How Yoga Affects Your Body Systems
Some of the body systems we all have include the circulatory, digestive, endocrine, immune, nervous, musculoskeletal, reproductive, and respiratory systems. Each of them needs to function effectively as they not only perform crucial jobs for the body but they all affect each other.
When your parasympathetic nervous system leads, your blood pressure drops and you will feel calm, relaxed, and less stressed.;
For example, if your circulatory system isnt doing its job well, your reproductive system will underperform. In other words, if your heart doesnt push enough blood to your cells, your reproductive system wont be able to generate new skin cells or even brain cells. That sounds scary, right? If that should happen, it would be alarming for this reason: new cells are vital for our bodies to grow and develop.
Another example is when you are under any stress should it be mental or physical, perceived or real. Your sympathetic nervous system begins to dominate and your physiology changes.;
As a result, your body will make fighting the threat its priority, which may cause some of your body systems to malfunction: your digestive system may not produce enough energy and your immune system may stop fighting back against bacteria, viruses or parasites. Thats something none of us want, especially in this challenging year of 2020.
All these are benefits of a good yoga practice with enhanced blood flow that allows oxygen and other substances to move freely in the body.
/7dhanurasana Or Bow Pose
Dhanurasana improves the flow of blood in the body that helps to boost immunity. This exercise puts pressure on the digestive tract that helps to digest food easily.
Step 1: Lie down on your stomach with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your side.
Step 2: Now bend your knees upwards and take your heel towards your butt. Hold the ankles of both legs with your hands.
Step 3: Inhale and lift your chest and legs off the ground. Keeping your face straight pull your legs as much as you can. Your body should be tight like a bow.
Step 4: Pause for 4-5 breaths and then come to the starting position.
Medical Conditions And Immune System
Medical conditions like diabetes, heart conditions, joint problems, or even cancer, can reduce the effectiveness of your immune system health. Therefore, extreme measures have to be taken to keep your health in check. When you are already suffering from a medical condition, it hinders your bodys ability to ward off viruses and germs. This can cause you to suffer from cold, flu, and sore throat more often as compared to others.;So, you need to take the necessary medications as well as other appropriate measures to keep your health and immune system in check.
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Get Enough Physical Activity
Now people are at home. If they just sit around, and through the day if they are eating something or drinking alcohol, they will make themselves much more susceptible. One simple thing is to stay physically active. This is a good time for us to use these few weeks to get fit. If you do not know anything else, at least simply jog on the spot every day at different times – maybe fifteen minutes at a time, five to six times a day. The body will try to handle things better.
It Keeps The Respiratory System On Track
Colds and similar infections are caused by bacteria that affect the upper respiratory system. If the immune system isnt strong enough to throw them off, the bacteria can penetrate into the lungs and lead to bronchitis or pneumonia. Yoga is one of the main tools for maintaining the health of our respiratory system. Regularly performing breathing exercise and asanas conditions the respiratory tract and boosts the efficiency of the lungs.
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Healthy Ways To Strengthen Your Immune System
Your first line of defense is to;choose a healthy lifestyle. Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system working properly. Every part of your body, including your immune system, functions better when protected from environmental assaults and bolstered by healthy-living strategies such as these:
- Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
- Exercise regularly.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Get adequate sleep.
- Take steps to avoid infection, such as washing your hands frequently and cooking meats thoroughly.
- Try to minimize stress.
- Keep current with all recommended vaccines. Vaccines prime your immune system to fight off infections before they take hold in your body.
Having Faith And A Sense Of Spirituality Can Help Too
In Yoga pose in the Arabian Ocean, Kerala. Photo by Andrew Adams.
Also, I do feel that having faith and trust in the goodwill and/or abundance of the universe also comes in handy. I have my own practises, beliefs, and insights, and the point is not to share or extol these in any way but to encourage people to spend some time in nature, or meditation, or doing something that puts you in touch with whatever it is that reminds you this too shall pass. That could be a sense of life force energy or the divine or whatever you want to call it something bigger than us that ultimately connects us all.
Many year ago, in one of his final interviews, the mythologist Joseph Campbell said the world needs a global myth, something that will unite us. Wouldnt it be ironic if the virus does this. It is something that affects us all, and a coordinated action will help us deal with it as effectively as possible.
But in the meantime, a calm and stress-free mind is much better able to function, so I encourage you to do what you need to do to cultivate it.;
And stay home. ;
Namaste.
Mahaa Mrityunjaya chant by pandit Ravi Shankar
This chant is intended to protect you from harm. It creates very powerful and peaceful vibrations. Listening to it and chanting it can be very calming.;
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It Helps Reduce Stress Levels Naturally
A person whos under stress is more likely to catch a cold or a fever when viruses invade the nasal passage. Stress also seems to worsen or lift the risk of conditions such as depression, gastrointestinal problems, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, Alzheimers disease and asthma. Yoga helps lower stress hormones and calms the nervous system, which is linked to the immune system.
Yoga For Boosting The Immunity
As we discussed;in this article, yoga is not about stretching but about feeling connected to ourselves and making the body function as a whole.;
Yoga is a work-in so as a practice its more about how you feel than how you look. But what does a work-in mean exactly? What happens inside?
Yoga is when every cell of the body sings the song of the soul.
B.K.S. Iyengar, Indian yoga master.
This quote points out a fundamental principle of yoga: the linked relationship of the body and mind. In other words, when you do yoga correctly, youll feel connected to yourself both physically and mentally. Along with the feeling of connectedness, the aim is to feel fully engaged both physically and mentally in the practice, and when that happens, yoga becomes a mindfulness practice!
Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present in the moment, and it comes with numerous benefits, including decreased stress, improved self-awareness, increased levels of focus, better sleep, or lowered blood pressure.
HINT: Did you know that guided deep breathing exercises are also mindful practices?;
Fortunately for you, we created;Serene, a smart coaching feature for mindful breathing. Its available in the;Polar Vantage series, the most recent;Polar fitness watches, and the;Polar Grit X;outdoor watch.
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The Best Strategies To Boost Your Immune System
by Alison Riggs
Our Down to Earth Wellness Teams have put together their favorite immune system boosting tips to share with you!;If you have any questions about how all-natural supplements can help improve your health, visit the Wellness Departments at any of our stores.;
Exercise, stress relief, a balanced diet and certain supplements are all effective ways to boost your immune system. For your best health, we encourage:
From our Down to Earth ohana to yours, we wish you improved health and wellness!
Exercise: Good Or Bad For Immunity
Regular exercise is one of the pillars of healthy living. It improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure, helps control body weight, and protects against a variety of diseases. But does it help to boost your immune system naturally and keep it healthy? Just like a healthy diet, exercise can contribute to general good health and therefore to a healthy immune system.
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Half Lord Of The Fishes
Spinal twists decompress and nourish the spine, but they can also help a lot with our bodys internal functions, including our immune system.
How It Helps:The theory behind twists helping our immunity is that improper digestion causes toxins to build-up. These nasty toxins send the body out of whack and have the potential to create infection or inflammation. Yoga poses that gently compress, twist, or stimulate the stomach can help with digestive issues.
Lets Try It:
- Sitting with your legs straight out in front of you, plant your right foot on the outside of your left leg so the sole of your right foot is on the mat
- Keep the extended left foot flexed. Option to cross the left foot under the right leg and near the right hip)
- On an inhale, plant your right palm directly behind your low back and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right knee
- Inhale to lift and lengthen your spine, exhale to twist and shift the gaze over the right shoulder
- Stay for 5 breaths on each side
Age And Immune System
Aging is one of the reasons for the weakening of immune health. As we age, our body cells tend to get weaker, and the production of new cells becomes slow. This is the reason why old people tend to get easily sick and take time to heal.;While there is no solution to the aging issue, there are things you can do to slow down the process of aging. The primary factor is a lifestyle change, which is something we have already discussed in depth in the above segments.;Aging is a natural phenomenon, and you cannot do anything about it. But with certain lifestyle modifications, you can make aging a pleasant experience. From eating healthy to doing regular exercise, quitting bad habits like drinking and smoking, avoiding being stressed, following healthy sleeping practices, can help you cope with the aging process.;;
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Workout And Immune System
There is a compelling link between exercise and the bodys defense system. Exercise helps your immunity perform at a high level. Taking a daily walk, practicing yoga or following a regular exercise routine can help decrease your chances of developing any health issues. Exercise improves the flow of blood through the cardiovascular system, helping in flushing the germs and toxins from the body via the excretory system in the form of sweat and urine. This may reduce your chance of getting flu, cold, or other illness.;According to health experts, regular exercise helps in the production and strengthening of white blood cells that fight diseases. Exercise helps WBCs to circulate more rapidly, allowing them to detect harmful organisms before they can cause any problem.;It is important that you include daily exercise in your lifestyle to ensure that your immune system is in a superior condition.;
Stay Home And Do Yoga
Right now, the world needs to stay home and not go to events, gatherings, or Yoga classes. But you can still do Yoga at home with Akhanda Yoga Online! They are offering 30 days free, on top of their 15-day free trial. Just use coupon code HARIOM. You will find a world of Yoga classes, teachings, and information that you can enjoy in your own home.
Me and Laurie at the International Yoga Festival, Rishikesh, India. Photo by Siddhartha Joshi
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Immune System Booster: The Inner Sun
This advanced immune therapy hits at viruses and bacteria. The head must be covered, or else you can get a headache. This is a kind of tantric kriya. The immune system interacts with the central nervous system, the glands, and emotions.
We are each given the strength to encounter life and life’s challenges. We have moral strength, mental strength, emotional strength, and physical strength. All these strengths are inter-connected. We block the flow of that strength when we experience feelings of anger, self-defeat, and blame. To boost the immune system, we must overcome these blocks.
The right hemisphere of the brain stores many of the diffuse negative emotions that lead us to depression and to a lower functioning immune system. This meditation stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and the right hemisphere to adjust themselves. In this process you may go through various emotions as the glands start to shift their balance. That is fine. Relax and keep going until you are through the emotional inertia. Then you will feel light, energized, and hopeful.
With gradual practice you can take the time up to 31 minutes. At that level your whole system is cleaned and rejuvenated. The immune system will have new vigor and will not be blocked by inner conflict. This type of breathing is called the sunbreath.”
Posture: Sit in Easy Pose, with a light jalandhar bandh, and with the head covered.
Focus: Concentrate at the Brow Point.
/6how Yoga Can Boost Your Immunity Naturally
As Covid-19 scare grapples the whole country, people are getting concerned about their health. While practising good hygiene is a practice everyone must adopt, the one thing you can really do is to look for ways to boost your immunity naturally.
Yoga is one way you can naturally uplift your vitality without having to step out of the comfort of your home during this lockdown.
In a recent post, acclaimed nutritionist and celebrity dietician talked about the benefits of the same. Yoga guru Baba Ramdev also talked about different yoga poses which could come in handy during these times of crisis.
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Increase Immunity The Healthy Way
Many products on store shelves claim to boost or support immunity. But the concept of boosting immunity actually makes little sense scientifically. In fact, boosting the number of cells in your body immune cells or others is not necessarily a good thing. For example, athletes who engage in “blood doping” pumping blood into their systems to boost their number of blood cells and enhance their performance run the risk of strokes.
Attempting to boost the cells of your immune system is especially complicated because there are so many different kinds of cells in the immune system that respond to so many different microbes in so many ways. Which cells should you boost, and to what number? So far, scientists do not know the answer. What is known is that the body is continually generating immune cells. Certainly, it produces many more lymphocytes than it can possibly use. The extra cells remove themselves through a natural process of cell death called apoptosis some before they see any action, some after the battle is won. No one knows how many cells or what the best mix of cells the immune system needs to function at its optimum level.
How Does The Immune System Work
Your immune system is one of the most complex systems in your body. Per WebMD, your tonsils, digestive system, bone marrow, skin, lymph nodes, spleen and mucus membranes all work together to protect your body from disease. And it develops throughout your lifetime. As you become exposed to various viruses and bacteria, your body begins to analyze these germs and create a store of antibodies against future exposures. Vaccines help this process by strengthening our immune system with the introduction of weakened or killed strains of potentially deadly viruses. Vaccines can also teach the body how to fight infection through necessary immune responses.
However, sometimes your immune system doesn’t work as expected, which may be an immune system disorder. There are four types of immune disorders:
- Primary immune deficiency. You are born with a weak immune system.
- Acquired immune deficiency. You get a disease that weakens your immune system.
- Autoimmune disease. Your immune system attacks healthy cells.
- An overactive immune system. Your system overreacts, almost like an allergic reaction.
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Two Simple Practices To Enhance Immunity And Oxygen Levels
Simha Kriya is a simple Yogic practice which is very relevant to those who are not doing any other powerful process like Shakti Chalana Kriya. Simha Kriya enhances lung capacity and helps improve immunity. Above all, if you can do it for the next five days and suddenly one day you are not able to do it, this means that you definitely have some respiratory problem. It may not be coronavirus, it could be anything else. If you suddenly find that you are not able to do it, you must have yourself checked.
There is also an asana or Yogic posture called Sashtanga. In this posture, the lung functions in a certain way, enhancing oxygen levels in the system. This is one of the most common asanas which has gotten distorted in many ways in common use; almost every devotee is supposed to go into this posture, but due to lack of instruction and understanding, people are just lying down on the ground. The significance of this posture is that you touch eight points of your body to the ground and hold it there. After that, you can relax your body so that the entire body touches the floor and get into what is called as Makarasana.
Conditions for Practice:
