Heal Thyself With These 20 Natural Fixes
Yoga Journal|March 2016

Don’t let common aches and pains keep you off your mat or ruin your practice. Recover faster with these 20 expert-recommended natural fixes.

Sally Wadyka
Heal Thyself With These 20 Natural Fixes

No one wants to run to the doctor for every ache, cramp,or cough. Indeed, 75 percent of respondents in a Yoga Journal online survey said they always try a home remedy first before calling a doc, and 98 percent said they were interested in learning more about home remedies as a fi rst line of defense. So we tapped the collective wisdom of a wide range of doctors, herbalists, yoga instructors, nutritionists, and meditation experts to give you a comprehensive guide to the most effective DIY natural options. Consider this a personal first-aid kit to treat your common health complaints.

SORE THROAT

“The throat can act like a web,catching all the germs and bacteria that enter the mouth and nose,” says Larissa Hall Carlson, dean of the Kripalu School of Ayurveda. A warm saltwater gargle can help clean out mucus, germs, and bacteria—and may even help prevent upper-respiratory-tract infections, according to a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Carlson advises gargling with a mixture of 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/2 cup warm water. “Do it two to three times per week all winter as a preventive measure, increasing to once a day at the first sign of a sore throat,” she suggests.

INDIGESTION OR STOMACHACHE

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