Yoga & Allergies

28/09/08 Filed in: Therapeutic Applications
Learn about how Yoga can be beneficial in dealing with the symptoms and causes of allergies.

Allergies can lead to runny noses, watery eyes, congestion, sneezing, nose and throat irritation, shortness of breath, and more. They often result in poor sleep, lack of concentration and cause poor mood. Making Yoga part of your life can significantly reduce how allergies impact your health.

People who have allergies often develop restricted breathing patterns and carry greater tension in their body. Stress level can also add to tension or create more tension in the body, and directly affects the severity of your allergic reaction. Yoga postures, breath-work and relaxation free up areas of tension and help you develop healthy patterns for your body, breath and mind.
Personally, I found that I developed less colds and congestion once I started practicing Yoga and it continues to help me face the occasional congestion and seasonal allergies. The appropriate Yoga postures and breath-work, in combination with relaxation, builds a healthy respiratory system by increasing your breath capacity and developing your breath awareness.

Essentially, the effects of Yoga increase your resistance to allergens and decrease the impact of allergies on your life. Using the tools of Yoga makes you healthier as a person and better able to face your allergies. Here are Yoga and Yoga related practices to consider that could help with allergies:

• Learning to calmly lengthen your exhale develops greater breath capacity, and relaxes your nervous system.
• If you feel stuffy nosed or headed, inhaling through your mouth and out through your nose in your Yoga practice (without forcing the breath), can help clear your sinuses.
• Doing neti kriya (a nasal wash) regularly can help keep your sinuses clear and healthy and reduce cold and allergy symptoms.
• Movements that put your head below your heart (bending down to pick something up and poses such as headstand, downward dog, standing forward bend, etc) can create more sinus pressure and limit your time in these postures when congested.
• Some inverted postures; such as plough pose and shoulder stand can be helpful for clearing nasal passages.
• When begun gently and progressed comfortably, Kapalabhati breath can help clear out your lungs and entire airway.

To learn more on how Yoga can support your specific health needs, talk to your Yoga teacher. They can give you guidance or direct you to someone who can. Working with an experienced Yoga teacher can help you develop a regular Yoga practice that includes breath work and postures that benefit your specific needs and bring you to greater health.