5 Tips on How to Boost Your Immune System With Yoga
A lot of people come to the practice of yoga for countless reasons from stress relief to increased flexibility, to strength, spiritual connection, and even internal resilience. Yoga is a holistic activity and it’s no surprise it has immune-boosting tendencies. Studies even show that Yoga resists certain autonomic changes as well as the impairment of cellular immunity witnessed in stress examinations. The practice of yoga nullifies the cellular effects of stress in the body, thus increasing one’s immunity due to reduced inflammations. This piece is highlighting some handy tips to live by when using yoga for immunity.
As much as yoga is for physical, mental, and spiritual wellness, certain poses can replenish you if you feel depleted, sick or simply looking to amp up your body’s resistance especially in these times. Here’s what you should do:
Get some sleep: Getting anything from 6-8 hours of sleep positively affects your immune system. Sleep is known to support the proteins of the immune system, thus giving it more strength to detect and ward off germs and viruses. However, with sleep for immunity, the duration of sleep matters which is why 6-8 hours of sleep is very recommended. Once you awaken fully refreshed, you can now practice either of these yoga poses which are known to positively influence one’s immunity.
Sitting and Breathing (Sukhasana and Pranayama)
Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Supported Fish Pose (Matsyasana Variation)
Forward Fold (Uttanasana)
Legs Up the Wall (Viparita Karani)
Each of these poses has benefits linked to the immune system and when done right, can yield great results.
Detoxify: Before or after practicing any of the listed poses, you should detoxify your body just to flush the bad toxins out of your body. Water is a great detoxifier and you can drink lots of water or try drinking its mixture with apple cider vinegar.
Eat Healthily: On its Yoga contributes only a certain percentage to one’s immunity. Hence to even the odds, you’ll need to go the extra mile of including greens, vitamins, minerals, and vegetables in your diet.
Maintain Hygiene: Keeping your hygiene up will lower your chances of egging sick, thus strengthening your immune system when incorporated with either pose.
Exercise: Keeping your body fit plays a major role in boosting your immunity. Pair this with yoga and you’re good to go.
Immunity with yoga is a thing and it can be achieved with incorporating the listed yoga poses with a little help from the highlighted tips.
And now to action! Here is a wonderfull 25 minute Vinyasa yoga class with Sonya @gonaturaljamaica to boost your immune system
