Article written by – Ann Edwards
How to Boost Immunity with Simple Yoga Poses – Does It Work?
The human body is a very complex structure where a simple change in body function can have a long-lasting impact. From marinating the blood pressure to maintaining oxygen and sugar level and temperature almost everything is connected. In case you change one thing, everything else loses its focus and you will end up seeing your health decline. To make sure the body maintains all the bodily functions and it has a very strong defense, the body has a strong defense system. This defense system helps in fighting against all the external elements especially bacteria, viruses, and germs. This strong defense system is commonly known as the immune system. The significance of the immune system cannot be denied because if immunity is somehow compromised, the body becomes fragile. Eventually, you will see that your body will get affected even by the slightest change in the external environment.
If you need to know how the immune system works, just think of thousands of soldiers fighting against harmful bacteria and viruses at any given moment. These small soldiers can be seen as white blood cells. These cells are specifically important because they help with defense and ensure that no matter what the external environment is, your body doesn’t accept the change easily. Most people think that daily exercise, a healthy diet, and a little bit of meditation help in boosting immunity. However, it is better to explore how immunity and yoga can be correlated and how they work.
With the help of this article, we will look at some of the best ways you can improve your immunity. We will see if immunity can be improved with the help of yoga and finally we will list down some of the easiest and most effective yoga poses that you can use to improve overall immunity.
How Yoga Impacts Our Body?
Yoga is a combination of exercise and mediation so you will benefit from it completely. You will soon notice an improvement in your physical health as well as your psychological health. Yoga means the unification of mind and body. In short, by using yoga you will work to bring your stress level down and this will eventually help you to boost your immunity. When the body has a low level of stress, the stress hormones drop and eventually, this promotes the work of white blood cells making them more active.
Since stress has a direct relation with almost all the body functions including digestion, heartbeat, focus, and I think you will see improvement in them as well. On the contrary, if you stay stressed you will see that your body will not digest the food properly and this will impact your overall health by making you more anxious and lethargic. This is the main reason people who stay depressed end up with low energy and so they sleep for longer hours to seek rest.
Top 5 Yoga Poses To Boost Immunity
Pranayama
This is a simple deep breathing-based yoga pose where your main goal is to take in all the air till your lungs fill up. You need to use one hand and block one of the nostrils. Then with the help of the other nostrils, just suck in all the oxygen. You need to sit with your legs crossed while your shoulders are back and your neck to your spine is straight. Holding in the air is very important because it will help you improve the lungs’ capacity as well.
Fish Pose
This pose is also known as Matsyasana. For this pose, you need to lay down flat on your black. Now, with the help of the weight balance method, you will keep your weight on the extended legs and lift your chest area. As you will lift your chest, your neck will be dangling down and your eyes will be closed. This is a very technical pose and keeping this pose on hold for too long without understanding the technique can strain your shoulder muscles. Make sure you are holding your muscles right and you are not feeling any strain.
Leg against the Wall Pose
This is a very good pose for getting the blood flow to your brain. You need to lay down straight with your legs against the wall. Your body will be making an L shape against the wall. This is a simple pose that requires no technical knowledge. Just hold the pose for at least a few minutes. This is good for stress, eyesight, and memory as well.
Forward Bend
Forward Bend is also called U shape pose. You need to stand right up and then slowly use your hands to bend down. As you get to touch your legs with the help of your head, use your hands to hug your legs tighter. This pose is ideal for people who have chronic stress.
Cobra Pose
Cobra pose is commonly known as Bhujangasana. For this pose, you need to lie down on your stomach and then use your arms and hands to lift the upper body. The focus is to lift it in the form of a wave as your head stays focused towards the sky.
Bottom Line
To sum it all up, it all comes down to the powerful impact yoga has on our bodies. We can all agree that yoga doesn’t just offer a boost to the physical health of our body but also psychological health. Research claims that when people have less stressful conditions around them, they generally have better immunity. This is the same reason kids growing up during the depression, recession and war have a high rate of disease. They usually stay stressed so the body struggles to perform the daily functions. Eventually, when it comes to defending the body against the external environment they fail in the worst way possible. With the help of yoga, you will be helping your mind to stay calm and it will reduce the stress hormone from the body offering a much better overall health as compared to other individuals who stay stressed. Research also claims that although the body can equally defend itself against the physical changes and physical attacks just like it can calm down in stressful conditions. However, when both external environments affect your physical and psychological health, your body starts to struggle and that’s where yoga comes in.