In recent years, the importance of maintaining a robust immune system has been discussed a great deal through news and social media. But did you know that as well as making you feel great, your regular yoga practice is brilliant for boosting your health? Read on to discover yoga poses to boost immunity.
It has been scientifically proven that fascia, the deep connective tissue that surrounds our organs, muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments, has a powerful role to play in boosting immunity. Fascia is made up of a network of nerves, which can be kept clean and supple with movement and stretching. It is also filled with macrophages – immune cells that help to remove toxins and foreign particles from the body, so when it is kept in good condition, it acts as a powerful immune booster throughout all the bodily systems.
Our organs and tissues are like sponges that soak up everything we ingest, but when we stretch and move our bodies through Yoga, stagnant energy and harmful pollutants are wrung out, released and eliminated, leaving room for better cellular health and overall vitality.
Yoga is also hugely beneficial in regulating our breathing. We all need oxygen to keep our blood healthy and support the growth of new cells. Intentional breathing, asanas and pranayama all bring an abundance of life-enhancing oxygen into our bodies, helping the blood to circulate more effectively, and increasing our overall health and immunity.
A dynamic circulatory system and a calm nervous system help to create a highly effective immune system!
With all this in mind, here are 6 of our favourite yoga poses to boost immunity.
Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana)
This powerfully restorative yin yoga asana is best practiced first thing in the morning – a wonderfully rejuvenating pose for relieving stress, anxiety, and depression. Sphinx pose helps to re-energize and calm the mind. It also massages the lower belly and helps to relieve stomach aches.
Raise your shoulders and lie flat on your stomach with your hands in front of your chest, your elbows bent, glutes relaxed and neck lifted, to enter this restorative pose. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth.
Revolved Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)
Twisted yoga postures are excellent for general physical conditioning. The revolving chair pose is fantastic for flushing out the kidneys and digestive organs. This asana is ideal for encouraging deep breathing and concentration.
Use the breath to help stabilise your posture and ground your legs. To deepen the twist, release with the breath and bring the arms into prayer position.
Standing Backbend (Anuvittasana)
Backbends help to cleanse the adrenal glands, which can become irritated as a result of stress. This standing backbend is a modified, chest-opening version of camel pose. Practicing standing back bends during the cold and flu season can help to keep the nasal passages open.
While in mountain pose, use your core to pull your upper body erect and back. Hands-on the lower back, glutes raised. Inhale and shift your weight backward. As backbends can create dizziness, take a few deep breaths and focus your eyes before carefully rising to your feet.
Eagle Pose (Garudasana)
This balancing pose increases blood flow throughout the body and improves immunity by compressing pressure points. Squeezing the legs and arms promotes circulation and aids in toxin removal.
In this upright, balanced pose, breathing is crucial. As a result of applying correct breathing while holding this posture, tension and stagnant energy are released from the body and psyche.
Triangle Pose (Trikonasana)
This pose not only strengthens the legs and core but also opens the hips and improves shoulder pain. Because of the therapeutic nature of this position, there is a total body release component. Triangle pose also stretches the fascia that covers the lungs, which helps to improve the quality of our breathing. This opening pose can be a highly effective twist for people with a limited range of movement in the hips. Triangle pose promotes deep hip opening and energy release.
As you move your leading hand to the front of your mat, exhale. Open your ribs gently and strive to elongate your torso.
Happy Baby (Ananda Balasana)
Laying on your back with your hips stretched out wide is a very therapeutic and non-aggressive method to nourish your body. Because we store emotional stress in our hips, this is a good position for calming the mind and releasing toxins. It is also beneficial to the kidneys and digestion.
Use the breath to increase the benefits of this pose. Relaxing the hips and extending the legs allows for external rotation and rocking from side to side adds greater depth to the posture.
Boost Your Immune System Today!
Who knew that incorporating yoga into our everyday routine could help our bodies deal with stress and fight off illnesses? Show your body some love with a regular yoga practice and your immune system will reap the benefits! How The Power Yoga Company Can Help!
If you enjoyed reading about our 6 Simple yoga poses to boost immunity, you’ll love the yoga classes you’ll find at PYC. The Power Yoga Company is the leading yoga studio in London. Our expert team offers almost a hundred classes a week where you can unwind, re-energise, and transform your mind and body from within.
Book a class with us today!
What’s next?
Discover our 200hr Yoga Teacher Training