By Dr. Rita Khanna
What is the yogic solution for common cold? The common cold, also known as “acute coryza,” is an upper respiratory tract inflammation caused by infection with a virus. It is a very irritating condition. You are neither sick nor are you well enough. Despite all the modern advances made by science, no drug or vaccine has yet been discovered to cure the common cold.
The Importance of Care
There is an adage that if you take medicine, the cold is cured in a week – otherwise, seven days. However, in the case of a weak constitution, a cold may lead to more severe diseases, such as tonsillitis, laryngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, and tuberculosis. It is essential to receive proper treatment.
Through Yoga Sadhana (practice), it is possible to build up sufficient energy, strength, and resistance to overcome a cold and its unpleasant effects. All Yogic techniques are designed to strengthen the body and mind, and when learned under expert guidance, help to make us less susceptible to mental depression, emotional upsets, loss of energy, and imbalance in the neuro-endocrine systems.
Symptoms
The common symptoms of a cold are running nose, sneezing, heaviness in the head, mild temperature, aches and pains in the body, soreness of the throat, tiredness, etc. If the flu virus is more severe, its symptoms are severe as well. This includes headache, high fever, exhaustion, cough and chills, intense muscle pain, sore throat, blocked nose, and loss of appetite.
Causes
Toxic conditions of the body, disorders in the functioning of the heart, overeating, eating acid-forming food, liver problems, high levels of cholesterol, sudden temperature changes, bad eating habits, excessive smoking, over and under sleep, lack of exercise, pollution, and so on.
Yogic Solution
Yoga is very effective in conditions of cold and cough. Yoga helps prevent a cold and improves a person’s health and strengthens the immune system, thus lessening susceptibility to colds.
Yogasanas
Surya Namaskar, Sarvangasana, Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Marjari Asana, and Yogamudra in Vajrasana are useful Asanas to shun a cold.
Pranayama
Ujjayi, Kapalbhati, Bhastrika, Suryabhedana, and Anuloma-viloma effectively ward off a cold.
Yogic Mudras
The practice of Ling Mudra and Pran Mudra for a few minutes daily is beneficial. (If ling mudra is practiced daily, along with proper practice of Kapalbhati Pranayama, then various incurable chest diseases can be healed).
Ling Mudra
To form Ling Mudra, join both palms and lock the facing fingers together, keeping the right thumb straight and upright. The other thumb and index finger must encircle the upright thumb. Linga Mudra is the booster of the body’s immune system and helps to relieve other problems related to human anatomy.
Precaution
Practice it any time you want, but don’t practice it a lot, as it produces heat in the body. If you practice it longer, it can cause sweating, even in winter. In addition to practicing this Mudra, follow a balanced and healthy diet. Drink lots of water juices, and eat more fruit.
Benefits
It stops phlegm production, gives power to the lungs, cures severe cold and bronchial infections, invigorates the body, and is suitable for low BP. Regular practicing of this Mudra is effective for those who are overweight.
Pran Mudra
To form the Pran Mudra, join the tips of the ring finger and the little finger with the tip of the thumb.
Benefits
It improves immunity, the body’s vitality, improves eyesight, helps in the proper lungs functioning, energizes the heart, and removes vitamin deficiency and fatigue.
Yogic Kriyas
Jalneti and Kunjal constitute the Yogic method of relieving and curing the common cold.
1. Kunjal cleans the stomach of mucus and clears the throat. This has a reflex action on all the body’s glands, governed by the same parts of the autonomic nervous system.
2. Neti then cleans out all the nasal passages, sinuses, and eustachian tubes leading to the ears and the eyes. This reduces inflammation, swelling, and pain. The salty water acts, by osmosis, to draw out mucus and phlegm and helps to dry and clear the passages.
3. Neti also rebalances the Nadis, allowing Prana to flow more efficiently and clearing the mind of tension. Kunjal and Neti rebalance the Doshas, reducing Kapha and increasing the digestive fire, so we feel the heat radiating from the navel center. Bhastrika performed after Neti, further fans the gastric fire.
Notes
When you can reduce the unpleasant effects of cold through the regular practice of Kunjal and Neti, it becomes possible to view the cold as a cleansing process with great long-term benefits.
Therefore, we should never try to suppress or ‘cure’ a cold with drugs. Colds remove the accumulated toxins and poisons built up over the years from our systems.
Firstly, the extra mucus production increases the body’s metabolism, and the subsequent use of protein and other substances washes out internal dirt more efficiently. Secondly, this means that our bodies can function better afterward. Finally, with this outlook, a cold can be considered part of the higher and cleaner living path.
Diet as a Yogic Solution for Common Cold
The following diet will aid the elimination of mucus:
1. Salads with plenty of tomato, carrot, celery, cucumber; papaya, guava, apple, orange, lemon
2. Raw sugar (gurh/ jaggery) mixed with turmeric and made into small balls, taken with a bit of water.
3. Hot vegetable or lentil soup
4. Chapatti
The following drinks will aid the elimination of mucus and help fight the cold:
1. Boiled water with lemon juice
2. Cracked wheat (dalia) with raw sugar
3. Carrot and other vegetable juices
4. Tea with grated ginger, black pepper, Tulsi leaves
5. Cumin (jeera) juice – made by boiling one glass of water, then adding cumin seeds until the color of the water changes. Strain and drink.
Avoid
Milk, ghee, cheese, yogurt (dahee), bananas, and all heavy, starchy, and fatty foods which increase mucus and, thereby, depress the gastric fire
Some Recipes for Cough and Cold
Soup
Take more tomatoes and spinach, 50 grams of onion, 5-10 flakes of garlic, two shimla mirch (capsicum), cabbage, carrot, lauki (bottle gourd), green coriander, and a little salt.
Cook all these vegetables in the cooker with water. Then, strain them. To make it tastier, squeeze lemon juice and sprinkle roasted jeera (caraway seeds). To make the soup thick, churn the boiled vegetables in a mixer and then strain.
Ukada Herbal Tea
Take 1 cup water, ½ inch ginger crushed, 1” cinnamon crushed, two black peppercorns crushed, ten Tulsi leaves crushed, and ten mint leaves crushed.
Boil everything together. Strain and put one teaspoon of honey. Drink four times a day.
Herbal Tonic
Fresh ginger juice ½ teaspoon, Tulsi juice ½ teaspoon, a pinch of black pepper
Mix all in one teaspoon of honey. Take 3-4 times
Further Recommendations
1. Drink only warm water.
2. Add one teaspoon of honey and lemon juice each to half a cup of warm water, and drink it several times daily.
3. During fever, if shiverish, take a hot water sponge bath. If the fever is high, use normal water for a sponge bath.
4. Do Kunjal first thing in the morning, followed by Neti. Repeat Neti 2-3 times during the day.
5. with balm, steam inhalations help relieve stuffiness and sore throat.
6. A chest pack and a hot foot bath relieve colds, bronchitis, asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, fever, cough, whooping cough, and so on. A hot foot bath is beneficial, especially if powdered turmeric is added to the water.
7. Sleep is the best cure when you have a cold.
Summary of Yogic Solution for Common Cold
Cold is often ignored as a common infection, but it needs to be treated. A Yogic lifestyle makes the body and mind flexible so we can better handle the stresses and strains of modern living.
We begin to tune into the natural cycles of day and night and seasons so that a corresponding change in our bodies accompanies weather changes. Yoga helps us to overcome a cold by maintaining our internal heater.
Understanding Prana
Through the science of Prana, a Yogi becomes immune to the dual nature of existence so that heat and cold, pleasure and pain, sorrow and joy all come under his control and are seen as inseparable phenomena. The heat generated in the body is an aspect of Prana, the life force.
When we awaken Prana, we feel its warmth at many levels. Regular Pranayama, proper quantity of Vitamin C in your diet, and consuming fruits and vegetables are some methods to prevent a cold. Most essential is washing your hands frequently, especially after coming into contact with someone with a cold.
Aum Shanti
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Courtesy: Dr. Rita Khanna’s Yogashaastra Studio.
A popular studio that helps you find natural solutions for complete health.
Also conducts online Yoga Courses and naturopathy Guidance.
Mobile: + 919849772485
Ph:-91-40-65173344
Email: yogashaastra@gmail.com
Dr. Rita Khanna
Dr. Rita Khanna is a well-known name in Yoga and Naturopathy. She was initiated into this discipline over 25 years ago by the famous Swami Adyatmananda of Sivananda Ashram in Rishikesh (India).
Dr. Rita firmly believes that Yoga is a scientific process that helps us to lead a healthy and disease-free life. She is also actively involved in practicing alternative medicines like Naturopathy.
Over the years, she has successfully practiced these therapies and provided succor to several chronic and terminally ill patients through Yoga, Diet, and Naturopathy. She is also imparting Yoga teacher training.
Dr. Rita Khanna runs a Yoga Studio in Secunderabad (Hyderabad, India).
© Copyright – Dr. Rita Khanna / Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
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Yoga helps us to overcome a cold by maintaining our internal heater. Thanks for posting this valuable article.
Cold is often ignored as a common infection, but it needs to be treated. A Yogic lifestyle keeps us away form cold and other diseases. Thanks for nice sharing!