Relieve spring allergies with Yoga

Sneezings Greetings !!

Let's make this spring season free from runny noses, sneezing and watery eyes. Go out, breathe and enjoy the next few months in nature with these simple yogic techniques. 

Interestingly enough, the techniques are not what most of us would think of modern yoga practice as via postures, but a practice of using the Neti Pot to irrigate the sinuses with warm water. This is a practice that falls into the category of shat-karma or “six acts” of Hatha Yoga, and is actually a preparatory practice called jala-neti, in which water with a bit of salt dissolved in it is sniffed up the nose.

Neti is a technique for cleansing the nose, nasal passages and sinuses. It helps clear the allergens and other pollutants from the nasal passages and maintain free flowing breath. 

How to do it:

Add teaspoon of salt to a glass of lukewarm water and stir well. Tilt your head to the right side and using the neti pot, pour water into the left nostril. Keep breathing through the mouth in a relaxed manner. The water will start to come out from the right nostril, clearing away any nasal blockages. Now, tilt the head to the left side and pour the water through the right nostril. After using the neti pot in both the nostrils, blow the nose to clear any excess water in the nose. Repeat the process if needed.

It is important to keep breathing through the mouth in a relaxed manner and not to inhale the water while pouring it into the nostrils.

Yoga asanas to help relieve the sinus pressure due to allergies:

The following sequence of yoga poses is worth trying because it relieves sinus pressure and pain while still moving your spine and head into potentially beneficial positions of gentle forward bends, back bends, side bends and mild inversions. The sequence features Mountain pose (Tadasana), Seated Forward Bend (Paschimottanasana), Camel pose (Ustrasana), Triangle pose (Trikonasana), Downward-Facing Dog pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana), and Cobra pose (Bhujangasana),  Knees to Chest pose (Pavanmuktasana), Raised Stretched-Out Foot pose (Urdhva Prasarita Padasana), Lion pose (Simhasana), Bow pose (Dhanurasana) and Savasana.

And, for breath work (Pranayama), the Bellows Breath known as Kapalbhatti works wonders!

More importantly, I’d remind us all that yoga has been studied and found to have a positive effect on the immune system, and, ultimately, if the immune system is functioning at its peak, we are going to have the best chance of influencing the course and re-occurrences of sinus problems. That means establishing a regular home practice that is well balanced, and includes pranayama practices, nadi shodhana, as well as seated meditation in addition to our beloved asanas.

Try these practices this spring to find what works best for you. Let me know what you discover!