Yoga For Stronger Immunity

In a time of collective ill health, you might be wondering what you can do to improve your immune system. Incorporating yoga into your routine can significantly bolster your body’s ability to combat sickness.

- Mascha Coetzee

How is your immunity? Can you fight colds, viruses and bacteria with ease? Before COVID-19 hit, you probably didn’t think much about the strength of your immune system. In the post-pandemic world, though, many of us are now asking if there is anything we can do to build our immunity and keep ourselves resilient against viruses.

Thankfully, it is possible to boost your immunity with the integrated practice of yoga, meditation and breathwork — not to mention the other benefits you will no doubt reap from those practices, too.

While the focus here will be what yoga can do to keep your immune system strong, vitamin-rich foods, herbs, steam baths, essential oils and Ayurvedic practices should not be overlooked. Boosting your immunity naturally is best achieved through a holistic approach.

Much research has shown the beneficial effects of yoga, and a number of preliminary studies point to the effects of an integrated yoga practice (entailing postural yoga practice, breathwork and mindfulness) in improving immune functions and resisting the impairment of cellular immunity.

A randomised controlled pilot study, conducted by Sung-Ah Lim and KwangJo Cheong published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, concluded that regular yoga practice considerably decreases oxidative stress and improves antioxidant levels in the body, along with positively affecting stress hormone releases and partly improving immune function.

A 2018 study published in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine indicates that yoga can be a helpful way to boost the immune system and decrease inflammation in the body among the populations at risk or affected by illnesses with an inflammatory component.

What is your immune system?