Banana yoga is not an easy yoga pose to do. However, if practiced, you can get countless health benefits from this pose.
Banana yoga (shirsasana) is known as the king of poses in yoga because of the difficulty as well as the top benefits that this pose brings. However, this upside-down pose is really fun and has a lot of benefits – physically, mentally and emotionally – for the practitioner.
If you are also curious about this pose, let’s continue with easyhealthylive.com to see the sharing below to understand more about the benefits of banana yoga.
Who is Banana Yoga for?
Banana yoga is an upside down yoga pose with hands on the floor and legs raised straight up to the sky. This is a difficult yoga pose and is not suitable for beginners. Even if you have been practicing yoga for a long time, you should only do it under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher.
Everyone can practice banana growing yoga to improve health. However, this position is not suitable for people with osteoporosis, vascular diseases and glaucoma.
Because people with osteoporosis are at risk of serious injury, people with blood vessels can have a heart attack or stroke, and people with glaucoma are at risk of developing acute glaucoma when practicing this pose.
Benefits that yoga poses with bananas bring to health
Here are some benefits that you can get from practicing banana yoga regularly:
1. Increase oxygen to the brain
Turning the body upside down can help oxygen move to many places, including the brain. Oxygen is considered the brain’s energy source.
When the brain receives more oxygen, our mood and concentration will improve. Not only that, it also helps reduce depression, anxiety and improve mental function.
The banana growing pose helps to increase oxygen to the brain
2. Improve body strength
If practiced correctly, this yoga pose will help strengthen the body. When the body is in an upside down position, the abdominal muscles, back muscles, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles will be activated. In addition, during the performance, if you know how to keep your breathing steady and rhythmic, these muscles will become more and more flexible.
3. Strengthen the lymphatic system
Banana yoga has the effect of stimulating the lymphatic system, an organ responsible for removing toxins and waste from the body. Not only that, this pose is also a natural way of detoxification.
During exercise, the muscles will be relaxed, from which the fluid will easily move into the lymph channels, then go to the lymph nodes to clean any “dirt”.
4. Improve blood circulation
When the legs are elevated above the heart, blood begins to flow like a waterfall. Dr. Karen Koffler (Northwestern University) said that when the body is in an upside down position, the amount of blood circulating to the brain will increase. As blood flow to this area increases, so does oxygen and glucose, the two most important metabolites for the brain.
5. Hormone regulation and sleep
Banana yoga has been shown to increase the activity of the endocrine system, specifically the pituitary and pineal glands. By stimulating the activity of the pituitary gland, this yoga pose helps to regulate:
- Growth hormone production
- High blood pressure and low blood pressure
- Reproductive function
- Metabolism
- Problems with pregnancy, childbirth and lactation
- Concentration of water/salt in the kidney
- Air conditioner
- Pain relief
Banana yoga has been shown to enhance the activity of the endocrine system
The pineal gland produces melatonin, which helps regulate a person’s sleep cycle. Both the pituitary gland and the pineal gland are part of the endocrine system, which controls the hormones necessary for growth, development, reproduction, and maintenance of bodily functions.
6. Practice Courage
Practicing banana yoga also helps to exercise courage. Putting the whole body up is something not everyone dares to do. And of course, through the practice of posture, you will also learn how to understand your own body.
7. Anti-aging
Many experts believe that the posture of growing bananas also has anti-aging effects. Because when done, more blood will flow to the face, bringing nutrients and supplemental oxygen to the skin. Not only your face but also your scalp has a positive effect. Banana yoga pose is a yoga exercise that helps to make hair stronger and more beautiful.
Practicing yoga to grow bananas also makes hair blacker and smoother
8. Warms and detoxifies the body
Yoga cultivation can help warm up the body and improve blood circulation. This makes the blood more oxygenated and easier to remove toxins. This is most evident in the lungs, face, scalp and digestive organs, especially the intestines.
Therefore, practicing banana yoga regularly is considered a natural way to strengthen the health of the hair, respiratory system, skin and digestive organs.
9. Change your attitude to life
Yoga poses that reverse the body will help you regain calm, reduce anxiety and increase energy production. All of these things will change your mood, as well as change your future, which will help you gain a clearer perspective in any situation you face in life.
When you see more than one side of an issue, you’ll have a better perspective so you can make important decisions in your actions.
Despite the many health benefits, the banana yoga pose is really a difficult pose and needs to be done under the guidance of an experienced yoga teacher. If you intend to try this yoga pose but don’t know where to start, don’t hesitate to download easyhealthylive.com and connect with a private yoga teacher for detailed instructions.
Reference source
How To Do a Headstand and its 10 Amazing Health Benefits https://www.kalimukti.com/blog/10-benefits-of-headstand Accessed: 10/3/2020
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.