Hair Secrets
Hair Nirvana: How Yoga Can Boost Your Hair Health
Did you know that yoga can help to encourage hair growth and improve your hair’s health? The ancient Indian practice goes far beyond just physical postures (asanas). It’s a holistic approach to well-being, combining physical movement, breathwork (pranayama), and meditation to promote optimum health. There’s a reason that yogis often have radiant, flowing hair — besides the inner peace and mental clarity that yoga fosters, it also contributes to promoting healthier hair growth, a reduction in hair loss and overall hair health. Here’s how:
Improved Blood Circulation
Yoga poses, particularly inversions like Downward-Facing Dog and Shoulder Stand (with proper form!), can encourage blood flow to the scalp. This delivers essential nutrients and oxygen to hair follicles, promoting healthy hair growth.
Stress Reduction
Chronic stress is a major culprit behind hair loss. Yoga's calming techniques like deep breathing and meditation can significantly reduce stress levels, creating a more favorable environment for hair growth.
Hormonal Balance
Certain yoga poses can help regulate hormone levels, including those that can impact hair health. For example, some poses may help regulate thyroid function, which can play a role in hair loss.
Scalp Health
Yoga can indirectly improve scalp health by promoting relaxation and reducing inflammation. A healthy scalp provides a fertile ground for hair follicles to thrive
“Growing up, our mother taught us yoga and meditation every Sunday. We would watch her long, flowing, golden hair unravel as she would go into backbends and headstands. The funny thing is, every time she got a haircut, it would just magically grow. The hairdressers were baffled and used to ask her what her secret was. Of course, we knew it was yoga.” – Nikita Mehta
Fable & Mane formally invites you to call upon the power of your roots and strengthen your mane from within, with our Hair Yoga Ritual designed by Hollywood Ashtanga yoga teacher, Eddie Stern, and our co-founders’ mother and devoted yogi, Chetna Mehta. Whether you’re a seasoned yogi or total beginner, these are the best yoga poses that help to encourage healthier, stronger roots and reduce hair fall.
- Balayam Yoga – Perform for 5 minutes
Derived from Sanskrit, “bala” means hair and “vyayam” means exercise or control, so Balayam is translated to “hair exercise/control.” This age-old Ayurvedic practice is believed to stimulate nerves directly connected to your hair follicles, helping improve scalp circulation.
Calm your mind and get into a relaxed seated position. Place your hands at chese-level and curl your fingers inwards. Stick yoru thumbs out straight so that they point towards your chest. Face your palms towards each other and touch your fingernails. Using up and down motions, rub the nails of both hands together, excluding the thumb. Movement should be vigorous enough to allow the nerves to get friction.
2. Shoulder Stand (Sarvangasana) – Hold for 20 seconds
This particular asana nourishes the thyroid gland and encourages blood flow to the brain, which helps discourage hair loss. This is also known as a healing exercise to alleviate neck pain.
Lie on your back, inhale deeply and raise your legs until your toes are pointing towards the ceiling. Support your body with your hands placed at the centre of your spine, ensuring your legs and spine are pointing straight towards the ceiling. Your whole body should rest on your shoulders and the back of your neck. Breathe deeply and direct your concentration towards your thyroid gland, located just in front of your windpipe in your neck.
3. Downward Dog (Adho Mukha Savasana) – Hold for 2 minutes
This is one of the best yoga poses for encouraging hair growth, and promoting blood circulation in the head and crown region, which, in turn, nourishes hair follicles.
Start on your hands and knees with your hands kept perpendicular to the knees and shoulders. Now, straighten your legs by pushing the hips out and standing on your toes. Push the floor away from you with your palms and straighten your spine. Slowly push your heels down as much as possible while keeping your legs straight. Now, pull your hips down slowly and come back to your starting position.
4. Camel Pose (Ustrasana) – Hold for 30 seconds
Ustrasana is considered to be one of the most effective natural hair growth remedies as it not only directs blood flow towards the scalp but also rebalances any abnormalities found in the thyroid gland that may cause hair loss.
Begin by kneeling on the ground, keeping your body upright and allowing your legs to form a right angle. Now, arching your spine backwards, touch the heels of your feet with your hands. As you bend backwards, look up towards the ceiling. Hold this pose for 30 seconds, breathing normally before slowly resuming your starting position.
5. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana) – Hold for 1 minute
This pose also promotes blood circulation towards the head, helping prevent hair loss and improve the quality, body and texture of hair.
Begin by standing upright with your feet together. Inhale deeply and lift up your hands towards the ceiling, then exhale before bending forward and touching the ground with your hands. If you can, place your hands behind your heels. Stay in this forward bending position for a few seconds, inhaling and exhaling normally before deeply inhaling and exhaling as you slowly unfold your way back up.
Namaste.
