How to Boost Your Immunity with Yoga Practice

According to Peloton Yoga Chelsea instructor Jackson Roberts, yoga is an integrative practice that connects the mind and body and is a great way to strengthen your immunity during the Covid19 pandemic.

"Yoga can be used as an exercise to manage the stress we're experiencing during a pandemic, and it can also help deal with big changes in the world --" Jackson-Roberts said of doing yoga during a pandemic.

In yoga, we focus on our body, our breath, and our movement -- even our actions in the world. He added: "Yoga practices are designed to gain a clear foundation and to act with integrity and compassion.

Research shows that practicing yoga can reduce symptoms of depression and stress.

--Author: Jackson Roberts

Of course, people have long turned to yoga to manage their stress levels. A 2018 study found that women experienced a significant decrease in depression, anxiety, and stress after 12 regular hatha yoga classes, while a 2017 study determined that 2-4 months of yoga class work in the gym The pressure on the family has dropped significantly.

Jackson-Roberts explained: "Because yoga teaches us that everything is connected, it supports our bodies in a variety of ways, even reducing the effects of stress on our bodies. It also allows us to listen to ourselves and slow down. rather than rushing.

When we focus on breathing and moving, we have time for self-reflection and even physical relaxation through yoga poses," he continued.

The passionate yogi also said that yoga is the key to strengthening the body's immunity and immune system, as the breathing exercises taught provide techniques to calm the nervous system and directly affect the immune system.

Likewise, many yoga techniques strengthen the nervous system and "cleanse" our lymphatic system to eliminate waste and toxins.

"For intermediate and advanced yoga practitioners, I always recommend shoulder stand and plow pose, as these are key poses for nourishing the lymphatic system," Jackson-Roberts said.

I recommend Alternating Nostril Breathing, a technique used to balance the nasal passages and ultimately strengthen the immune system as well.

To "nourish and enhance" the nervous and immune systems, Jackson-Roberts likes to include spinal twists in his classes.

You can do the spinal twist while sitting in a chair, on the floor, or even lying down. You move the top half of your body in one direction and the bottom half in the other direction.

I like to imagine filling the sponge with liquid. Liquids represent stress and toxins. When we practice spinal twists, we strengthen our system through movement and breathing.

A spinal twist on the floor

Another problem that many people have struggled with as they grapple with the pandemic is sleep disturbance. Jackson-Roberts points to a Harvard study that illustrates yoga's ability to help the body rest properly.

Rest is key to strengthening the immune system," she says. When we practice techniques in yoga and meditation, we train our bodies to respond to the factors that reflectively cause stress.

Jackson-Roberts, who has been a student of Yoga Nidra (a relaxation technique that directly affects sleep and rest) for nearly 10 years, is "sure" that exploring the spirit will help people.