Stressed out about Coronavirus? Put your breath work, asanas, and a few Ayurvedic rituals and herbs to use to boost your immune system and stay calm. If you feel that you would benefit from talking to someone during this unprecedented time, reach out to online therapy services today and see how they can help support you. We all know that a strong immune system is the key to fight every disease. So, in this blog, you will read about how yoga and Ayurveda helps boost your immune system to fight the Coronavirus.
As you all know, Coronavirus disease has become an economic and social threat due to its global effect. And by now you may also be getting notices from your government officials that schools, colleges will remain closed until further notice and some companies are even asking their employees to work from home. It has now become a serious issue as it has affected more than one lakh people and killed nearly 4,900 people around the globe.
You must also be taking the most primary precautions like using hand sanitizers, washing your hands, keeping a safe distance from people who are coughing, avoiding crowded places, or even staying home to avoid all this. But these are the basic precautions that will only help you stay away from the virus for some time at least. But to make yourself internally stronger, you need to boost your immune system so that you can really overcome the disease as it straight away attacks your lungs. It is high time now that one should be concerned about their health as the world health organization has also declared the coronavirus outbreak a ‘global pandemic’ as it is spreading rapidly across the world.
So, the only way for us now is to make our immune system stronger so as to reduce the chances of getting affected. We reached out to yoga and Ayurveda, to help us get a grip on how these ancient practices can boost our minds and bodies, which might help us, get an edge to ward off the virus. In the end, it is all about keeping our immune system stronger and healthy.
Page Contents
The age-old practices of yoga and Ayurveda are more relevant today owing to the number of distressing factors affecting our physical and mental health. Give the necessary boost to your immune system to fight with Coronavirus by strictly adhering to the below mentioned points:
Many of you have tried it, some of you still stick to it, and others rarely hit the practice. As for many, meditation practice is only a mean to centre the chakras and calm the mind. But meditation does more than this; it acts down on various risk factors linked with a weak immune system. For strengthening immunity and reduce blood pressure, daily practice of mindfulness meditation can support the mind and send the right directions to the body and thus act respectively. Meditation also helps release stress from the body, which again is a win-win situation for your immune system.
In India, Tulsi is known to be a sacred plant found in every house. It is also known as Holy Basil, which has amazing therapeutic and medicinal benefits. It holds strong antitussive and expectorant properties, which operates from the root to get rid of irritants, phlegm, and also suppress the cold or cough, hence treating deep-rooted respiratory problems. Holy Basil water also contains various anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic traits, which can take care of the cough, cold, and related diseases. In addition, you can also add ginger with tulsi in the boiling water to make it more effective.
Another beneficial Ayurvedic herb to consume is Giloy that will definitely boost up your immune system by making it strong enough to fight coronavirus. There are different ways to consume this herb, among them the simplest and effective is to boil the Giloy in water and leave it till it cools downs to room temperature. Drink this homemade juice twice a day. You can also mix Giloy with a tablespoon of honey and consume it every morning to improve your immune system. If you can’t find Giloy in the market, then you can also get the Giloy juice or powder available.
If you don’t practice yoga, then start doing it today as yoga has so many benefits and it is more than just postures. Every style of yoga affects the body in some or other way. Amongst all, Inversion yoga postures have the power to enhance the blood circulation and aid in better functioning of the body. When your head is under your heart and bottom above – in postures like Sarvangasana (Shoulder stand) or Uttanasana (Standing forward bend), the lymph flows into the respiratory glands, where viruses and bacteria’s often enter the body. And when you come back to a standing posture, gravity helps here by draining the lymph by flowing it within your lymph nodes for purifying and cleansing. So practicing Inversion asana will help in circulating pure blood and will make the immune system stronger and better.
By now almost everyone is aware of the fact that the most important factor when it comes to keeping safe from Coronavirus is to maintain proper hygiene. As discussed in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, ‘Shaucha’ or cleanliness is the one of the first Niyamas (Niyamas are the second limb of yoga). It states that apart from self-hygiene, it is equally important for a person to ensure cleanliness of his surroundings. And even now, scientists, doctors, specialists, etc. are referring to the same – maintain hygiene and cleanliness. Always wash your hands after coming from outside, use hand sanitizers and masks, avoid contact with people and keep your home and surroundings clean.
Eating cold, fried food decreases the capability of the digestive system, making it weak. This will eventually affect your immune system. Also fried and heavy food makes it difficult for your body to digest, so try to avoid them. Rather you can consume sweet soups, broths, and vegetables.
We all know how to practice deep breathing exercises, but the main concern is to make time for it. Set a time and start practicing with the breathing exercises regularly, gradually you will maintain a habit of it. It will enhance your lungs, which not only clears out stored toxins but also increases the flow of lymph in your entire body. Deep breathing is very effective to boost your immune system as it opens your side ribs and lungs, and also keeps the organs and blood circulation moving.
One of the harmful things you unintentionally do to your body is oversleeping and under sleeping. While sleeping, the body composes important cytokines (Immuno-Proteins), which function to fight the infections to keep the body clean and healthy. Hence, a proper sleeping pattern is directly connected to a stronger immune system.
Ashwagandha and Haldi are the oldest and essential herbs of Ayurveda; they are a form of medicine which heals the body naturally. It keeps away stress, anxiety, and fatigues that can directly affect your immune system. Involving these herbs in your food will not keep you away from the effect of coronavirus but also various diseases.
Taking warm showers in the evening by mixing Epsom salts and organic oils like rosemary, basil, ginger, cardamom, pine, cinnamon, cedar, juniper, and eucalyptus will stimulate and warm the body. It will also help in boosting the digestive system, reducing inflammation, soothing aches, and also in eliminating stored toxins from the body. Therefore, it will keep you away from any kind of diseases by maintaining a better functioning of the immune system.
This sudden outburst of a widely spreading disease has threatened the world with its impact. To keep yourself safe and protected, the least you can do is stay away from packaged food or junk food. According to Ayurveda, Keeping a Sattvic diet has always been said to help a person. So, to preserve and get a healthy immune system, you need to shift to vegan or home-cooked food. Vegetables and herbs have every good element that your body needs to fight against the virus. You should also avoid eating non-vegetarian or red meat.
The immediate outburst of Coronavirus has affected and taken the lives of many. Besides the death rates, the coronavirus is rapidly affecting globalization. Scientists and researchers are working day and night to find a cure for contagious disease. So the best way to keep yourself protected and safe is to make yourself competent in fighting the virus by boosting your immune system. To sustain in this time of the pandemic, it has indeed become necessary to keep ourselves healthy and strong.
