Say yes to yoga - your nose will thank you
By Gabbi Di Marino, content manager and fellow allergy sufferer
Yoga has been around for thousands of years, bringing balance, serenity, and peace of mind into the lives of those that practice it. But the benefits of yoga extend far beyond just that. Yoga is a powerful tool that can help bring relief to a multitude of conditions, one of which just happens to be seasonal allergies. Yep, you read that right - doing yoga can help your hay fever!
So roll out your mat - it’s yoga time!
Pro-nose poses
1. Shoulder Stand
Needing to open up your airways and improve sinus drainage? Look no further than the shoulder stand! This pose does just that - but keep in mind that you don’t want to hold this pose for more than a minute or two at a time. Doing so can create excess pressure, when you’re actually trying to relieve it.
Other benefits of this powerful pose include increasing blood flow to the brain and tackling fatigue and stress, which can be super helpful in keeping you and your immune system in shape! Cause when allergy season rolls around, your immune system will need all the help it can get!
2. Plow Pose
This pose is another great way to relieve the bothersome pressure that comes with seasonal allergies and excess drainage. It opens up the muscles in the back of your skull where this pressure tends to accumulate, and when your muscles are loose and relaxed, so are your air passages, allowing them to get rid of drainage much easier!
3. Fish Pose
Looking for other ways to open up your airways? The fish pose is here to help by allowing your breaths to travel more freely throughout your body. Not only that, but this nose-positive pose also helps to stimulate the thymus gland - an essential special organ within your immune system. By engaging this important organ, your immune system can gain the strength it needs to ward off pesky allergens.
4. Crescent Lunge
This pose is yet another great way to expand the chest, allowing for deeper breathing and increased lung capacity. It basically allows your entire body to be oxygenated efficiently and quickly!
5. Three-Part Yogic Breath
Mindful breathing like the Three-Part Yogic Breath is great for seasonal allergies for many different reasons. Not only does this pose allow you to breathe much deeper, engaging your lower lungs and increasing their capacity to take in air, but it also helps to decrease your stress levels. And stress means bad news for your immune system, so decreasing it in any way possible is a sure fire way to keep your immune system happy!
If you’re looking for more in-depth tutorials or just want to channel your inner yogi, head over to The Yoga Journal - they have great how-to videos and an abundance of yoga-centered information to help any beginner feel comfortable!