Tips to treat poor immunity with the help of Yoga and natural way of living

Our immune system is versatile but it's also complex and when the human body is exposed to a new virus, like the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which it's never seen before, the immune system gets activated and the first and the most rapid response is the production of antibodies. However, a weak immune system has susceptibility to infection and a person with poor immunity may get infections more frequently than most other people.

In order to not end up with illnesses that might be more severe or harder to treat, we got a few health experts on board to share some tips on how to treat poor immunity with the help of Yoga and natural way of living. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Ayurveda expert Vaidya Shakuntala Devi shared, “Poor immunity can be bettered by doing Yoga regularly. There is a concept called ‘pran vayu’ in yoga which refers to the energy that the body receives inward. It is related to the heart chakra and governs breathing and the lungs, also affecting the food we ingest to nourish our bodies. Those people who have proper circulation of pran vayu in the body tend to have better immunity. There is a specific pran vayu mudra in yoga which can be practiced every day to build immunity and energize the body.”

Asserting that poor immunity does not improve overnight, Shivani Gupta, Founder of HelloMyYoga, highlighted that if you live a healthy lifestyle, you will notice improvements. She elaborated, “A healthy lifestyle is one in which you follow a daily routine that includes yoga, pranayama, and meditation to maintain your mind, breath, and body in balance. You avoid using food delivery apps and instead prepare sattvic meals, avoiding refrigerated or microwaved foods and spend some "me" time gazing at nature rather than reels on social media. Not only will your immunity improve, but you will also transform as a person.”

According to Dr Deepak Mittal, Founder of Divine Soul Yoga, “Though the human body has the ability to repair and maintain the immunity, our immunity can get compromised with a sedentary lifestyle. Yoga is an ancient Indian practice for maintaining a healthy body and mind and allows us to maintain our vital energy and fight disease. Thus, Yoga is an effective practice to boost our immunity. Yoga when combine with Pranayama and meditation can do wonders to our body and soul. These are the perfect tools to deal with everyday stress and other concerning health issues like anxiety, depression, migraine, insomnia, hypertension and various psychosomatic illnesses. Studies have shown that meditation stimulates electrical-activity in different parts of the brain that act as a command center for the immune system. Therefore, when these areas are stimulated, the immune system works more effectively.”

<strong>Also, read: A few seconds of anxiety can reduce your immunity for hours. Here’s the key to tackle it</strong>

He added, “These elements are the time tested therapy which also remove toxins from our body & improve blood circulation, improve concentration, strengthens respiratory system, regulate the sleep and promote divine healing. These elements are also provided by Divine Soul Yoga to help people rejuvenate both their body & mind and live a balanced life. Some of the easy yoga asanas that can be practiced for boosting the immunity are Bhujasana, Halasana, Matyasana and Dhanurasana. These should be practiced under supervision of a well-qualified and experienced trainer.”

Highlighting that a strong immune system can wipe out a virus within a few days, Dr Ganga Anand (PT), ChildBirth Educator, Obs and Gynae at Daffodils by Artemis in Gurgaon, revealed that Yoga and breathing techniques can help relax the nervous system and boost an immune response. Gushing over the ways that yoga positively impacts the immune system, Dr Ganga Anand shared that it “supports and stimulates the thymus gland, improves circulation, improves oxygen flow and aids the transfer of energy from nutrients to cells, improves the flow of sinuses and flushes out mucus from the lungs, massages and rejuvenates internal organs, helps the body flush out toxins and open up energy pathways to allow the body to heal more effectively.”

He listed a few Yoga practices that consists of asanas, Pranayama and meditation, for boosting immunity. These include:

1. Dhanurasana (Bow Pose)- It acts as an ideal stress buster as it helps improve the flow of white blood cells by applying pressure on the digestive system. Practicing the Dhanurasana puts pressure on the belly, which in turn helps strengthen the digestive system.

2. Vrikshasana (Tree Pose)- It helps us to achieve a state of balance. As it symbolizes a sense of calm and serenity, it is one of the best poses for immunity and relaxation.

3. Tadasana (Mountain Pose)- Widely known to be helpful for the nervous system and also helps to correct ones posture and improve flexibility of thighs and joints

4. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half-fish pose)- This is widely considered to be the"destroyer of deadly diseases''.

He mentioned that other than these, there are many other asanas like Chaturangana Dandasana, Matsyasana, Utkatasana and Anjaneyasana that also help to build immunity.