During these unprecedented times, boosting immunity has become the holy grail. Unfortunately, so many people are capitalizing on this phrase to sell something that may of may not actually help rev your immune system. In a previous blog, I discussed how gut health is crucial to boosting immunity.
Today, I wanted to share with you a few key yoga poses that will boost immunity. Let me explain how.
First, let’s look at the thymus gland. Located under your breast bone, the thymus gland is responsible for producing T cells. T cells are like little pac men in your bloodstream. They gobble up foreign invaders, even cancer cells, and support the lymphatic system as well. Doesn’t it make sense that stimulating your thymus gland would help with immunity? Here are some examples of chest opening poses:
Fish pose
A series of Cat-Cow poses
Camel pose
Bridge pose
All of these are effective chest openers. When you move into any pose that opens the chest, activating the thymus gland is a natural result.
The next area of the body that needs to be activated to improve immunity is the gut. Why? Over 70% of our immune system originates in the gut! In yoga, the best way to stimulate gut action is with spinal twists. A great analogy to describe how spinal twists activate the gut is to compare it to wringing out a wash cloth. You twist the wash cloth to remove the dirty water, and unwind it to let fresh water come into the cloth. Similarly, when you move into a spinal twist, you’re compressing, or “wringing out” your toxins and waste. When you release the twist, fresh blood flows to the area. In this way, you’re getting rid of old stagnation and then rejuvenating the gut with the twist release. Key points to remember with spinal twists:
- Protect the low back by keeping your abdominal muscles activated
- Keep the shoulders down
- Maintain length in the spine
- Spinal twists should not be forceful or rough, listen to your body as you move into the spinal twist and ease back if you feel discomfort.
Here are some of my favorite spinal twists:
Seated Spinal twist
Standing Spinal Twist with balance
Wide angle forward bend with a twist
Reclining Spinal Twist
Try incorporating 2-4 chest opening poses and spinal twists in your daily practice to improve immunity.
Yoga has helped me in so many ways, and boosting my immunity is one of them. I have found another powerful immune booster that works at a cellular level. If you want more information on this, click the link below, and send me the message that you want more info on boosting immunity! I would love to connect with you!
https://theresehouk.com/contact/
