23/09/2013
Pranayama & Yoga for Grey Hair
White hair is caused when there is a deficiency of melanin, or the colour pigment in the hair. This pigment is made of a protein that is synthesized by special glands known as melanocytes. White hairs are also caused by stress and depression.
Men and women, who perform yoga, are much less susceptible to grey hair. This is because yoga helps you improve digestion and your metabolism, allowing the protein to be synthesized in a better manner.
Breathing exercises, such as pranayama, are ideal for relaxing your body and dealing with the stress, which releases toxic chemicals in the body and affects the production of melanin. Breathing exercises also help you regulate the hormones in your body. These hormones are responsible for growth and synthesis of a lot of proteins. Pranayama also increases the flow of blood to your scalp. This not only rejuvenates the cells in your scalp, but also the melanocytes.
As the blood flow to your scalp improves, it promotes the growth of longer and healthier hairs. These hairs also retain their original color for a longer time. Along with yoga, you should ideally also consume a healthy diet that gives you all the nutrients required for healthy hair.
White hair is basically caused due to protein deficiency in the body. The chief intake of food should contain more amounts of iron and protein to make up for the losses in the dietary intake. Yoga can go a long way in the treatment of white or grey hair as insomnia and depression are also the causes for white hair. Yoga works wonders in the treatment of depression. Biotin can also be applied as an herbal remedy along with yoga exercises.
Pranayama (breath control) exercises of yoga works wonder for mental disorders as well as for treatment of a wide variety of mental and physical disorders. White hair makes one feel older and that leads to development of the feeling of old age leaving the person lazy and lethargic. Yoga rejuvenates the mind and body and helps one to stay in good mood all the time.
White hair may also be the cause of extra stress on the body. Yoga helps to reduce stress and provides exercise and flexibility to all the bodily organs so that one feels age. It helps one to be relaxed and comfortable. Color of the hair is also important as it prevents the scalp from the harmful ultraviolet radiations in the environment. Melanin imparts black color to the hair and yoga keeps the body fit and strong and helps in production of melanin. The hair turns grey not at the time of growing but because it doesn't get proper amount of moisture, which is required for the pigment to reveal the color.
Melanin production stops and the hair turns white or grey and it may be denoted as the death of the cell producing melanin. Melanocytes are the cells producing melanin and their capacity of melanin production decreases by little percentage every year and once the individual becomes older the hair starts turning grey and white.
Pranayam increases the amount of blood flow to the cells producing melanin which helps them retain the moisture for the production of it, hence helping them to keep the hair black. Pranayam includes the breathing exercises and also breathing from one of the nostrils alternatively helps in keeping the flow of oxygen great in the upper part of the body which helps to maintain the pigment of the hair color. Other asanas of yoga which includes mudra (finger arrangements) helps for the hair treatment as the hand has all the pressure points in the hands. From the variations of pranayam, Kapalbhati pranayam works wonders for the hair troubles.
• Here are some yoga asana that prevent premature hair greying.
1. Ustrasana (Camel pose):
• Kneel down on the ground keeping your knees at least 6 inches apart.
• Use both your hands to reach backwards and grab the right ankle with your right hand and left ankle with your left hand while looking towards the ceiling.
• Keeping your thighs straight, push your abdomen in forward motion.
• Hold this position for a few breaths, release your hands and return to starting position.
If you are suffering from high or low blood pressure, migraine or any back and neck injury, avoid this asana.
2. Halasana (Plough pose):
• Lie down on the floor with your back and place your hands by your side palms facing downwards.
• Slowly lift your legs keeping it at right angle to the floor, bend it backwards over your head such that your toes are touching the ground beyond your head and press your chin against your throat.
• To retain this posture for long, support your back with your elbows on the ground.
• Breathe normally as long as you hold this posture, return to your original position and repeat again.
3. Trikonasana (Triangle pose):
• Stand with your legs about 3 feet apart.
• Now raise both your hands keeping it at a straight line with your shoulders.
• Bending towards the right side, touch the toes of your right leg with the fingers of your right hand and raise the left hand to look up towards your left hand.
• Hold position for a minute and repeat the same with the left side.
4. Bhujangasana (Cobra pose):
• Lie flat on the ground with your belly, legs kept together with toes pointing outwards and keeping hands on either side of your chest with palms facing the floor.
• Pressing on both palms, raise your forehead and look upwards. Inhale allowing the weight to rest on your chest.
• Extending your arms further, straighten your elbows and lift your chest and rest on your abdomen.
• Maintain for some more time and exhale as you release from this posture.
5. Adho Mukha Savasana (Downward facing dog pose):
• Sit on the fours with the knees and palms on the ground.
• While exhaling, lift your knees off the floor and pull yourself backwards stretching your arms and supporting your legs on your toes.
• Now pull your hips upwards towards the ceiling so that your body is in the shape of an inverted V and if required, support with palms and feet.
• Let your head hand downwards and stretch your arms further.
Practicing these five yoga asanas every day will keep you away from stress thereby reducing pre-mature greying.
Here are some other asanas that works positively on your scalp preventing greying of hair.
Rubbing nails:
• Fold the fingers of both your palms and bring them together.
• Rub the surface of fingernails of both hands vigorously leaving out the thumbs.
• Practice this every day for at least three times.
This asana strengthens the nerves of your fingernails that are connected to your scalp; thereby rubbing them stimulates blood flow to prevent pre-mature greying of hair and increasing hair growth.
6. Kapalbhati (Fire of breath):
• Sit in padmasana with both legs crossed.
• Exhale forcefully through your nose maintaining a rhythm.
• The inhalation happens effortlessly in between your exhalation.
• Start with 3 minutes and then gradually increase the time.
This asana increases blood flow to your scalp that prevents premature greying of hair.
Some other asanas that fights against greying of hair are Shoulder stand, Headstand, Standing forward bend pose and Sun salutation.
7. Sirsasana
Step by Step
Use a folded blanket or sticky mat to pad your head and forearms. Kneel on the floor. Lace your fingers together and set the forearms on the floor, elbows at shoulder width. Roll the upper arms slightly outward, but press the inner wrists firmly into the floor. Set the crown of your head on the floor. If you are just beginning to practice this pose, press the bases of your palms together and snuggle the back of your head against the clasped hands. More experienced students can open their hands and place the back of the head into the open palms.
Inhale and lift your knees off the floor. Carefully walk your feet closer to your elbows, heels elevated. Actively lift through the top thighs, forming an inverted "V." Firm the shoulder blades against your back and lift them toward the tailbone so the front torso stays as long as possible. This should help prevent the weight of the shoulders collapsing onto your neck and head.
Exhale and lift your feet away from the floor. Take both feet up at the same time, even if it means bending your knees and hopping lightly off the floor. As the legs (or thighs, if your knees are bent) rise to perpendicular to the floor, firm the tailbone against the back of the pelvis. Turn the upper thighs in slightly, and actively press the heels toward the ceiling (straightening the knees if you bent them to come up). The center of the arches should align over the center of the pelvis, which in turn should align over the crown of the head.
Firm the outer arms inward, and soften the fingers. Continue to press the shoulder blades against the back, widen them, and draw them toward the tailbone. Keep the weight evenly balanced on the two forearms. It's also essential that your tailbone continues to lift upward toward the heels. Once the backs of the legs are fully lengthened through the heels, maintain that length and press up through the balls of the big toes so the inner legs are slightly longer than the outer.
As a beginning practitioner stay for 10 seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes. Then continue for 3 minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Again gradually add 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 minutes. Come down with an exhalation, without losing the lift of the shoulder blades, with both feet touching the floor at the same time.
8. Sarvangasana-
Step by Step
Fold two or more firm blankets into rectangles measuring about 1 foot by 2 feet, and stack them one on top of the other. You can place a sticky mat over the blankets to help the upper arms stay in place while in the pose. Then lie on the blankets with your shoulders supported (and parallel to one of the longer edges) and your head on the floor. Lay your arms on the floor alongside your torso, then bend your knees and set your feet against the floor with the heels close to the sitting bones. Exhale, press your arms against the floor, and push your feet away from the floor, drawing your thighs into the front torso.
Continue to lift by curling the pelvis and then the back torso away from the floor, so that your knees come toward your face. Stretch your arms out parallel to the edge of the blanket and turn them outward so the fingers press against the floor (and the thumbs point behind you). Bend your elbows and draw them toward each other. Lay the backs of your upper arms on the blanket and spread your palms against the back of your torso. Raise your pelvis over the shoulders, so that the torso is relatively perpendicular to the floor. Walk your hands up your back (toward the floor) without letting the elbows slide too much wider than shoulder width.
Inhale and lift your bent knees toward the ceiling, bringing your thighs in line with your torso and hanging the heels down by your buttocks. Press your tailbone toward your p***s and turn the upper thighs inward slightly. Finally inhale and straighten the knees, pressing the heels up toward the ceiling. When the backs of the legs are fully lengthened, lift through the balls of the big toes so the inner legs are slightly longer than the outer.
Soften the throat and tongue. Firm the shoulder blades against the back, and move the sternum toward the chin. Your forehead should be relatively parallel to the floor, your chin perpendicular. Press the backs of your upper arms and the tops of your shoulders actively into the blanket support, and try to lift the upper spine away from the floor. Gaze softly at your chest.
As a beginning practitioner stay in the pose for about 30 seconds. Gradually add 5 to 10 seconds to your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 3 minutes. Then continue for 3 minutes each day for a week or two, until you feel relatively comfortable in the pose. Again gradually and 5 to 10 seconds onto your stay every day or so until you can comfortably hold the pose for 5 minutes. To come down, exhale, bend your knees into your torso again, and roll your back torso slowly and carefully onto the floor, keeping the back of your head on the floor.
