Aasanas for preventing grey hair!

Zee Media Bureau/Vasavi Garg

If grey hair causes stress and yoga relieves stress, is it a viable grey hair treatment? Some yoga advocates say that not only can it help to keep your hair from going grey, yoga may even help prevent and treat wrinkles as well.

Science has linked stress to grey hair, but even before it starts people get paranaoid about losing their natural colour. Avoid all of that and learn how to perform the various stress-relieving yogasanas to prevent grey hair:

Camel pose:

The Camel pose, also known as Ustrasana, is performed from a kneeling position. Place your knees and feet together and straighten your spine. Open your shoulders, keep your lower back straight and do not press your hips forward as you lift your chest, tilting your head back.

Plough pose:

The Plough pose also known as Halasana is performed while you lay flat facing upwards. Extend your arms down your sides, placing your palms down against the floor. With legs together, lift your legs and hips upward off the ground. Keep your legs straight and extend them over your body, placing your feet on the ground behind your head.

Triangle pose:

The Triangle pose or Trikonasana, is performed while standing. Spread your legs a little wider than hip width and rotate your left leg sideways in the hip socket (the right leg will be facing forward). Spread your arms, extending your fingers, and stretch down to the floor with your left arm, stretching your leg forward as you do so.

Cobra pose:

The Bhujangasana, Cobra pose, is performed while you lay flat on the ground, stomach down.

Place your hands, palm down, on the ground before you and lift your shoulders and chest while keeping your hips pressed to the floor.

You’ll feel your muscles stretching through your stomach as you lift upwards.

Downward facing dog pose:

Downward facing dog pose also know as Adho Mukha Savasana, is performed on the ground while sitting on the fours with the knees and palms on the ground.

Exhale, 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 hang downwards and stretch your arms further.

Practicing these five yogasanas every day will keep you away from stress thereby reducing pre-mature greying.

Besides, here are some other asanas that work 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.

Other than these, there are also some pranayam techniques that stop your hair from getting grey before time.

Easy pose or Pleasanr pose:

Keep a folded blanket on the floor and stretch your legs in front of you.

Fold both legs from your knees keeping your feet beneath the opposite knee and sit with your spine straight.

Keep your eyes open and breathe normally for 5-10 minutes.

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 (Surya Namaskar).

Remember that yoga is about breathing right when maintaining these poses. Do not attempt to practice yoga or any other exercise regimen without checking with your physician first, and look for instructional pictures, books and videos that will teach you the proper methods for each pose you wish to practice. Nowadays, yoga classes are available in various places, it is ideal to consult a specialist to learn the poses before making them a daily habit.