Yoga for Immunity: Boost Your Body’s Natural Defence System

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Immunity
• Key Yoga Poses to Boost Your Immune System
  • Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
  • Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)
  • Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)
• Breathing Practices (Pranayama) for Immunity
  • Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
  • Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)
• Conclusion

We tend to create unhealthy habits relatively easily in today's world. There are many lifestyle factors that progressively affect our immune systems including: chronic stress, working late, inconsistent sleep, processed foods, sedentary lifestyle, etc. These lifestyle impacts can affect levels of immunity, and lower the body's natural, germ-fighting defence mechanisms. Think of your immune system as a talented little army that is constantly on the lookout for harmful pathogens, viruses and bacteria. Once this army is depleted, undersupplied or tired, then it can't protect you from infections, fatigue, and colds.

A strong immune system is the basis of good health. It is not just about avoiding the flu, it is about ensuring you have energy to enjoy life, that you recover quickly from being sick when you are unwell, and continue to be well long term. While some may choose to use shortcuts and take supplements for immunity, yoga is a natural practice that calms your mind and builds your body from within. Practicing yoga for immunity is a simple and holistic way to build resilience.

Benefits of Practicing Yoga for Immunity

Yoga is much more than just stretching. It's a mind-body discipline that dismantles the primary culprits of a weakened immune system. Here's how a consistent practice of yoga for immunity works to fortify your body's defences.

1. It Releases Stress: The most dangerous enemy of immunity is chronic stress. When you are under stress, your body will release the hormone cortisol. Cortisol is good in short bursts but when it remains elevated for too long it can weaken the immune system and expose further virus and bacterial infections. Yoga plays a pivotal role in lowering the stress.
2. It Promotes Immune Cell Movement: The lymphatic system acts like a drainage system that releases waste and toxins as it distributes waste, but lymph is a fluid that contains white blood cells that help fight infection. The Yoga asanas promote systematic lymphatic movement and muscle contraction to move; where the circulatory system uses the heart to pump blood.
3. It Strengthens Your Lungs: Your respiratory system is your body's primary defence against airborne viruses. Certain yoga postures (yoga postures that open the chest) and certain breathing (pranayama) techniques that can help improve lung capacity, improve respiratory function, and help facilitate the removal of airway congestion and bacteria, reducing the chance for germs to reproduce.
4. It Supports Restorative Sleep: Healthy immune function requires quality sleep. While sleeping, our body produces and releases cytokines (germ-fighting proteins) in our body to fight infection, inflammation and stress. Yoga eases tension and promotes deeper and restful sleep to support immune function.

Key Yoga Poses to Boost Your Immune System

Incorporate these yoga poses for immune system into your routine a few times a week to build resilience. Hold each pose for 5-8 deep breaths.

1. Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Cobra Pose also expands the chest and lungs, contributing to the efficiency of the respiratory system. It alleviates tension and fatigue; stimulates abdominal organs which are essential for strengthening the immune system.

Steps:

1. Lie on your stomach with legs extended and palms placed under your shoulders.
2. Press into your hands on the yoga blocks and lift your chest off the ground, keeping elbows slightly bent.
3. Keep a folded yoga blanket under your pelvic region for additional support.
4. Hold for 20-30 seconds while breathing deeply.
5. Lower back down and repeat twice.

2. Viparita Karani (Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose)

The perfect restorative pose! As a gentle inversion, it helps to drain any excess fluid from the legs, helps circulation of blood and lymph, and is a wonderful way to soothe the nervous system so it provides a great antidote to stress.

Steps:

1. Sit next to a wall and lie on your back, swinging your legs up against the wall.
2. Bring your hips close to the wall, placing the bolster below the back, keeping legs straight and feet pointing up.
3. Rest your arms by your sides, palms facing up.
4. Close your eyes, relax, and breathe deeply.
5. Stay in the pose for 5-15 minutes.

3. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)

Twisting positions function like a massage for the internal organs. Twisting poses compress and stimulate the internal organs of digestion and elimination, like the spleen, liver, and intestines, to aid in detoxification and healthy gut function which are foundational to a healthy immune system.

Steps:

1. Sit with both legs extended straight out in front of you.
2. Place a bolster under the hips for support.
3. Bend your right knee and place your left foot on the floor outside your right knee.
4. Twist your torso to the left in such a way that your left hand takes support from the bolster.
5. Bring your right elbow to the outside of your left knee
6. Keep your spine long and gaze over your left shoulder.
7. Repeat the same on other side.

Breathing Practices (Pranayama) for Immunity

Your breath is a powerful tool to influence your nervous system and your immunity.

1. Anuloma Viloma (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Anuloma Viloma is an alternate nostril breathing practice that focuses on the breath more strongly than most other practices. It helps in reducing stress, enhancing oxygen supply and balancing the nervous system. A pranayama pillow can be used to enhance posture by allowing the hips to lift, or by providing more support to the lower back.

Steps:

1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
2. Close your right nostril with your thumb, inhale deeply through the left nostril.
3. Close the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril.
4. Repeat the process, alternating nostrils for 5-10 minutes.

2. Nadi Shodhana (Alternate Nostril Breathing)

Nadi Shodhana is a soothing and balancing technique in which the breath is alternated or switched between the left and right nostrils. It harmonizes the body's energy and relieves stress. It helps in detoxification and improved circulation. This practice actively supports and strengthens the immune system. When practicing Nadi Shodhana with a pranayama pillow or bolster, it is beneficial to sit comfortably, either cross-legged or on your knees.

Steps:

1. Sit comfortably with a straight spine.
2. Place your left hand on your left knee, palm up.
3. Bring your right hand to your face: rest your index and middle fingers between your eyebrows. Your thumb will close the right nostril, and your ring finger will close the left.
4. Close your right nostril with your thumb and inhale slowly through your left nostril.
5. Close your left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb from the right nostril, and exhale slowly through the right nostril.
6. Inhale through the right nostril.
7. Close your right nostril with your thumb, release your ring finger from the left nostril, and exhale slowly through the left nostril.
8. This completes one round. Continue for 5-10 minutes, maintaining a smooth, even breath.

Conclusion

Practicing Yoga for immunity is a lifestyle effort and not simply a random miracle. Yoga has many ways to help you achieve this goal! Yoga reduces stress, increases blood flow, improves ventilation, and promotes restorative sleep, thereby addressing the root causes of low immunity. It gives you control of your health. So, the next time you feel tired or stressed, just roll out your mat, your immune system will thank you.