Back in the good ol’ days, hair loss was an issue people usually had to deal with in their 40s, while also facing their mid-life crisis head on. Today, given the infinite changes in the world at large, or diet, exercise, stress levels, pollution and excessive smoking, hair loss is being experienced at a much much younger age. People in their 20s even are trying out expensive and often painful treatments like hair grafting to try and boost hair growth. And one thing that can be said about it is- it ain’t fun!
Yoga is a lifestyle that promotes holistic healing, in areas of your life that are seemingly entirely unrelated. It increases strength and flexibility, improves digestion, facilitates in healing traumas, anxiety, insomnia and works its magic on our skin as well as hair. We spoke to Yoga Facilitator Megha Jaitly, to understand how yoga aids in battling hair loss.
There are two main routes to consider when it comes to hair loss. The first being, deprived of nutrition. But if you are someone who follows a basic healthy diet and still suffer from hair loss, you can aim to ensure sufficient blood flow to the scalp. With improved blood circulation and increased blood flow, the scalp heals and repair the cells – thereby ensuring a healthier, thicker, stronger mane.
What Asanas help in increasing blood flow?
Downward Facing Dog
Adho Mukha Savasana, sends blood rushing to your head, thereby stimulating hair follicles and assisting hair regrowth.
Camel Pose
Or Ustrasana can be a bit challenging, but it is worth the effort. It boosts hair growth by stimulating the nerves of the scalp and increasing blood flow in the head which makes your hair strong and helps reduce hair fall.
Forward bending camel pose
Uttanasana is easy to do and highly effective. It relaxes muscles and boosts the flow of blood and oxygen to the head, increasing follicle growth and making your hair smoother and shinier.
Childs Pose
Balasana is the simplest and most relaxing pose. It helps provide increased blood flow to the scalp. The pose also helps relieve stress which in itself could be a cause for hair loss.
What about breathing exercises?
Pranayama which is a way of breath regulation, can be practiced for enhanced well-being, but one should be careful to do it under supervision (to start with). Not everyone should do all sorts of Pranayama but Megha suggests the safe-for-all practices that can help boost hair regeneration- Anulom Vilom and Nari Shodha. However, if all this seems too complicated there’s a fix for that as well.
Breathing with awareness, focusing on taking slow and deep breaths, setting your intention to improved health is more than enough- and is basically the crux of what Pranayama actually is.
Before you make the decision to take meds, or get some fancy and tedious procedure done, give yourself and your body a chance to heal itself naturally. You never know, you might find yourself loving the practice and see it change other aspects of your life.
Featured Image: Megha Jaitly
