Your opportunity to build immunity!
In today’s challenging world, who does
not want to build resilience?
We have a unique opportunity to build protection and endurance to improve our resistance to attacks and still thrive. We can recalibrate and balance, assimilate and detoxify, engage mentally and emotionally to remain in harmony.
Yoga means to unify or yoke from its original Sanskrit root. When we practice Yoga with intention and attention, there are several levels of engagement:
- The asana is the first step and engages physically.
- Then, we engage emotionally by observing the state of the emotions – irrespective of what it is.
- Then we add the mental engagement to simply watch the thoughts as they float in and out of our mind.
- Finally, we add the spiritual engagement by either chanting the natural sounds of breath and focusing on the third eye. At this stage, the energy in our bodies flows unhindered through the channels (Nadis).
Practicing in the above fashion brings about a holistic change in one’s physical well-being and mental state. This state also brings an internal focus to diet, relationships, and genetics – all of which are also required to build resilience and improve immunity.
The alignment of the energy channels internally allows us to choose nourishing food habits, healthier and positive relationships which in turn helps us to handle our inherited genes with more acceptance and grace.
Much like dancers performing in unison, our body and mind can be drawn together through mindful breathing to create harmony. However, the art of practicing Yoga is uniquely personal and non-competitive. When one practices with inherent curiosity and persistently queries the desires and outcomes, is constantly experiencing the thinking, feeling and doing, one draws from within, the source of energy and power.
Many of the focus areas in practicing Yoga are spinal health, circulation, digestion, inflammation reduction, and hormone balance through various Asanas. These directly contribute to our immune function. A simple deep breathing technique through the nose increases the production of nitric oxide .
Nitric Oxide produced internally in the nasal passages is a natural blood vessel dilator which increases oxygen supply to the lungs. Such natural health boosters applying Pranayama techniques can boost our resilience, soothe the nervous system, and reduce stress.
Evidently, there is no panacea or a magic cure – these solutions are drawn out through a consistent daily practice of small doses, over a period. But maintaining Abhyasa (regular and periodic practice), Vairagya (developing non-attachment and learning to graciously let go) develops a vitality and inculcates a sense of contentment. All of these in turn contribute to raising one’s immunity levels.
