Yoga for hair growth
It was probably sometime in the late 1990’s that Baba Ramdev had caught the imagination of millions of households in India by introducing pranayam (breathing exercises) on a large scale via television. This had become the topic of every household conversation and thousands practiced it on a daily basis claiming that that were benefiting from it. It was a kind of a revolution of its own kind.
I had come to India on my annual vacation and there I could see my parents doing the pranayam’s religiously every day and the changes in them were noticeable. My father’s respiratory problems had eased whilst my mother’s blood pressure seemed to be more in control and they seemed to have some kind of energy around them which was not there earlier. I was visibly impressed and asked them to teach me the technique of pranayam. One of the exercises helped hair growth and this is my experience.
The technique is amazingly simple and does not need more than five minutes a day but it is strongly advised that it be done religiously on a daily basis for the results to show. Just fold your fingers of both the hands and place the finger nails against each other and simply rub the nails against each other back and forth. It is only the fingers that need be rubbed; from the little finger to the index finger all together side by side…..the thumbs should not be rubbed. This simple exercise could be done on a morning walk, sitting in your house watching TV, commuting to office in the metro or anywhere that you have 5 minutes to spare. That’s it.
It is said that the nerve endings in the fingertips are connected to the scalp and that by rubbing the nails together we are stimulating the scalp and it receives increased blood flow encouraging the reproduction of skin cells, which may also contribute to further hair growth.
Unfortunately, simple remedies often attract contempt and disbelief…no oils, no exotic herbs to be applied on the scalp? No spic and span specialist clinics with hefty fees? No state of the art technology? I guess this technique of pranayam would be better accepted if it were to be made a bit more complicated…..lets say rub the finger nails together keeping your two feet high in the air and your head immersed in a bucket of water. Sounds challenging…..must be a sure shot remedy!!
Anyway, I have tried this simple technique myself and in a matter of one month I could feel the difference with the hair feeling more thick and fuller. The first to comment was an expert in this field….the barber….and she asked if I had been using any particular oil or shampoo as the hair felt more thick than before. There were others in the office who also commented that my hair looked more lively and shiny. I did tell them of the pranayam and the technique but as I mentioned before most did not take me seriously. Just over a couple of months of adopting this technique I neglected my nail rubbing practice. The reasons were aplenty, office rush, work pressure and all others through which I convinced my mind that I could not spare even 5 minutes a day for my own health care.
Naturally the growth stopped and over the next few years I have managed to give to myself a receding hair line with most of them turning white. It was a mistake and now after a gap of almost 9 years I have resumed the practice and have vowed not to stop it again…..at least not till I manage to fool myself again on the pretence of work pressure.