Immunity Boosters

This weekend, I sat in a car with a nose-blowing, into-the-air coughing 7th grader for about ten hours of driving, all told. He swears he has allergies. I'm nervous.

Also, on the way back from Boston, it started to snow like it was January, and I find that crazy shifts to cold weather can also help get you sick.

This week? Immunity Boosters. No, I'm not talking about that weird supplement you ordered in your smoothie, this is straight-up yoga, folks. The side note here is that this sequence is more for people who are worried about getting sick; if you are already there, my guess is you don't want to spend two minutes in a forward bend. Just a hunch.

Immunity Boosters

Any yoga practice is essentially an immunity booster. People with more stress in their lives are more susceptible to getting sick; people who have a steady yoga and meditation practice are less likely to have high levels of stress. A full body moving workout also moves lymph and helps re-oxygenate the blood. That being said, there are some poses that focus more on the cold-fighting systems of the body than others. Forward bends, back bends, and twists (compressing the digestive tract) will all, hopefully, reduce the number of sick days you experience this flu season.

1. Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
2. Hands in jnana mudra (Mudra of Wisdom)
3. Three sets of Kapalabhati (Skull-shining breath)
4. Garbasana (Child's pose). Hold for one minute
5. Gentle Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)
6. Move between Bhujanasana to Garbasana
7. Gomukhasana (Face of Light Pose)
8. Cat/Cow spine in table
9. Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog). Hold for 2-3 minutes
10. Virabhadrasana I (Warrior I), focus on opening chest
    
11. Virabhadrasana II (Warrior II)
12. Parsvottanasana (Intense Stretch Pose)
13. Anjaneyasana (Kneeling Lunge Pose)
14. Vinyasa to repeat 9-13 on other side
15. Vinyasa to standing
16. Uttanasana (Standing Forward Fold). Hold for 2-3 minutes
17. Take hands to lower back for gentle back bend/chest opener
18. Vinyasa to floor
19. Upavistha Konasana (Seated Wide Angle)
20. Kurmasana (Tortoise Pose)
21. Purvatanasana (Front Stretch Pose)
22. Supta Pavana Muktasana (Reclined Wind Relieving Pose)
23. Repeat other side
24. Take both knees into chest and gentle rock side to side
25. Taking hands behind hand, 20 abdominal crunches exhaling as you gently lift using core strength
26. Supta Madhyasana (Reclined Twist Pose)
27. Repeat other side
28. Viparita Karani (Legs up the Wall Pose)
    
29. End with 20 minutes of seated meditation