Healthy, luscious, and thick hair is often taken for granted, but as we age, hair can lose its thickness and sheen if not properly cared for. Fortunately, simple hand gestures known as Mudras, combined with yoga and breath work, can offer a drugless therapy for hair loss and promote healthy hair growth.
It is within the human’s capacity to get healthy hair with the only condition: dedicate a few minutes each day. These few minutes of invested time can become a lifelong asset. Your hands can become a drugless therapy when you use them in the form of Mudras, highly proven methods for the cure and prevention of many ailments, including hair loss. Here’s how simple Mudras can significantly reduce hair fall.
Practiced for centuries in India, yoga is a symbol of mindfulness and wellness today. Apart from asanas for the whole body, yoga also has mudras that are incredibly effective for various problems like a certain hand exercise for hair growth. Yoga mudras are hand gestures that act as subtle energy points that can heal the body to alleviate physiological ailments like weak tresses and hair follicles. Having lasting effects, these mudras can be a simple way to help you get shiny and healthy hair.
According to yoga, the human body is composed of five elements - Agni (fire), Jal (water), Vaayu (air), Prithvi (earth) and Akash (space). Mudras are hand gestures, and they work because our fingers possess these five elements. When we try yoga mudras using our hands and fingers, it generates energy flow. Mudras enhance blood flow that triggers nutrient supply to the body, thickening the hair and nourishing it. Some mudras also restore prana (life) in the cells, which helps with preventing greying of hair. By restoring the earth elements, mudras strengthen hair tissues, addressing hair breakage concerns. This is why there are studies that claim practising specific yoga for hair growth and glowing skin . Mudras regularly help to strengthen hair roots, reduce hair fall, nourish the dry scalp, and make hair thicker. Let's find the best yoga for hair growth and thickness.
You can do many kinds of Mudras with your hands, each giving many beneficial effects. Here are five of the best Mudras for hair growth:
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Five Best Mudras for Hair Growth
These are some of the five best Mudras which do not require efforts but only your time. So when you get up early morning, open your windows to allow fresh air come in your room.
- Prithvi Mudra: This Mudra increases the earth element and decreases the fire element of the body, giving many beneficial effects including strengthening the tissues of the body and reducing body temperature. You can do this mudra anytime of the day. Join the tip of the thumb with the ring finger and keep other fingers straight and remain in this pose for 30 -40 minutes.
Prithvi Mudra
- Prana Mudra or Kapha Karak Mudra: This mudra builds the earth element of the body and increases Kapha humor. By regularly doing this pose, the hair roots get strong and long. This mudra should be performed by sitting in a Padma Asana or Lotus pose or by standing straight in the Mountain Pose or Tada Asana. Close your eyes and focus on your breath. Touch the tips of your ring finger and little finger together to your thumb. The other fingers should be kept straight. Remain in this mudra for 15- 30 minute and feel the emergence of the life force.
Prana Mudra
- Vayu Mudra: This Mudra decreases the Vayu element in the body, giving many health benefits. As an anxious and restless mind also causes hair fall, this mudra calms your mind and nervous system, which in turn gives you lustrous hair growth. Place the tip of the index finger on the base of the thumb to form Vayu mudra. Remain in this position for 15 to 30 minutes and see the difference. Avoid exerting too much pressure on the index finger, and don't keep your body tight as it would hinder the flow of energy.
Vayu Mudra
- Prasanna Mudra: Also known as Balayam yoga, Prasanna mudra is the most common technique used for aiding hair growth. Bring your hands near the chest and rub the nails of the four fingers with each other. Do this practice for 5 to 10 minutes every day for 30 days. Remember to keep your thumbs straight. By regularly doing this pose, you are assured of strong and lustrous hair.
Prasanna Mudra
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- Kapha Naashak Mudra: This mudra should be done for thirty minutes every day. Bring the tip of the ring finger and the little finger towards the base of the thumb, while keeping other fingers straight. This mudra is very useful for the treatment of the coldness of skin or hair and many other winter-related problems like dryness of the skin, absent of scanty perspiration, loss of appetite, etc.
Kapha Naashak Mudra
Additional Yoga Techniques for Hair Growth
Apart from mudra poses, you can also do full-fledged hair yoga that involves the whole body to help with hair growth. Yoga helps in blood circulation which in turn stimulates weak and dormant hair follicles. This will help regrow new hair.
Yoga for hair loss is a topic that I'm often asked about. Both Yoga and Breath Work (known as “pranayama” in the yoga world) are helpful with hair loss because they help to stimulate blood flow, increasing blood circulation in the head and scalp. Increasing blood flow in this area helps to rejuvenate hair that is dry or unhealthy. It helps to promote healthy hair growth and to stop hair loss. Yoga also helps because it reduces stress. Stress is a big contributor to hair loss.
Here are some yoga asanas and breathing exercises that can help:
- Kapalabhati: This purifying breathing practice removes toxins from the head, encouraging blood supply to this region. To perform Kapalabhati, begin in a comfortable seated position, inhaling and filling the lungs to about 75% capacity. Then, quickly and forcefully exhale through the nose, feeling the belly snap. Take 20-25 rounds of breath each morning for maximum benefits.
- Anulom Vilom: This alternate nostril breathing exercise balances the body's energy. Come to a comfortable seated position. Rest the left wrist on the left thigh. Fold the right index, middle and ring fingers in towards the palm. Bring the right thumb to rest lightly on the outside of the right nostril and the right pinky finger to rest on the left nostril. Close the right nostril with the right thumb, inhale through the left nostril. Release the thumb and close the left nostril with the right pinky finger. Exhale through the right nostril. Next, inhale through the right nostril and then close the right nostril and exhale through the left. Repeat this for 3-4 minutes for maximum benefits.
- Downward Facing Dog: This pose increases blood flow to the head and scalp. From table top position, on the hands and knees, begin to straighten the legs as you lift the hips and shift them back. Press into the palms, fingers spread wide, and lengthen the spine. Feel free to keep a generous bend in the knees if that helps to keep the length in the spine. We may hold downward facing dog for up to 5 breaths. For these reasons, it increases blood flow. As blood flow is increased, oxygen reaching the head and scalp is increased. This helps to facilitate hair growth and prevent hair loss.
- Standing Forward Fold: This posture encourages blood flow to the head. From mountain pose, take a big inhale and lengthen the spine. On an exhale, begin to hinge at the hips and bow forward, as if your upper body could spill over the thighs. With each inhale, lengthen the spine a bit longer. Encouraging blood flow to the head is helpful in improving circulation which encourages hair growth. Anytime we come into spinal flexion (bringing the heart closer to the thighs), we are relaxing the central nervous system.
- Vajrasana: This pose is good for digestion, which, according to Ayurveda, can impact hair health. Come to a kneeling position and sit on the heels. Keep the legs together as you sit up nice and tall, extending through the crown of the head. Vajrasana is good for digestion. According to ayurveda, the sister science of yoga and ancient medical system of India, stomach issues can cause hair loss.
Yoga poses for hair growth
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Additional Tips for Hair Growth
- Scalp Massage (Shiro Abhyanga): According to yogic wisdom, scalp massage can help to stimulate hair growth. In Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga and ancient medical system of India, scalp massage is known as “Shiro Abhyanga.” During scalp massage, blood flow is increased. Most medical and hair experts agree that hair growth comes from healthy diet, good blood circulation and proper nutrition.
- Healthy Lifestyle: You will also defeat the purpose if you have a bad lifestyle or are rough on your hair. Along with doing yoga, take care of your hair and use gentle, chemical-free products.
- Rubbing Nails Together: Yes, according to ancient yogic wisdom and also several modern studies, rubbing the nails together can help with hair loss. In yoga, we have a mudra called Prasana Mudra (also known as Balayam Yoga). To come into the mudra, you hold the hands in front of you, level with the heart, palms facing each other and fingers pointing upwards. Begin to bend the fingers in towards the palm and bring the hands to connect (nails to nails). Vigorously rub the nail beds of one hand against the nail beds of the other in an up and down motion for ten minutes. What happens is that the hair follicles are connected to the nerve endings that are located under the nail beds.
While practicing these mudras, remember that the results may not be visible immediately. You need to continuously practice them for months at end, to see results as vouched by its practitioners.
By integrating these Mudras and yoga techniques into your daily routine, you can naturally stimulate hair growth, reduce hair fall, and achieve healthier, more vibrant hair.