AYGMyJune2015

BE WELL

om

Soothe your sinuses To keep excess

vata from drying out your nasal passages and

fostering bad bugs, lubricate the nasal

passages with an Ayurvedic technique called

nasya, or the application of oil. Larissa Hall

Carlson, the dean of the Kripalu School of

Ayurveda in the US, offers these instructions:

on mornings and evenings when you feel a

cold coming on, warm sesame oil, known to

calm vata dosha in Ayurveda, by running the

oil in the bottle under hot water. Lie down, tilt

your head back and apply three to five drops of

the sesame oil into each of your nostrils.

Or dip your finger into the oil and gently

massage the insides of your nostrils with it.

cold

season

Stay well during

KEEP COLD AND FLU BUGS at bay

this autumn by adding time-tested

treatments from India’s ancient

holistic science, Ayurveda, to your

arsenal of preventative measures

and remedies. According to this

5000-year-old healing system, we

all carry a balance of three different

types of energies, or doshas – fiery

pitta, airy vata and earthy kapha.

With the cold, dry air and erratic

winds of autumn, we tend to

accumulate an excess of vata, which

can weaken our immunity and leave

us vulnerable to viruses. Ayurveda

expert John Douillard explains: “As

the mucous membranes dry out,

the body produces reactive mucus

(the stuff of runny noses), which

disturbs the nasal environment

for good respiratory microbes and

becomes the breeding ground for

colds and flus.”

Clear your lungs Practise gentle,

complete yogic breathing, either when you

start to feel sick or are already stuffed up,

recommend Hall Carlson and Douillard. This

form of deep breathing can loosen even heavy

congestion from the lungs, according to Hall

Carlson. And by deactivating the

parasympathetic nervous system, which

produces stress hormones, gentle, complete

breathing can help you stay relaxed so you can

get restorative rest. Breathing through the

mouth, as you normally would when you have

a cold, spurs stress and restlessness, explains

Douillard. The complete breath goes like this:

take a slow, soft inhale through your nostrils,

letting the air first fill the bottom of your lungs

near your belly. Then let your lower ribs

expand; finally, expand your chest. Without

pausing, exhale through the nostrils in reverse:

the air leaves your chest, your ribs contract

and your navel centre pulls in.

Boost your immunity Drink one

cup of tulsi (AKA holy basil) tea daily for cold

and flu prevention, and up to three cups when

you’re coughing, sneezing or fighting a fever,

says Hall Carlson. This herb, widely used by

Ayurvedic practitioners to treat colds and flus,

reduces vata and removes excess kapha, which

can manifest as mucus, from the lungs and nasal

passages. Studies have found that tulsi also has

antimicrobial and antioxidant properties that can

fight germs and reduce stress.

Limit screen time Another

time-tested Ayurvedic tip is to give your

sensory organs a rest when you have a cold.

“One of the mistakes people make

is that they do movie marathons, bombarding

the sense – which are governed by vata –

and the mind with information that needs to

be digested,” says Hall Carlson. “That takes

your energy away from fighting a bug.”

Instead, limit your screen time, spend time in

silence, and do a relaxation practice such as

yoga nidra or restorative yoga, she suggests.

Signs of imbalance

Vata, the element in us all that

represents air and ether, can cause

colds and flus when it’s in excess.

How do you know if your vata is

building? Look for these telltale signs:

X Dry skin, hair, nails, lips

and nasal passages

X Constipation, gas and/or bloating

X Insomnia

X Restlessness and hyperactivity

X Anxiety and fear

21

may/june 2015

yogajournal.com.au

PHOTO: LIGHTWAVEMEDIA/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

yj43_17-26_Om.indd 21 31/03/2015 8:40 am