Yoga has been around for literally thousands of years, but now it’s more well-known and widely practiced around the world than ever. There are lots of different types of yoga, and it’s good for developing balance, core power, strength, mental stability, better posture, better breathing, better circulation … it’s a pretty long list.
But aside from making you look good and feel even better, yoga can help you when you’re not feeling well at all. Check out some of the ways doing yoga can fight illness.
Yoga for congestion
Got a clogged up nose? Allergies getting you down? Poses that open up your chest and get blood flowing to your head can help ease that sinus pain.
Examples include Camel Pose, in which you kneel, then bend your back so your hands touch your ankles; and Bow Pose, where you lie on your stomach, lift your feet and chest, then reach back and grab your ankles.
The Bow Pose is also good for helping you sleep, if you’re having trouble with that due to a cough. It creates tension in the body, and releasing the pose after five or so long breaths can help you relax into sleep.
Yoga for colds
If you are feeling feverish and think it might not just be allergies, your choice of poses should be a little different. A simple forward bend can help here. It stretches the back and can relieve tension, as well as increasing blood flow to the brain.
If you’re a bit feverish or lightheaded, this might be a better choice than the more complex poses — for safety reasons. You can also try lying on the ground with your legs against the wall. Practicing this pose with comfortable breathing for five minutes can really energize you if you need to push through your cold.
It can also help relax you before bedtime. Getting adequate rest is crucial, as are post-exercise eating and drinking. Don’t forget your body isn’t at its best and needs more water and nutritious food than usual.
Yoga for coughing
Until now we have focused on poses to help with breathing, but anyone who has had a cough for several days knows the toll that it takes on the muscles in your shoulders, back, and sides. Relieving those areas can make life much more bearable.
Good poses include Warrior Poses 1 and 2, which elongate the arm muscles and decrease tension in the neck and shoulders, wide-legged forward bend (for lower back), and the Fish Pose. That last one sort of makes you look like something out of The Exorcist, but it will definitely make your shoulders feel better.
Side stretches and bends are also helpful here, and can facilitate better breathing as well.