Holistic healing

Supercharge your system

Navigate cold and flu season with our immunity-boosting yoga routine, full of purifying twists and balancing poses

If you’ve got the sniffles, then a downward dog position might be the last thing you feel like doing, but regular yoga practice can be hugely beneficial to your immune system, as yogi Sunil Kalsi explains (yogawithsunilhertford.com): “Practising yoga helps to regulate one’s autonomic nervous system which is responsible for ‘automatic’ bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate and body temperature. When the exhalation is longer than the inhale it helps to create a carbon dioxide balance which brings feelings of relaxed calmness.

This brings the central nervous system into a para-sympathetic state (which conserves energy as it slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles in the gastrointestinal tract). In this state, major bodily organs can metabolise to help to boost your immunity.” To put you in good stead this season, the following three poses can aid lymphatic flow, improve sleep, reduce stress and improve posture.

Tri-Konasana (Triangle pose)

This pose will lengthen your hamstrings, better posture and improve sleep.

• Stand with the bases of your big toes touching, heels slightly apart. Exhale, then position your feet 3½ to 4 feet apart. Raise your arms out to the sides, palms down.

• Turn your left foot in slightly to the right and your right foot out to the right 90 degrees.

• Stretch your left arm toward the ceiling. Gaze at your left thumb.

Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

• Inhale, press the back heel into the floor and reach the top arm toward the ceiling. Reverse the feet and repeat for the same length of time to the left.

Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward facing dog)

Adho mukha svanasana is one of the poses in the traditional sun salutation sequence. It’s also an excellent yoga asana all on its own.

• Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and place your hands slightly forward of your shoulders.

• Spread your palms, index fingers parallel or slightly turned out. Exhale and lift your knees.

• Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling.

• Exhale, then push your top thighs back and stretch your heels onto, or down towards the floor. Straighten your knees. Press the bases of the index fingers actively into the floor.

• Stay in this pose for 1 to 3 minutes. Then bend your knees to the floor with an exhalation and rest in Child’s Pose.

Ardha Matseyandrasana (Half lord of the fish pose)

This pose will lengthen the glute medius, which improves posture and can help lower back tension.

• Sit on the floor with your legs straight. Bend your knees, put your feet on the floor, then slide your left foot under your right leg to the outside of your right hip.

• The left leg should be on the floor. Step the right foot over the left leg place the heel outside your left hip.

• Exhale and twist toward the inside of the right thigh. Press the right hand against the floor just behind your right buttock, and set your left upper arm on the outside of your right thigh near the knee.

• Pull your front torso and inner right thigh snugly together. Press the inner right foot very actively into the floor, release the right groin, and lengthen the front torso.

• Lean the upper torso back slightly, against the shoulder blades, and continue to lengthen the tailbone into the floor.

• Turn and look over the left shoulder at the right foot. Stay for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation, return to the starting position. Repeat to the left.