Yoga, Ayurveda and Corona Virus
In the last few days, the news has been all about the Corona Virus. With cases being discovered in the UK and the rising number of cases in Europe and worldwide, it is becoming a real concern.
In these difficult times, I would like to give you my support in forms of tips on my area of expertise and offer a discount on Yoga classes and treatments to help you stay well.
Ayurveda tips to strengthening the immune system:
Ayurveda is about lifestyle and diet.
There are few rules about health which is:
eat well, rest, exercise, reduce stress. daily sun exposure (not that easy in winter months - supplements of Vit. D might help) and drink a lot of water.
While this might seems simple, in fact, it is not all that simple.
Eat well means eating freshly cooked (home-cooked) seasonal fruit and vegetable, choose a good source of proteins and good quality fat. Avoid refined sugar and its derivatives (here is the difficulty as sugar is in most food we buy from shops), preservatives, chemicals, and reduce intake of dairy (only consume organic). Add some fermented food (homemade kefir, sprouted grains for example, however, reduce bread unless it is sourdough (I make my own one and is delicious). Healthy guts promote good health. If you want to increase your overall strength, you should not be on a diet. Diets are by nature reducing, fewer calories also mean fewer nutrients (depending on what you eat of course) and as a consequence, it might make your body weaker, the opposite of what it is needed to fight a virus.
eat immune-boosting spices like black pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, clove.
eat immune-boosting food like broccoli, cabbage, onions, garlic, cooked apples, fresh fruits (not with a meal).Whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, and barley. Choose easy to digest food (no takeaway, fried food, etc.)
eat at regular times and avoid snacking. Avoid overload and overwork the digestive system.
rest and sleep. lack of sleep can affect your immune system. Studies show that people who don't get quality sleep or enough sleep are more likely to get sick after being exposed to a virus, such as a common cold virus. Lack of sleep can also affect how fast you recover if you do get sick. Read more here.
Exercise is not running a marathon, in fact, it is not even running. It is about moving enough to stimulate your lymphatic system and produce a light sweat. Jumping on a trampoline for a few minutes every day is a great immune buster. More information on cortisol levels, stress and immune system in this article here.
Reduce stress. Cortisol is the stress hormones, which are produced by the adrenal glands when a person is in a stressful situation (work, driving, relations, studies, tests, strong forms of exercises or physical activities, fear situations, etc.). When the level of cortisol is permanently high, it can cause many problems from adrenal fatigue, to lower the immune system and cause an imbalance on female sex hormones.
High cortisol level symptoms
high blood pressure.
a flushed face.
muscle weakness.
increased thirst.
urinating more frequently.
changes in mood, such as feeling irritable or low/depression.
rapid weight gain in the face and abdomen.
osteoporosis.
You can find a better explanation in this article here.
Methods to reduce stress are mindfulness, meditation, yoga, and many others. Every day we need time to de-stress. Ayurveda has many ways to reduce stress and its symptoms from long deep breathing, Yoga Nidra (relaxation), sound bath, to diet (generally bitter vegetables, turmeric, superfoods like dates, etc.) and adaptogen herbs such as Ashwagandha, Bacopa, Tulsi, etc.
Top up with Vitamin D (also Zinc, K, B12 B6, Vitamin C, Magnesium will probably be useful as American studies found 75% of adults are deficient in magnesium and low magnesium make vitamin d ineffective.
Drink a lot of water, is obvious. The more you are hydrated the better your body functions. However, you also need well-balanced minerals in your body system and good kidney function. If your urine is dark yellow or smelly, it is a sign of imbalance.
Yoga to stimulate your immune system:
Practice Sun salutations, inversion, twists, and relaxation.
Example of poses: forward fold, down dog, seated twists, supine knees to chest, supine twists, abdominal work, plank, bow pose, wheel pose, supported bridge, supported fish pose, legs up the wall or shoulder stand, plow pose. Relaxation. deep breathing. Alternative nostril breathing. All bandhas (are energy locks). Work on balancing the chakras. Surya mudra and chin mudra.
All classes this March will focus on boosting the Immune system and Thursday class will also work on the energetics of balancing the lymphatic and endocrine system, the chakras, and pranayama (breathing) for healing.