Have you ever thought that why do we fall sick? Why infections like cold, flu or cough are able to attack us? The answer to these questions is a weak immune system. The strength of our immune system decides whether we will catch any infection or not. The power of immune system to fight against the diseases decides it all. There is a saying, “Health is wealth”. Year 2020 has certainly taught us all the value of good health.

Good health is directly connected to a strong immune system. The stronger the immune system, the healthier a person is. Being healthy not only keeps you away from illnesses, but it also keeps a person full of positivity and peace. There are thousands of supplements available in the market today which claim to be immunity booster.

At one point or another, we all must have tried them. Apart from a good diet chart, supplements and other eatables, yoga is also a way to strengthen the immune system. According to the dieticians, including yoga in day to day life works as a catalyst to improve your health.

So, to keep our little soldier ready to fight the illnesses, we have shortlisted five effecting yoga asanas for you today. They are easy to perform and will help you stay strong.

Pranayam

Pranayam comes from Sanskrit, where ‘prana’ means energy of life and ‘yama’ means to control. Pranayam are an eternal part of yoga. They include breathing exercises, wherein you control your breathing in a way that it makes your mind, soul and body calm. Pranayam also helps to bring clarity of mind. There are many variations in pranayama however, we are going to tell you the simplest one today.

How to perform?

• Sit straight in a comfortable position. Preferably sit on a mat or a flat surface.
• Keep your head elevated and shoulders aligned with your back.
• Inhale slowly to the capacity of your lungs.
• Hold it for some time.
• Once you are not able to hold it anymore, exhale slowly and completely.
• Start with this practice for five minutes and gradually increase it till thirty minutes in one sitting.
• Best time to perform pranayam is in the early morning between 2 am to 5 am. If you are unable to wake up that early, then try to do it within 1 hour of sun rising.

Cobra Pose: Bhujangasana

• Lie on your stomach with your toes being flat on the floor and forehead resting on the surface.
• Make sure that your heels and feet are touching each other.
• Take your palms downwards, under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso.
• While inhaling a deep breath in, slowly lift your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor.
• Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands.
• Keep inhaling and exhaling with awareness, as you curve your spine gradually. If comfortable, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible and tilt your head back to look up.
• Gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor while breathing out.

Mountain Pose: Tadasana

• Stand straight with your feet flat and together.
• Keep your spine straight and stretched.
• Above your head, bring both the palms together to interlock them.
• While inhaling, lift and stretch your arms up with palms facing outwards.
• Life your heels and come onto your toes.
• Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds in the beginning.
• While exhaling, slowly bring the heels down, unlock the palms and bring the arms down.

Child Pose: Shishuasana

• Bend the knees and sit on your heels by placing your hips on the heels.
• Slowly bend forward and let your forehead touch the ground.
• Keep the arms parallel to your legs, alongside your body with palms facing upwards.
• Press your chest against the thighs.
• Hold this posture for a few seconds and gradually come up to the initial position.

Triangle Pose: Trikonasana

• Stand straight and tall by keeping your feet comfortably wide apart.
• Tilt the right foot out by 90 degrees and left foot in by 15 degrees.
• Make sure the weight of your body is equally balanced on both the feet.
• Inhale and as you exhale, bend your body to the right, downward from the hips.
• While keeping the waist straight, allowing your left hand to come up in the air while your right hand comes down towards floor. Let both arms form a straight line.
• Hold this position and keep practicing inhalation and exhalation.
• As you inhale, come up slowly, bring your arms down and straighten the feet.
• Repeat the same steps for the other side.

Pro tips

Initially, it might seem a little overwhelming however, with time the body will get used to. If you are not able to provide much time in the beginning then try to include the following habits in your routine:

• Have warm water throughout the day or at least in the morning when you wake up.
• If you are not able to devote time for running or yoga then try to walk for at least 15 minutes daily.