Beauty from the Inside Out

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Beauty From The Inside Out Words and selected images by Lynsey Riach

Think ‘yoga’ and what words spring to mind? I bet it was flexibility or stress relief wasn’t it? As a yoga instructor, most people do come to me with these goals in mind but what if I told you that yoga may hold the key to a beauty secret that all of us can unlock for free?

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round 5,000 years ago yoga made an appearance on the wellness map and in today’s society has become more popular than ever before. With hundreds of different styles and classes available, it’s easy to pigeonhole yoga for being only for those who want a little more ‘zen’ in their life but actually, (and I say this on a daily basis,) yoga is for everyone. No matter what your exercise history, age, shape or size, there’s a style of yoga and myriad of benefits waiting for you to experience and enjoy.

Back to this little secret you ask... It’s true, yoga not only helps us to touch our toes thanks to the loosening of our super-tight muscles and spine, but it can also help with our appearance and diminish those fine lines that have been bothering most of us for sometime now.

But how you ask? While practicing yoga, (whether physically demanding or physically relaxing), we focus on breathing techniques that help us learn to inhale and exhale deeper and cleaner, which in turn purifies and cleanses

our lungs, strengthening our respiratory system which helps blood flow around our bodies quicker and easier. What then would the affect of this be? Apart from improved circulation and concentration, (as blood will flow quicker to your brain), it gives us that beauty must-have – glowing skin.

To take it even further, if you practice yoga on a regular basis (and by that I mean 3 times a week) your skin will radiate more regularly too, as all that blood and fluid circulates nicely through your body and lymphatic system. Also, daily practice will help you become more confident and advance your skills to proceed and play with inversion asanas (poses with your head below your heart) guaranteeing to bring the blood straight to the skin’s surface on your face. Give us the glow!

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Alternate Nostril Breathing Centre your energy and calm your mood by closing your eyes. Take your right hand to your right nostril and inhale deeply through your left nostril. Close both nostrils. Release your right hand and exhale through your right nostril. Repeat, right to each side.

Love The Skin You're In Since stress is one the biggest causes of emotional, spiritual and physical sickness, it also plays a role in the quality of our skin. Yoga helps relax the muscles in your face.

Yoga’s Beautiful Benefits: UÊImproves, regains and retains good health.

UÊHelps relieve stress while relaxing and strengthening the mind and body.

UÊYoga is known to help keep a check on diabetes, arthritis, back pain, high blood pressure, asthma and depression among others.

UÊBelieve it or not, yoga can help you lose weight and help you attain and maintain your ideal body weight.

UÊLadies health issues like menopause, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and other menstrual disorders are also treated through the regular practice of yoga.

Twist For Detox Sit with your legs extended and take your to the left side. Twist your body towards the right, using your left arm Yoga is, of course, well-known to help improve flexibility as well as correct posture which preserves our young appearance (a hunched back is common as we age), but it will also help rid your skin and body of toxins while providing proper nutrition at the cellular level.

Feeling Good Is Looking Good Aside from looking and feeling great physically, (regular poses help promote leaner and longer muscle and tone), yoga can also help fight the aging process by using anti-gravity poses or exercises strung together in sequences. You’ll find these in any yoga class which also helps to produce physical fitness and stamina. Any wellrounded exercise routine should include cardio, resistance and flexibility training. Yoga has all three wrapped up in a pretty bow.

Lets Twist Again!

If you’ve practiced yoga before you may have twisted yourself – or tried to – into pretzellike poses. But why do we do this in practice?

Well, twists help massage our internal organs, especially our kidneys which help flush out toxins and in turn helps our digestive system move into action.

Location:The W Doha

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Try These 3 Poses To Promote Beauty From The Inside Out!

Look Up And Glow Allow your head to fall back in this Camel healthy glow! This pose requires strength in the back. From ben t knees, gently bend yourself backwards using either your hands on your hips or if you are able touch one or both hands to your heels and drop your head back.

Ever wonder why yogis are stereotyped as being ‘zenned-out’ hippies? You could argue it’s all that peace and love, but it’s actually all the happy hormones – called endorphins – that are released into our blood through movement of the body.

Practicing yoga with breathing techniques and moving our bodies in a beautiful way helps us to connect with ourselves and appreciate the mechanics of our body and mind. Ultimately, it helps us to appreciate the basic things in life.

Yoga is particularly useful if you're a comfort-eater - someone who eats whenever they're stressed.

Your yoga exercises help you to calm down.

Give yoga a try and notice how it makes you feel, from the inside – out. Namaste!

Lynsey Riach is a qualified yoga instructor living and working in Doha. To learn more, visit her website at www.andstretchyoga.com.

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