It’s that time of year when the flowers, plants and trees are in bloom after their long winters nap. They are a lovely sight to see after the many months of nothing but bare trees and decay. Unfortunately due to this change in season some of us are experiencing allergies and its certainly not an enjoyable or desirable experience. I have had year round allergies [like my parents] since as far back as I can remember , however since moving to New England I am finding that despite that the symptoms and reactions are different out here. I expect this is due to the vastly different weather and “nature” compared to that of my beloved west coast.
My symptoms out here are much different than that of what I experienced on the other side of this country. So while the symptoms may not be as bad, they feel that much more overwhelming to make up for it. I am one of those people unfortunately that suffer from a variety of allergy ailments if you will. They are liable to kick in at any time often when I least expect it, and then I feel miserable. Hay fever from pollen, itchy water eyes, runny nose, sneezing, dust mites, and pet pander are what gets me, so you can see why I say I have year round allergies. I am not a fan of taking medications unless absolutely necessary. So I turn to a natural approach to alleviate my symptoms. A combination of yoga and homeopathic remedies are what works for me. My symptoms become much more manageable and dissipate much faster than with out.
One of my favorite remedies for a sore throat is a gargle of hot water with chilli powder. Chilli peppers are a natural pain killer and good at fighting inflammation among other benefits. My sore throat gargle recipe is: one mug of hot water and 1/2 tsp of chilli powder. This is one I discovered a few yrs back in my own research and testing. I highly recommend it to others. Gargle 2-4 times a session if you will and repeat this about 2-4 times a day for 1-3 days. Its not an exact science meaning you can adjust the frequency and timings to your own taste and schedule. You may not always notice improvement wright away. If you’ve had a sore throat for days, you will need to keep up the gargling for at least one day if not two or three. Your lingering sore throat will disappear.
Yoga has a calming effect on the mind and nervous system, the asanas [poses] will also help you breathe easier. Now in terms of yoga, asanas [poses] & pranayamas [extension of the breath] I like to do when I have allergies. I’ve compiled a small list, these are all items easily searchable on Google should you wish to know more. if you can’t find something I’d be happy to explain if you throw a comment my way.
Pranayamas [Breath work]:
You can place more emphasis on your exhalations
- Sudarshan Kryia
- Kalabhati [breath of fire]
- Nadi Sodhana
Asanas [Poses]:
Inversions open the nasal passages for improved drainage, but don’t hold the poses for more than a few minutes at most other wise you wold create too much pressure on your sinus’s
- Salamba Sarvanga [Shoulder Stand]
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana [Bridge Pose]
- Halasana [Plow Pose]
- Adho Mukha Svanasana [Downward-Facing Dog]
- Sirsasana [Headstand]
Note:
You can also do more standing poses, forward bends, backward bends, and twists all of which will massage various parts of not only your spine but your thoracic cage as well. These types of asanas will also condition the lungs. “Strong lung meridians [channels of energy] help strengthen our immune-system function.
Sources:
http://howtogetridofallergies.info/
The Peaceful Yogini 