Living in a world with people around sneezing and coughing can be quite threatening. It is even more dangerous when the whole globe is under the threat of a deadly virus. There is no denying that the best way to keep ourselves safe is by adopting precautions and boosting our immune system. Practising yoga can be one of the easiest and best ways to boost our immune system.
Scientific and medical research on yoga across the world has proven that yoga can boost our immune system. This isn’t trying to infer Yoga as a substitute to medicine but rather Yoga helps in the prevention of infection by keeping our immunity system ready for defence.
How Does Yoga Boost Your Immune System?
An immune system that is functioning well, prevents spread and healing of common infection can be marked as a healthy immune system. Regular practice of Yoga followed by a healthy diet and meditation is one of the pillars to a healthy life.
In addition to making our body flexible, active asanas promote functioning of the complex cardiovascular, digestive and respiratory system. Dynamic asanas with proper breathing sequences improve the lymphatic circulation, making the muscles flexible and stronger.
It may be difficult to accept for many, but choric stress weakens our immune system. Yoga and Meditation is a worldwide accepted formula for stress management and lowering the cortisol/stress hormone. Recent studies suggest that yoga convert beneficial genes of our body to white blood cells, thereby improving our immune system.
Further, doing pranayama is also very good for our overall immunity. Pranayama helps to uplift our energy levels and properly channel them to different parts of our body. Thus, a proper flow of the vital energy in our body helps our organs, hormones and overall nervous system function properly. Also, 80% of the toxins in our body are released through the outgoing breath. [Health Benefits of Doing Pranayama]
Simple Yoga Poses That Helps To Boosts Our Immunity
Practicing yoga poses can help not just our body but also our mind to stay fit and relaxed. Here are some of them that will help improve our immune system.
1. Sukhasana
Sukhasana is one of the most popular and easiest yoga poses. It is simply practiced by sitting with the crossed leg. Yes, it is the traditional pose for meditation. This simplest YOGA asana works miraculously.
Apart from calming our bind and body from a deep breath, we exhale stress and negativity. In addition to reducing the stress hormone, it normalizes our heartbeat rate and nervous system distress. Everything of which is needed for better immunity.
2. Ardha Matsyendrasana
The half lord of the fishes’ pose is done by twisting the upper half body with a gentle compression on the stomach. This yoga pose is practiced to deal with digestive problems.
It helps in eliminating toxins out from the body which would otherwise lead to gastrointestinal complications and infection. Proper and complete digestion not only build a strong body but also a stronger immunity.
3. Uttanasana
Did you know reversing your head down could help you boost your immunity? Yes, it really does. Inversing our heads down brings the blood flow and oxygen to the mucus membrane. These minute membranes are the first defensive organs to fight against infection.
4. Viparita Karani
Keeping the legs up the wall might make your walls dirty but are ultimate stress burning yoga pose. It allows proper blood circulation and releases pressure from the back. They help in fortifying and proper functioning of our nervous system which is must for optimal immunity.
5. Kapal Bhati Pranayam
“Regular practice of Kapal Bhati Pranayama detoxifies all the systems in our body. And the obvious sign of a healthy body is a shining forehead,” shares Dr Sejal Shah, a Sri Sri Yoga teacher.
Kapal Bhati literally translates to ‘the shining forehead,’ and this is precisely what happens with regular practice of this pranayama – a forehead that glows not just from outside, but also an intellect that becomes sharp and refined.
In a nutshell, the best precaution that we can take now is the regular and periodic practice of YOGA followed by healthy food and a goodnight sleep.
