• With a broad shoulder and a trim waist it gives sleek look.
• As more blood flows to face, the face dazzles and keeps young.
• Muscle fibers and cervical vertebrae, Thoracic vertebrae and Lumbar vertebrae on the back are strengthened.
• It helps to keep your back bone flexible and strong.

Sirsasana – Headstand

Method:

• Begin with Samasthithi
• Place your knees on the floor
• Lean your upper body forward and place your elbows on the floor
• Interlock your fingers. Do not bring your palms together
• Your elbows and interlocked fingers must form an imaginary equilateral triangle
• Place the crown of your head exactly behind your palms
• Your palms must act as a support to the back of your head
• Find your balance and lift your knees off the floor
• Walk your toes as close towards you as possible
• Straighten your back and knees
• Use your core to lift your toes off the floor
• Bring your legs up and point your toes up to the sky
• You may lift both your legs at once or lift one leg at a time
• Focus at a point to get your balance
• Balance there

Benefits:

• Mobilizes spine and makes back more flexible
• Builds core strength
• Improves sense of balance
• Works as an anti-oxidant as blood flow is reversed
• Reduces hair loss
• Mobilizes knees and ankles
• Strengthens shoulders and thighs
• Refreshes nerves in the brain by increasing the oxygen flowing to the brain

Source: http://www.thehealthsite.com/fitness/5-yoga-asanas-for-stronger-hair-and-nails-w0318/