Are you experiencing any itching on your skin lately? Does the constant itching cause belts of red, raised area on the skin? Does scratching and itching in public make you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed? This painful skin condition which is featured by red, raised and itchy skin welts appearing on any part of your body is nothing but Hives.

Also Read: Simple And Effective Home Remedies For Hives

What Are Hives?

Hives or Nettle Rash, medically termed Urticaria is a type of allergic skin reaction that can occur due to several factors both external and internal factors. The wheals and welts of urticaria may come up in varied shapes and sizes, but those rashes look like nettle stings. These inflammatory rashes or wheals may persist for weeks, with individual skin welts usually disappearing within a day, and sometimes even in a matter of hours. The preliminary reason behind the appearance of hives is the release of histamines from the skin mast cells as a way of protection from external allergens. These histamines are mainly triggered by certain factors circulating in the blood like antibodies that are majorly targeted against their healthy cells making it an autoimmune condition.

Also Read: Hives: Signs, Symptoms And Treatment

Although chronic urticaria is usually treated by taking prescription anti-histamines and following some lifestyle modifications, one can also turn towards the holistic approach of Yoga to shield the body and make it immune to allergens. Yoga is a traditional practice, that offers a natural solution to almost all skin conditions with hives and sudden skin allergies being no exception.

Certain yoga poses when practiced with precision not only balance the Doshas within the body but also prevent bacterial and other microbial invasions. So, without pausing further, we bring you 5 such yoga poses to boost immunity, ease irritation and soothe the skin affected with hives.

Yoga Poses To Remedy Hives

Uttanasana (Forward Bent Pose)

While standing erect on the floor, keep the feet hip-distance apart. Without bending your knees, slowly bend your body from the torso downwards. See that your knees are straight. You can allow your hands and hang down and rest your palms on the ground or just hold your feet to the ankles. Hold this stance for 8-10 breaths, and then slowly get back to the initial standing position.

Benefits:

This inverted posture helps in bringing fresh blood flow to the face and neck and thereby helps in eliminating toxins from the body. The increased blood flow also brings essential nutrients and oxygen to the facial muscles, which helps in reversing free radical damage and promoting skin cell regeneration.

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Lie down on your stomach and keep your head on the ground. Place both your hands on either side of your shoulders, with your palms facing the ground. Slowly, put pressure on your palms and lift your body from the torso while giving a good stretch to your back and abdominal muscles. Straighten out your hands and keep your shoulder blades pressed against your back. Look straight at a point on the ceiling and be in this posture for about 15-30 seconds and exhale as you return to the initial position.

Benefits:

The cobra pose not only improves the circulation of oxygen in the bodily tissues by bestowing calmness and relaxation to the body but also relieves the body of stress and fatigue. By nourishing the skin with extra oxygen, this pose stimulates skin cell regeneration and extensively helps in flushing out toxins which in turn reduces premature signs of ageing, pigmentation, acne, psoriasis and other skin infections.

Trikonasana (Triangle Pose)

Stand straight with your feet joined and resting your hands on either side of the body. Slowly spread your legs apart and put your right hand up. Breathe in deeply and bend towards your left side while balancing your body weight by keeping your left palm on the floor. Tilt your head upwards and fix your sight on your right-hand fingertips and count up to 20. Next, repeat the posture on the right side. Take a minute break and perform the pose two more times.

Benefits:

The Triangle Pose is extremely beneficial for clearing out toxins from the body and opening blockages in the hips, torso, and heart, thereby promoting circulation. This action not only remedies anxiety, sciatica, and back and arthritic pain but also relieves tension from the facial muscles making the skin healthy and glowing.

Viparita Karani (Legs Up The Wall Pose)

First, sit across a wall and gently raise your legs against the wall. Lie down slowly on your back and stretch out your arms to either side, while making sure your palms are touching the ground and facing upwards. Once you are comfortable in the posture, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Hold the posture for 10 minutes or as long as you can and then slowly pull your leg back to the initial position.

Benefits:

The ‘Legs Up The Wall Posture’ is one of the best soothing poses that allow you to lie straight on the ground without much twisting. It is extremely effective in eradicating free oxygen radicals and boosting the supply of oxygen to the face. This helps remove toxins and bestows blemish-free skin.

Pavanamuktasana (Wind-Relieving Pose)

Lie straight on the floor with your backbone firmly placed on the ground. Bend your knees by hugging them with both hands and bringing them close to your chest. Pick up your head gradually off the floor, while bringing your nose in between your knees. Hold this pose for a few seconds while breathing deeply, and then come back to the Shavasana position.

Benefits:

A good digestive system is ideal for portraying good skin. The wind-relieving posture works best on the digestive system, by boosting and regulating it effectively. The gentle and firm pressure on the stomach readily assists in flushing out the toxins from the system which thereby improves circulation, and helps in removing acne and blemishes from the skin.