The Skin Benefits Of Yoga: Achieving An Inner Glow

Do you practice yoga? Paraphrasing a famous saying, one yoga practice a day keeps the dermatologist away! Or are you one of those people who love the idea of it but never seem to get around to actually do it

Whatever the case may be, I won't judge; I’m here to tell you of some lesser-known benefits of yoga you might not even be aware of.

Of course, we all know yoga will help you improve your posture and strength, increases your physical health, drop your blood pressure, or ease aches and pains. There are enough studies to prove these health benefits that yoga brings with regular practice. But did you know it will also benefit your skin tone and complexion? Yess, It very well can !!!

So What Kind Of Yoga Should You Do For Your Skin?

Since yoga is an ancient system, and since it keeps steadily gaining in its wild popularity, it naturally developed many variations over time, and these can seem a bit confusing to a new practitioner. Luckily, if you mold your practice around one particular goal, keeping your face youthful, you can pick and choose the exercises that suit your needs the best.

A great option to start is Face Yoga which consists of exercises that are meant to work all the layers of your skin.

Lift your facial skin back to fabulous – Facial Yoga!

Our faces tend to drop down and start sagging over time, so this little lifter exercise has been created to combat that and get them back up. Here is a step-by-step overview of how to do it:

1. Open your mouth and make a “long O” shape. Make sure that both your lips are covering your teeth.

2. Raise the corners of your mouth into a smile and firmly draw up your cheek muscles.

3. Now close your eyes. Roll them towards the ceiling (just think of that one obnoxious person at work, and you will get it perfectly on the first try). Keep “looking” up and readjust the shape of your mouth. You want to make your “O” as small as possible. Do another smile to make sure your cheek muscles are tightened up all the way and slowly tilt your head back.

4. Tighten your buttocks and abdomen, lift your chest, and slowly raise your hands up and over your head. Take long, deep breaths, and imagine all your facial muscles striving for the ceiling.

5. Hold tight in this position for thirty seconds. Exhale while lowering your hands and letting your head drop down towards the floor, then slowly roll back up.

Do this twice a day.

What Else Can You Do For Your Skin?

Of course, there is plenty you can do for your skin, besides practicing yoga! Here are some of the habits you can start adopting straight away:

1. Drinking more water – water helps our body flush out toxins quicker so hydrating yourself properly should be one of your top priorities.

2. Getting enough sleep – ideally, you should aim for at least 8 hours of sleep every night. I know that sometimes you just can’t afford that “luxury” but you should at least try it.

3. Getting a facial – scrubbing dead skin cells and cleansing your face should become a part of your weekly (maybe even bi-weekly) skin care routine as it will give your skin that healthy, youthful glow!

Final Words

Yoga can do wonders for your skin as well as your muscles. By detoxifying and reducing cortisol levels, it prevents pimples and acne and gives you that lovely fairy glow. It also increases the skin’s flexibility and helps you get rid of wrinkles. So what are you waiting for? Get your stretchy pants, join a club or browse for tutorials, and never worry about toning session in a parlour again!