- The thundering monsoons make their way after the prickly hot summer, and the freezing winters give way to the freshness of spring. With changing seasons, we often battle sniffles and a sore throat. Almost all of us have experienced some cold and cough at some point in our lives. Be it a runny nose or achy fever, the maladies brought about by season change disrupt our day-to-day activities to a huge extent. What do you do when suffering from a common cold? Pop some pills and rest for the day, right? But, is there something you could do differently to prevent such infections rather than just deal with them when they affect you?
- Hundreds of years of research shows that when you have low immunity, you are more likely to catch a cold or cough during the changing seasons. So how do you strengthen the immune system so that you do not develop an infection in the first place? Yoga can help you with this.
How is yoga helpful?
- Yoga is undoubtedly vastly beneficial to our overall health. The many benefits of yoga, such as being an effective stress reliever and a perfect workout option, make it a boon for our hectic lifestyles. One of the benefits of yoga is that it helps prevent and treat respiratory infections by stimulating the thymus gland located in the chest area and strengthening the immune system. This allows the immune system to fight more efficiently against the invasion of germs, helping prevent respiratory infections. The breathing exercises that go hand in hand with yoga expand the chest compartment and help the management of various respiratory problems like asthma and sinusitis.
Here are some yoga poses that are useful in combating a cold:
- DHANURASANA : This is commonly known as the “bow pose”. It stretches the chest, nose and shoulders and stimulates the thymus gland. This helps boost our immune system and reduces the cold symptoms. It also helps in relieving menstrual discomfort and constipation.
How to perform this asana:
- Lie on your stomach with your arms by the side and hip-width distance between your feet.
- Now, fold your knees and hold your ankles using your hands.
- While breathing in, lift your chest away from the floor and move your legs up and back.
- Keep your head facing straight and pay attention to your breathing.
- Take long breaths and hold this position for a few moments. Do not overstretch yourself.
- After 20 seconds, exhale and slowly bring your legs and hands down.
- UPAVISTHA KONASANA : This is commonly known as the “wide-angle forward bend” exercise. It relaxes the mind, quiets the internal organs and helps in soothing the headache that occurs with cold and cough.
How to perform this asana:
- Sit comfortably on a folded blanket on the floor.
- Now, stretch your legs straight in front of you and spread them as wide as you comfortably can.
- Bend forward as much as you can with your palms resting on the floor.
- Hold the pose for not more than five minutes.
- BHUJANGASANA : This is commonly known as the “cobra pose”. It helps in expanding the chest and improves blood circulation. This also reduces stress and fatigue and boosts the overall immunity.
How to perform this asana:
- Sleep on your stomach with the feet straight, toes pointing backwards and the forehead resting on the ground.
- Place your hands near your shoulders, palms facing down; elbows should be parallel and close to your upper body.
- Now, inhale deeply and lift your upper body up to your navel slowly with the support of your hands.
- Hold the position for a few seconds; then slowly lower your body to the floor while exhaling.
- UTTANASANA or HASTAPADASANA : It is known as the “standing forward bend”. This yogasana carries energy to the head and breathing areas. It clears the sinuses and helps in combating cold.
How to perform this asana:
- Stand straight with hip-width distance between your legs and arms alongside the body.
- Balance your weight equally on your legs and extend your arms above the head while breathing in.
- Now, bend forward and then down towards the feet while breathing out.
- Breathe deeply and stay in this position for 20 seconds.
- While breathing out, keep your arms by your side and relax.
- KAPAL BHATI PRANAYAMA : This pranayama is also known as “skull shining breathing technique”. It uplifts the mind by improving blood circulation. It helps to unclog the airways. It is advised to do two to three rounds of the kapal bhati pranayama at least twice a day to combat cold.
How to perform the pranayama:
- Sit comfortably in the cross-legged position with your spine straight. Place your hand on your knees.
- Inhale deeply and then quickly breathe out while pulling your stomach and navel towards the spine.
- The air flows into your lungs automatically as you relax the navel and stomach.
- Repeat 8-10 times.
- Now, relax with your eyes closed and sense the effect on your body.
- BHASTRIKA PRANAYAMA : Bhastrika pranayama, also known as “bellow breathing exercise”, aids in maximizing the lung capacity. This causes the removal of impurities and toxins from the lungs. Forceful exhalation also helps in clearing the nasal passage, which helps in curing sinusitis and bronchitis.
How to perform this pranayama:
- Sit down either in vajrasana or in the cross-legged position with your fists held up parallel to your shoulders on either side.
- While inhaling deeply, raise your hands straight up and open your fists.
- Exhale a little forcefully, bring your arms back near your shoulders and close your fists.
- Repeat this step for two more rounds of 20 breaths each and then relax your palms on your thighs.
- NADI SHODHAN PRANAYAMA : This yoga is also known as “alternate nostril breathing technique”. It helps to open the blocked nose and facilitates better flow of oxygen to the lungs.
How to perform the pranayama:
- Sit straight with the shoulders relaxed and place your left hand on the knee with the palm facing towards the sky.
- Now, place the tip of the index and middle fingers of the right hand between your eyebrows. Place the little and ring fingers on the left nostril and the thumb on the right nostril.
- Press your right nostril with the thumb and breathe out gently from the left nostril.
- Then, breathe in from the left nostril and gently press the left nostril with the little and ring fingers.
- Remove the thumb, breathe out from the right nostril and again breathe in from the same nostril.
- This completes one round of the pranayama. Repeat the pranayama for 7 to 8 rounds at least two to three times a day to overcome cold.
So, the next time you are down with a cold, try a yoga pose and pranayama and get rid of your blocked nose.
- Visit us on http://www.healthassure.in to meet an expert yoga instructor in your locality or contact us on the HealthAssure app to book an appointment with a general physician near you. Now, instead of lagging in your work due to a cold, be smart and prevent illnesses with the help of this app.
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