International Yoga Day: Shahnaz Husain reveals Pranayam & meditation can keep you young, give flawless skin

By Shahnaz Husain

As the country battles the Covid-19 pandemic on a war-footing, India’s traditional system of yoga has been established as a means to boost immunity, improve overall health and well being. Lack of proper sleep, poor nutrition, and leading a stressful life, all lead to a weakened immune system and vulnerability to sickness.

A consistent yoga practice – along with certain poses in particular – can even boost the beauty and glow on our face.


You do not have to be born beautiful. You can acquire a beautiful, supple, glowing and flawless skin by treating yourself from inside through selection of yoga postures and exercises rather than relying on expensive cosmetics.

In this fast-moving world, one hardly gets any time to take care of oneself. Here I suggest a couple of yoga routines and food regimen that you can follow to maintain your immunity.

Pranayam
You can enhance your beauty with yoga by incorporating strict guidelines in your daily life. Pranayam aids you in reversing the signs of ageing including wrinkles, saggy skin, crow’s feet and fine lines amongst others. Pranayam also helps purifying the blood because of the increased intake of oxygen, which is very crucial for improving immunity.

Mindful Meditation
Mindful meditation is the psychological process of purposely bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment without judgement, which one develops through the practice of meditation.

Mindful meditation can have immense health benefits including improved immune function, reduced blood pressure and enhanced cognitive function. Those who regularly practice mindful meditation have a certain glow about them that comes from within and radiates outward. It helps lower stress hormones that compromise the immune system, while also conditioning the lungs and respiratory tract, stimulating the lymphatic system to oust toxins from the body, and bringing oxygenated blood to the various organs to ensure their optimal function which helps us to remain healthy and attain inner beauty.

Unprocessed And Protein Rich Diet
You should eat a variety of fresh and unprocessed foods every day to get the vitamins, minerals, dietary fibre, protein and antioxidants your body needs. Drink enough water. Eat fruits, vegetables, legumes (e.g. lentils, beans), nuts and whole grains like unprocessed maize, millet, oats, wheat, brown rice or starchy tubers or roots such as potato, yam, taro or cassava, and foods from animal sources (e.g. meat, fish, eggs and milk). For snacks, choose raw vegetables and fresh fruit rather than foods that are high in sugar, fat or salt.

I have always said that a strong immune system, good health and beauty are complimentary to each other. Unless you are healthy from the inside, you cannot reflect true beauty. For a flawless skin, shiny hair and a slim figure, good health must be on top of the list. In fact, I am a big believer in the Ayurvedic principles of holistic health, with yoga as an integral part of the program. This concept of holistic beauty care is unique and is practised worldwide.

Yoga is very relevant in today’s day and age, especially in the context of our fast paced modern lifestyle, for both health and beauty. Personally, it has been a part of my life and I have experienced its numerous benefits.