yoga and its cold cures…

“It’s not the load that breaks you down it’s the way you carry it”.

I think this expression needs a little play. Are any of you suffering from the common cold? Perfect example of a little viral infection – actually of the mucous membranes that line the respiratory tract – which includes nose and throat. Common symptoms can be nasal congestion, discharge, sinusitis, sore throat, coughing, headaches. So how does yoga help? Well, yoga postures can be pretty helpful for respiratory disorders. Some sequencing might include downward facing dog with head support, other inversions and some soothing backbends to open the chest. The focus is more restorative, opening, and relaxing for the system. Downward facing dog is not a restorative in that it requires a lot of muscular effort but a bolster under the head or some other support has benefits for the brain, very soothing to the nervous system and can cure fatigueI am actually teaching a restorative yoga workshop to support the immune system – check it out

Stress definitely knocks us out when we don’t have a plan, and even the best of us, with the most disciplined practice get overwhelmed sometimes. All you can do is your best to prevent the cold, but if you have it, you will find it will pretty much dictate its needs which usually include rest and fluids. The neti pot is my favourite yoga cleansing technique, which pretty much keeps the airborne viruses at bay. You have to do it routinely. And here is something to think about when you feel like your resistance is low, resistance takes a lot of energy, and as BKS Iyengar said: “fear and fatiigue block the mind. Confront both, and courage and confidence will flow into you”