5 Beginner Yoga Poses To Build A Stronger Immune System

Yoga can bring about definitive change to your body by boosting your immunity, building strength, increasing your energy levels, reducing anxiety and stress, and infusing a sense of calm and positivity into your mind.

Each of these benefits has a role to play when it comes to fighting off potential illnesses.

Poor lifestyle habits like lack of sleep, poor nutrition, and chronic stress make you vulnerable to several diseases. Studies reveal that chronic stress also contributes to poor overall health and reduced immune function.

This is because, when you’re constantly stressed, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol which stays in the blood for extended periods.

Moreover, consistently high levels of cortisol can lead to the production of chemicals like inflammatory cytokines which further compromise your immunity.

This leads to increased inflammation and may cause long-term side effects as well.

New research suggests that yoga can even help reduce inflammation. It is one of the most effective and time-tested natural immunity boosters.

It helps lower your stress hormones and strengthens the nervous system. It even contributes to deeper, more regulated sleep, which is crucial to

Here are a few poses you can try to strengthen your immune system:

1. Dhanurasana (The Bow Pose)

• Lie on your stomach. Bend your knees and hold your ankles.
• Breathing in, lift your chest off the ground and pull your legs up and back.
• Look straight ahead.
• Keep the pose stable while paying attention to your breath.
• As you exhale, gently bring your legs and chest to the ground. Release your ankles and relax.

2. Bhujangasana (cobra pose)

• Lie on your stomach with your toes flat on the floor and rest your forehead on the mat.
• Keep your palms on the mat close to your shoulders, elbows should be parallel and close to your side.
• Take a deep breath and slowly rise backwards all the way to your navel.
• Use the support of your hands to keep yourself firmly off the ground.
• Keep breathing with awareness, tilt your head back and look up.
• Exhale gently and bring your body back into the resting position and relax.
• Repeat 4-5 times.

3. Balasana (Child pose)

• Kneel and sit with your hips on the heels.
• Slowly bend forward and lower your forehead to the floor.
• Keep your arms beside your body with hands on the floor, palms facing up. Or rest your forehead on the palms of your hands.
• Gently press your chest on your thighs.
• After relaxing, slowly come up and sit on your heels.

4. Setu Bandhasana (Bridge pose)

• Begin by lying on your back. Bend your knees, hip distance apart with your knees and ankles in a straight line.
• Keep your arms beside your body, palms facing down.
• Inhale and slowly lift your back off the floor, distributing your weight on your shoulders, arms, and feet.
• Both your knees are parallel to each other and to the floor.
• Hold the posture for and exhale gently as you release the pose.

5. Matsyasana (fish pose)

• Lie on your back with your feet together and hands relaxed by your body.
• Slowly place your hands beneath your hips, palms facing down, and elbows close to each other.
• Inhale and lift your head and chest up.
• With your chest elevated, lower your head backwards touching the crown of your head to the floor.
• Now press your elbows firmly into the ground, keeping the weight entirely on the elbow and not the head.
• Lift your chest up and press your thighs and legs to the floor.
• When comfortable, hold the pose and monitor your breathing.
• Exhale slowly, straighten your head, lower your chest, and bring your hands back towards your body. Relax.

Practising yoga regularly along with 20-minutes meditation, can benefit your health in the long run.

However, it is advisable to practice yoga under the guidance of an expert or trained yoga teacher. This way you can be informed about which yoga poses are best for you depending on your health conditions.