Yoga for a Cold

Yoga for this, yoga for that. With all the articles out there you would think that yoga has a cure for everything. Well, I can't say that yoga is the cure for the common cold, but I can say that it has a way of providing some relief.

There are two things about a cold that drive me crazy, the stuffy but at the same time runny nose and the heaviness in your chest that can eventually lead to a nasty cough. Yoga's solution to this is simply to invert you. Dump you upside down so all the snot can roll out of you. Gross I know, but it works.

The picture to the left is of our sinuses. As you can see they are shaped in such a way that congestion can just pool. There isn't anywhere for it to drain. About the only way you can get it out is to blow or invert. By going upside down and hanging there for 5-10 minutes, you'll give the goo time to get out.

One of the pitfalls of this, is the pressure that it can cause. You'll start to feel this shortly after you get upside down. However, if you can hang in there, literally,  you'll eventually feel a slight pop as the pressure begins to release. If the headache it causes is too much, you'll need to come out of the pose and find one that doesn't hang you as vertical. It's the difference of bending half way down verses all the way down.

I can't tell you how many times I've taught class with a cold and couldn't breathe through my nose to save my life at the beginning of class. But after a few sun salutations, where you hang out in downward dog (an inversion), I could breathe clearly.

But what goes up, must come down. So about an hour after class my sinuses would clog up again. I did after all have a cold and it must run it's course. The inverting is meant to give you some relief, not be a cure. But when you can't breathe, even three hours of reprieve are worth it. To help with the process you can also try a steam, like taking a long hot shower, and then invert.

Not only does the inverting help with your sinuses, but also with the congestion in your lungs. The act of coughing is the body's way of expelling what it doesn't want in the lungs. By tilting your lungs up you can help them drain. I use this with my COPD clients all the time as they have chronic issues with fluid in their lungs.

When you first invert your're going to feel a pressure in your lungs and you may start coughing. Within a few moments you should start to calm down. Focus on taking deep breaths and expanding the rib cage fully. Once you come up, be prepared to cough. Again, if you can do a steam before you do this, all the better.

Below are some of my favorite inversion poses. Remember, an inversion is any pose where your heart is above your head. When you're feeling sick, it's not a good idea to do intense inversions like head or hand stand. The goal for your body right now is to relax and rejuvenate.


Good for the lungs and the sinuses:
Down dog
Wide legged forward fold, rest your head on a pillow or bolster if you can. If you can't get down that far, rest it on a chair. The idea is to relax.
Dolphin, for some this is more work than it's worth...give it a try and see what you think.
Puppy dog, (picture to the right) you can place a blanket or bolster under your rump for support if you like. But the steeper the angle of your chest, the better results you'll get.

Good for the lungs:
Bridge, make sure to prop a block under your SI joint so you can relax in the pose.
Supported shoulder stand: (picture to the left) come into bridge pose on your block, simply raise your legs up into the air. Make sure to have a nice arch in the low back to protect it and don't turn your head to the side. Take deep breaths.
Legs up the wall, remember, the higher your hips, the more angle for your lungs. Just make sure that you're stable and not hurting your low back. If you don't have a yoga block, a firm pillow or blankets will work.

Hang out in these poses for five to ten minutes at least. If you have more energy, doing a few simple sun salutations will work nicely as well. Unlike taking medicine, you can do this as many times as you need throughout the day. Works great for kids too.

Having a cold stinks, but at least with these poses you get to lay around and heal and be somewhat productive about it. Yoga isn't a magical cure, but it's a small bit of comfort and when you're sick, sometimes that is all you need.