Yoga Poses to Boost Your Immune System
Did you know that doing a few yoga poses while sick (mild common cold, fever.) can help boost your immune system? Any form of exercise even yoga might seem like the last thing you want to do when your sick but certain yoga poses can actually ease some of the symptoms and help you get better.
If your symptoms are below the neck then avoid these poses if you have a runny nose, headache, fever that is usually okay. Basically, yoga poses can help your body detoxify and strengthen its immune fighting responses.
It’s also a good idea to pair your yoga practice with health increasing steps. One thing to remember while sick is to drink lots of fluids in order to flush out the pathogens and reduce stress. Stress is known to raise inflammation and lower the immune system. I know it can be hard but avoid highly caffeinated drinks, which stress the body out, and alcohol which can burden your body and weaken the immune system.
These poses will be done on a yoga mat so grab your mat, roll out of bed or the couch, and get ready to actively help yourself heal.
Here are two yoga exercises to try:
Tapping
Benefits: stimulates the thymus gland responsible for fight infection in the body. It also stimulates the lymph nodes and opens the main nerve/life force channel to nourish cells.
- Sit in a seat with your spine nice and tall. Interlace your fingers and start tapping your palms into one another as you create a reverberation through your hands. Inhale and exhale as you tap.
- Gently tap into your sternum and the upper chest with your hands interlaced and knuckles of your thumbs moving into the chest. This stimulates the thymus gland.
- Insert your thumbs into your collarbone and circle clockwise.
- Open the hands slide your thumbs under your armpits. Interlace your fingers. Exhale and contract. Inhale, lift your elbows and lift your gaze. Wrap your hands around your neck, exhale and contract back down repeat several times.
Downward Dog
Benefits: Downward dog helps drain fluids as you invert the body with your head by the floor. Just keep a box of tissues near for this one especially if you have a runny nose! This pose also activates the parasympathetic (relaxation) response when you hold the pose.
Hold the pose for 5 breaths and be flexible with breathing through the mouth while sick.
Instructions:
- Come to tabletop pose on your mat. Arch the spine as you inhale into cow pose and exhale while you contract the torso into cat pose. Repeat several times.
- Press your palms into the mat and straighten the arms while simultaneously tucking the toes, the legs and raising the hips up.
- You can choose to bend the knees slightly to release stress on the hamstrings. Keep the gaze between the legs for the length of the time.
- Hold the pose for 5 breaths and be flexible with breathing through the mouth while sick.
- Return to tabletop position.