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Breathing Techniques & Skincare

25th Jan 2019

Breathing Techniques & Skincare

Korean skincare is amazing. We have no doubt about it. Not only skincare products have an impact on the condition of your skin. What you eat and drink, how stressful your life is may have an impact on your skin. Hence, this blog post is about breathing techniques which can use to improve your skin.

Breathing techniques

Pranayama is the practice of breath. Meaning life force energy, breath flow or controlled breathing.

Yogic breathing techniques are well known for mental, emotional and physical well being as they purify the body from the inside out. There are many energy channels in our bodies and when we practise breathing techniques they are supplied with fresh oxygen, meaning all the organs benefit from it.

All pranayama practices help soothe the mind and the nervous system, therefore they are very beneficial for dealing with stress and anxiety.

Nadi Shodhana

Nadi Shodhana or alternate nostril breathing purifies the body and promotes a peaceful state of mind. It aids the digestive system and the metabolism, detoxifying the body and calming the mind. Chronic stress is a culprit for almost all the health disorders of modern world including skin problems. And this is where Nadi Shodhana and other breathing techniques can help.

Skinsider Breathing techniques & Skincare
Breathing techniques Alternate Nostril Breathing exercise.

How to practice:

  1. Sit in a comfortable position on a mat or a blanket (you could also stay seated in your chair with the spine straight).
  2. Relax your body,keeping your spine long close your eyes. Keep your left hand on your leftknee, use your right hand to close the nostrils.
  3. Fold the indexand middle finger into your palm and use only your right thumb and rightring finger.
  4. Close your rightnostril with your thumb as you inhale through the left nostril. Close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through your right nostril.

Inhale through the right and exhale through the left. (This is one round) inhale left, exhale right. Inhale right, exhale left.

Continue breathing for 5-10 rounds.

Deep ujjayi breath

Ujjayi breath is also know as the victorious breath because it is believed that one gains mastery and control over their breath when practising ujjayi.

To create the victorious breath we must constrict the back of the throat similar to constriction when whispering. It is an audible breath, often compared to ocean sound breath. I like to describe the sound as the sound of trying to warm up your hands but only keeping the lips closed, breathing through the nose.

Once you create the breath, take slow inhales and slow exhales.

That way you create heat in your body. You are encouraged to practice ujjayi when moving (yoga, gym classes).

Breathing techniques & skincare: Deep ujjayi breath
Breathing techniques & skincare: Deep ujjayi breath

Benefits of using breathing techniques

Ujjayi breath improves concentration, instills endurance, diminishes distractions and regulates the body temperature.

As it generates heat in the body, it is similar to a massage for the internal organs, cleansing the body of any accumulated toxins.

It is also known to release tension and anxiety, helps relieve headaches, strengthens the nervous and digestive systems, calms the mind and prepares the body for physical movement.

Impact of breathing techniques on skin

Your skin is a manifesto of the health of your inner body. It is also the largest organ of your body.

Skin problems occur for various different reasons. They might be due to:

  1. malfunctioning of your metabolism/digestion or if toxins build up in your body.stress or anxiety and we all know they have a huge impact on our lives.
  2. Lack of sleep
  3. Eating habits
  4. Environment (pollution etc. Make sure to cleanse your skin and wear sun creams)
  5. Skincare products that are not good for your skin (Go for organic, natural skincare).

As we practise more breathing techniques more often, our bodies start to cleanse from the inside and therefore all the benefits from the breathing are shown on the outside.

Practicing pranayama will bring you health and will maintain your well being, helping you release stress and any negativity that your body holds on to.

Inhaling positive oxygen and exhaling the negative.

Breathing techniques & Skincare
Breathing techniques & Skincare

Other breathing techniques to explore:

Kapalabhati pranayama

Brahmari pranayama

Check also Iva’s k-beauty journey.

Skinsider: Breathing techniques and skincare

About the author: Iva Emilova

“I have been practicing yoga for about 7 years now. My background and education is in Contemporary Dance and Dance Studies. I graduated from De Montfort University, which is where I started my yoga journey. I decided to go to India and see where a yoga teacher training will lead me. It’s where I fell in love with the practice of teaching and with the traditions of yoga thanks to my teacher Lalit Kumar and Himalaya Yoga Valley.