Thanks to Louise this week for sharing her questions with me!
Hi Jaina
I wanted to find out from you if there were some simple exercises to detox the body and keep the face and body looking young You mentioned in last night’s class that downward dog is good for the latter.
Thanks
Louise x
Hi Louise!
Great questions and yes downward dog is great for refreshing the face and allowing it to look more youthful!
Autumn is a good time to detox your body and clear out any ama (toxins) so that your system is prepared for the change in season. However as you detox your body be mindful as you don’t won’t to strip your body completely leaving you exposed and sensitive. Therefore work on postures and techniques which you are comfortable with and do not be aggressive with yourself.
There are various yoga postures and breathing exercises to detox the body. I would include twists in your practice to almost wring out any toxins or stagnant energy in the body. You can include lunge twists, seated twists or lying down twists such as those taught in class. Also work with developing and expanding your breathing practice. Kapal bhati and bhastrika breathing exercises will help to cleanse and clear out the body and mind. Both of these techniques should be practiced with the guidance of a teacher unless you are confident and familiar with the technique.
Supplement your yoga practice with a good diet to really achieve the most from a detox as well as aiding your liver to clear out the body. Drink plenty of water, eat fresh fruit and vegetables and to further support your yoga practice try looking into an Ayurvedic diet plan.
All the above will also help you to look young and refreshed and certainly postures such as downward dog will bring blood into the face to rejuvenate all the cells. You can also try rabbit pose or even a headstand for the same effect.
Breathing exercises though will ultimately keep you looking youthful and young. Practice Ujayi breath and Trinity breath as they slow the breath rate down per minute. With continuous practice you will find your breath will slow down and there will be a natural pause in-between your inhales and exhales. Thus you will naturally achieve a point of breathlessness in the pause. It is in this pause where the body and mind is very still and even time can almost seem to stand still! If the body is over used it can cause aging therefore this point of stillness is vital in allowing rejuvenation to occur to keep you looking refreshed, youthful, healthy and well. Again practice these techniques with the guidance of a teacher until you are comfortable and confident with the technique.
Also another useful note is to be happy. If you are not happy it will show on your face therefore do all you can to find your happiness!
Keep well, healthy and happy.
Jaina x
