How to Use Yoga to Help With COVID-19 Recovery

I’d like to start this article by saying, COVID is real. As someone who tested positive 12 days ago at the time of penning this article, I am not feeling the side effects of COVID today and I am truly blessed that I haven’t suffered very severe symptoms. But, I won’t chalk it up to providence entirely. I have been a yoga practitioner practically all my life and I believe that it was yoga that came to my rescue.

There has been so much speculation around this, that it has flustered governing bodies, doctor’s researchers but there were three consistent pieces of advice that were being constantly rolled out. 

1.    Wash your hands and wear a mask. 
2.    Maintain social distancing. 
3.    Boost your own immunity. 

I encourage everyone to adhere to these guidelines and stay safe. 

Coming to my COVID journey. And I had taken a day off from work wanting to recuperate from what I was thinking was heatwave exhaustion in Mumbai. To my surprise, I tested positive. My first reaction was to tell anyone who I came in contact with in the past 24 hours. I got my staff tested. 
I felt fear but I quickly put away those thoughts affirming within myself that panic and stress are not going to do me any good. I purchased a pulse oximeter and started monitoring daily oxygen levels. 

From day 3 to day 5, I was expecting to feel the severity of these symptoms, I experienced mild breathlessness and loss of taste, but my oxygen levels were between 99 and 100 and my temperature was hovering at 97.1. It is then, when I called my doctor, asking why don’t feel anything? Does this mean I am not recovering? It is then that my doubts were cleared that it was Yoga that had led to this. 

I have been a Yogi since I turned 6. And research shows that Yoga has proven to be an effective way to increase immunity and aid recovery. 
To begin, here are a few ways to increase your immunity if you haven’t been exposed to the virus. 

Surya Namaskar: Surya Namaskar is a sequence of 12 powerful yoga poses. Besides being a great cardiovascular workout, Surya Namaskar is also known to have an immensely positive impact on the body and mind. 

Garudasana: This balancing pose helps stimulate fresh blood flow throughout the body by squeezing pressure points—giving the body a jolt of immunity-boosting fluid. The squeezing motion in the legs and arms helps to boost circulation and release toxins. 

Trikonasana: Physically, this pose is strengthening for the legs and core, but it also helps to open the hips and release tension in the shoulders. The triangle pose also stretches the fascia around the lungs, helping with breathing.

Ardhamatsyendrasana: Half Spinal Twist pose is one of the best and most important asanas in Hatha Yoga. It has a huge amount of benefits which cover all the body systems.

Dhanurasana: It acts as an ideal stress buster as it helps improve the flow of white blood cells by applying pressure on the digestive system. Dhanurasana puts pressure on your belly, which in turn helps strengthen the digestive system and immune system. 

Matsyasana: Another effective yoga asana to increase immunity is the Matsyasana. This yoga pose is widely considered to be the “destroyer of all diseases.” This yoga asana offers various benefits for the immune system. Also, it may offer relief from fatigue as well as increases immunity and metabolism as well.

Along with these postures, it’s also important to cultivate a strong pranayama practice. Since COVID is an infection that attacks the respiratory system, it’s important to strengthen the lungs. Pranayama is the most effective way to do that. The 3 most important pranayama to practice as a preventive measure are:

1.    Kapalbhati (which is also a Kriya)
2.    Bhastrika
3.    Anulom Vilom.

Also read: Does Double Masking Mean Double Protection Against Covid-19? 

Moving on to what can be done if you do test positive. Since your immunity is compromised and your body is using up all its energy to fight the virus, the best thing you can do is rest. There are still a few things you can try while you are resting in bed:

1.    Gentle supine twist: this can release tension from your spine and hips 
2.    Anulom vilom (without holds) 

Once you start recovering, you need to be careful to not do too much too fast. Do not try to do intense postures right away. Start with these postures: 

•    Childs pose this is a restful pose that calms the brain and helps relieve stress and fatigue
•    Paschimotanassana calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression. Stretches the spine, shoulders, hamstrings. 
•    Badhakonasana calms your body, opens your hips and stretches your lower muscles. 
•    Shavasana calms the central nervous system, aiding the digestive and immune systems. Calms the mind and reduces stress. Reduces headache, fatigue and anxiety. Helps lower blood pressure

This virus has almost forced us to completely reevaluate our lifestyle choices and decisions and made us look at health as a crucial part of our life. Let’s start building a healthier world, one day at a time!

Love, light and happiness,

Sarvesh Shashi