Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease seen as redness, scaling of various sizes. Ayurveda emphasizes on the effect of stress in Psoriasis and yoga goes a long way in relieving stress. For psoriasis yoga exercises should be done in the morning sun. Seven types of pranayama, the breathing and mental exercises, can be practiced towards successful treatment of psoriasis.
Pranayama Exercises
Sit cross-legged on a thin woollen or silken mattress in the open and do the following exercises in the order as below: –
Bhastrika
Close eyes and inhale deeply through both the nostrils. Follow this up with exhalation.
Kapalbharti
Breathing in series of quick exhalations accompanied by an inward drawing motion of the stomach.
Bahya
Inhale deeply to allow air to fill up lungs fully, hold for a few moments, and then exhale forcefully.
Aalom Vilom
A single-nostril breathing exercise. Pressing right nostril with thumb, inhale deeply, through the left nostril, followed by inhalation through the right nostril.
Agnisaar
Inhale deeply but slowly, pushing stomach muscles outward, filling up stomach with air. Exhale deeply, hold breath and move stomach in and out vigorously as many times as possible, before releasing it and allowing air to fill up lungs.
Bhramari
Close eyes and plug ears tightly with the thumbs of both hands. Put the forefingers on forehead, over eyebrows, and the middle fingers of the two hands right on the closed eyes. Inhale deeply and say “OM”, without opening mouth, so as to make a humming sound that travels from mouth to ears.
Udgeet
After closing eyes, place hands on knees. Take a deep breath in and then exhale, saying ”OM”, stress on the syllable “O” as long as the breath lasts, utter the syllable “M” right at the end.
Thereafter, rub hands vigorously to generate heat and place them on eyes. While doing the breathing exercises direct the energy generated towards the affected parts of the skin by thinking about its well being to get best results.
