Yoga Cures: Simple Routines to Conquer Over 50 Common Ailments and Live Pain-Free (12 page)

For some of us, acne was part of the growing pains of our teenage years; others battle with acne in their

adult lives. Both can cause stress, which leads to more and worse breakouts. We know from experience

that yoga reduces stress, and we know that a lot of people who practice yoga regularly have that “yoga

glow” (their skin is dewy and fresh looking). Ever wonder how some people get their glow? It’s not

from expensive creams, Botox, or surgeries. Just yoga … and all the healthy activities a regular yoga

practice naturally points you toward.

Acne forms when glands in the follicles of your skin produce sebum, an oil that lubricates your skin.

When the sebum makes its way to the surface of your skin, it carries along dead skin cells. When the

mixture clogs a pore, bacteria horn in, leading to inflammation and acne. Yoga comes to the rescue

because of acne’s connection to stress. The hormone that goes along with the feeling of stress is

cortisol. When you experience stress, your adrenal glands release it, which triggers a bunch of things to

happen in your body, including an increased production of sebum. Too much sebum means clogged

pores and acne. Now you know one more reason why you should reduce stress; looking good is a great

benefit, feeling less stressed is priceless.

THE ACNE YOGA CURE

Heightened stress levels make all sorts of not-so-good things happen chemically in our bodies. These stress
triggers can set us up for sickness and eventually turn into disease. Acne is a relatively benign outcome of
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stress and there is no harm in trying yoga as a cure, as it’s widely accepted that a regular yoga practice will
reduce your stress levels.

Try this routine as often as you’d like. Three times a week is a great start! It is designed to put you in a few
simple positions that require your muscles to work for you, while challenging your mind to be calm. If you can
be comfortable during a plank pose, for instance, you will find ease in most other circumstances in your life.

So plank up and look forward to a more acne-free and stress-free life.

Plank

Get on all fours. Make sure your wrists are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips. Spread your fingers wide, like you are digging into some nice, wet sand. Tuck your toes under and straighten your legs and arms, bringing your body into a straight line from the top of your head through the bottoms of your heels. Keep your stomach nice and strong and lift the front of your thighs up. Stay here for five, long, deep breaths. If this is too intense gently lower your knees to the floor. Always make sure you can breathe easily during this pose.

Plank Push-Up

You can do this with either your knees lifted, or lowered for a bit less challenging version. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly. Bend your elbows back and lower your body in one straight line half way down until your upper arms are parallel to the ground. Keeping your body in a straight line, press back up.

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Side Plank

From your plank pose press into your right hand, lift your hips slightly, and roll to the outside edge of your right foot. Lengthen your left arm out so that it’s straight and in line with your shoulders. Look up at your left hand. You can either keep the feet as they are, stack them on top of each other if you feel steady, or if this is too much, lower your right knee down so you can feel more stable. Stay here for two long, deep inhales and exhales. Roll down and through a plank pose and try the other side.

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Bow

From a plank, bend your elbows and slowly lower down until you are lying on your belly. Bend your knees, and

reaching back and around, grab the outside of your ankles with your hands. Gently press your feet into your hands.

Your body will lift and your back will arch. Don’t force your back to open, but use the pressure of your feet in your hands to take your body to where it can move easily with your breath. Stay here for three long, deep breaths and slowly lower down. If grabbing both feet at once isn’t possible try doing one at a time.

ADD/ADHD

For many children and adults, a wandering mind is more than a distracting problem. It is the core

symptom of ADD and ADHD. Yoga has been shown to help focus and calm the mind and ease the

problems of people suffering from these disorders. Even if you don’t suffer from either one, as a society

we are constantly “on,” constantly overstimulated. We’re plugged into our mobile devices and

constantly sending and receiving messages all day long. It can be easy to get caught up in this frenzy

and hard to step back and focus on one thing at a time. The time we spend on the computer can further

shorten our attention span.

A study randomly selected children with ADHD to either practice yoga or follow a more traditional

exercise routine. Hands down, the winner was clear. The children who practiced yoga improved their

attention and had fewer ADHD symptoms versus the exercise group.

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THE ADD AND ADHD YOGA CURE

Just as stress reduction has a deeper effect on your overall health, cultivating the ability to pay attention takes
you much further than only improving your ability to focus. Paying attention without getting involved in our
racing thoughts and responding to every impulse of our bodies without consideration is essential in developing
lasting ease of body and mind. Living with a body and mind that are at ease is much more enjoyable than

living with a mind that shoots from thought to thought like a ping pong ball, fidgeting and twitching to work
out its restlessness.