Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease that visibly manifests as red, itchy, scaly patches of abnormal skin. It is a non-communicable disease, reason for which can be partially genetic and partially due to environmental (internal and external) triggers. As per statistics, there is a 10% chance for children to get psoriasis, if parents suffer from the disease. As per WHO statistics, about 100 million people are currently suffering from psoriasis around the world. Psoriasis occurs commonly in the age group of 15-35 years. Psoriatic arthritis, which is characterized by inflammation of joints, generally occurs in the age group of 30-50 years.
Medical science has not been able to crack the code for this disease yet, which leaves millions of people suffering around the world. Recently, some experiments have been conducted, which show that yoga can be beneficial in treating psoriasis.
Yoga is no more an ancient practice for achieving higher consciousness, rather it has become a way of life in today’s world because of its many benefits. Yoga can teach us ways of handling stress of our day to day lives, thereby, helping us achieve inner peace. This makes it a wonderful tool in treating psoriasis, as stress can be one of the triggers for it. Also, practicing yoga flushes our bodies with great amounts of oxygen. Hence, it is very helpful in treating skin problems. Time taken to show improvement by practicing yoga for conditions like psoriasis, depends directly on the severity of the condition.
Pranayama, is a specific part of yoga, which consists of various breathing techniques. Pranayama has been found to be helpful in improving conditions of psoriasis. For individuals suffering from psoriasis, it is advisable to practice yoga under the soothing morning sun. There are many kinds of pranayama that can be helpful in treating psoriasis.
Six Kinds Of Pranayama For Treating Psoriasis:
Pre-Requisite For Pranayama
Find an open space under the morning sun with ample fresh air. Put your yoga mat on an even surface. Sit cross-legged on it. Breathe and relax yourself before you start.
Bahya
- Sit cross-legged. Close your eyes.
- Inhale deeply to your lungs’ full capacity.
- Hold your breath for few seconds.
- Now exhale powerfully.
- Repeat the same for 2-3 minutes.
Bhastrika
- Sit upright. Rest your hands on your knees. Keep them straight.
- Close your eyes.
- Inhale deeply through both your nostrils.
- Exhale forcefully through both your nostrils till you run out of breath.
- Repeat the same for 2-3 minutes.
Anulom Vilom
- This is a single nostril breathing exercise.
- Sit upright and cross-legged.
- Using your right thumb, close your right nostril.
- Inhale through your left nostril.
- Now close your left nostril with the forefinger of your right hand and exhale through your right nostril.
- Repeat it five times.
Kapalbhati
- It is a double nostril exercise. It requires series of quick exhalations.
- Sit upright and place your hands straight on your knees.
- Inhale normally. Focus on exhalation.
- Now exhale accompanied with an inward movement of stomach per second.
- Take your time to find this pace.
- Continue this for 5 minutes.
Bhramari
- Close your eyes. Plug your ears with two of your thumbs and put your forefingers over
your eyebrows and middle fingers over your eyeballs. - Inhale deeply and follow it with humming the word “OM”.
- Focus in between your eyebrows.
- You will feel vibrational energy between your ears and in your body.
Agnisaar
- Inhale deeply and slowly. Accompany it with outward movement of stomach.
- Exhale slowly and completely, accompanied with inward movement of stomach.
- Hold your breath. Vigorously move your stomach inward and outward as many times as you can.
- When you feel out of oxygen, inhale again and repeat the whole thing five to ten times.
After you finish one session, continue to sit and breathe for some time. Try feeling the energy in your body. And do remember to focus and direct your energy to your affected parts while doing yoga.
Yoga is a wonderful way of cleaning your aura and fill yourself with positivity and hope, which is instrumental in recovery.
