Yoga and Your Immune System
Should I practice Yoga when I am sick? Simple answer is “No”. Overall, practicing Yoga and other physical activities develops a strong vital immune system. However, doing Yoga classes when you are in any stage of dealing with a cold or flu will likely result in becoming more sick and being sick for a longer period of time.
When we are coming down with a cold or are in the full brunt force of being sick, our body’s immune system is put into overdrive producing antibodies to combat the viruses that cause the cold symptoms. These antibodies are made partially of proteins and amino acid components. The production of these complex proteins requires energy. The more sick one is, the more energy is required to fuel the immune system.
Now consider what happens when we exercise or do Yoga while your immune system is fighting the onset of a cold. The energy highly needed for your immune system is instead being transferred to the muscles to create movement. This energy is depleted from the body either as mechanical energy (movement) or as heat. This transfer of energy strips the immune system of precious energy resources and begins to limit the immune system’s capacity to produce antibodies.
What should we do then? REST! All to often I have students coming to class sniffling and coughing, and we say “Go home”. You do yourself no benefit practicing Yoga while being sick. You will likely worsen the level of your cold and you will end up passing on your cold to others (not mention your teacher). If you insist on practicing when you are slightly under-the-weather, then only do a restorative style practice at home that is predominently gravity-based poses. This approach will have little impact on energy depletion of the immune system and will provide increased circulation aiding the immune system in transporting healing antibodies.
If you are full-out sick, many restorative poses should be avoided, especially postures placing the head below the level of the heart and lungs. Sometimes with colds, we encounter infections of the sinus and inner ear. When we place the head below the level of the heart, extra blood pressure moves into the infected inner ear which could lead to serious damage. Inverting the head can also create discomfort with sudden pressure or fluid release coming from the sinus.
Overall, I just recommend that you relax from doing Yoga poses, enjoy a period of non-physicality, explore more savasana (relaxation) and meditation, and listen to the body’s needs. Let your immune system function with full access to energy resources as you temporarily modify your Yoga and exercise routines.
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Hello,
I would like to say that savasana, and also a supported form of matsyendrasana as well as other restorative (non-sweating)poses with deep relaxation can be very helpful. Also, slowly moving the body, as in lifting arms and legs slowly and some very easy twisting is helpful to the body that may be trying to throw off phlem and rid itself of waste while also fighting illness. Of course drinking more and eating less and even a liquid diet is a good idea. For those who see yoga practice as “sweating” or “working out”, or even doing asana you need to look further in your yoga studies. I am a thirty years teacher and have practiced since 1976, so I do have some first hand knowledge.
My late 2 cents - go into detox mode ie water fast, juice fast, fruits fast ( decreasing intensity as per your comfort level and illness) and NO Yoga please! (Asana to Samadhi
@Kacie
I’m glad I found this, I guess that “sweat it out” idea is a myth! Thanks.
I visited this site in search for advices on which asanas might help the body to recover from cold, but I realized that there was a completely different reason that lead me to this site - learning about the abomination called hot yoga. I am but a humble begining yoga practitioner and yet the implications of data i gathered on the topic makes my being shiver. for the “master” himself - well, the fruits of his actions will be his to eat and with all compassion I think how poisonous will they be. This is his choice.
But it pains me greatly that a lot of people might suffer, by learning that approach to yoga instead of greatly benefiting from it, like it is intended.
This is a grim example of how shallow contemporary people today percieve things. People treat hatha yoga as a sport, while there can be nothing more opposite then that. Not surprising, when You can easily find people who falsly claim to be tanrics, while they teach and advocate that ejaculation is acceptable, which is a sign of complete misunderstanding and lack of knowledge.
Asanas have a profound meaning, that a humble student can explore and understand. The effect it has on a body and agility the body gets are just a byproduct of the actual process that is taking place during the practice. Yet yoga is often percieved as some sort of gymnastics, and people look up for guidance not to elevated beings who understand its purpose, but to flexible athletes, who practice it without understanding, thus getting effects that are purely physical. And although practising asanas, pranayamas and other yogic techniques has a certain effect on the being, it can flourish only when practiced with full consciousness, since achieving complete consciousness is the Goal of yoga.
A well known (as it turns out not everywhere) saying goes - “Yoga in ego out. Ego out yoga in”. Without being devoted to practising yamas and niyamas (if You don’t know what it is I dearly reccomend studying these subjects) no REAL progress in yoga beneficial practices can be made. And how is it possible to learn that from someone, who visibly and loudly violates these “rules of conduct”? I honestly belive that studying yamas and niyamas will help You to get on a right direction, even though I understand that many peoples’ minds are already fixed and cannot be driven from the destructive ideas. And You still have my Love and Respect. I have the unbending believe, that the Voice that is in every living being in this Universe cannot be silenced forever and sooner or later will be resurfaced.
Many times in the past I had regrets that I havent started learning yoga sooner in my life, so I could be further on the Path of Conciousness, not having to deal with obstacles my reckless life created for me. Even though I understood that this is exacly how it should be, and “hot yoga issue” has also its significance and reason in the Great Movement of the Universe, still it pains me that so many good-willed people are mislead and the chance of gaining full benefits of blissfull yoga teachings is taken away from them by egocentered people that lost their way. Listen to Your heart. Expel all that is artificial and illusory. Only then the Blissful Journey can begin.
with Love and Serenity
Adam
Just wanted to add that goji juice can help enhance your immune system.
Thanks you. I was just searching online because I’ve missed yoga this last week due to circumstances, and I really wanted to go to a hot yoga class today, but I am starting to get sick. I was thinking sweating it out would be a good thing, but decided to do a little research first. I’m glad I did.
Thank you for this excellent advice. I am in the middle of a bad cold and was about to go sweat it out in a two hour hot yoga class when I read this. I remembered that two days ago, as I was first coming down with a cold, I headed to hot yoga. About an hour later I felt so bad I went home early, popped an advil and slept for 9 hours. But REST is SO DIFFICULT for those of us who exercise every day. How can we feel like we are nourishing our bodies and being nice to ourselves when we are doing nothing?
Hi Mo,
Hot Yoga is often practiced with the intention of ‘cleansing’ the body (ie the high degree of perspiration is believe to help release toxins). Viruses are protein-based structures and can not be ‘cleansed’ from the skin via perspiration. The high level of sweating in Hot Yoga can leave one temporarily dehydrated which is very draining on the body. The body to tap into energy resources to restore hydration levels and homostatic conditions. This can strip energy away from the immune system and when we are already fighting viruses, this reduces the immune system’s capacity to fight off colds and illnesses.
Enjoy REST. Enjoy restorative practices during stages where the immune system is being stressed. Avoid adding burdens to the immune system when it already has enough to deal with. Take care.
Kreg Weiss
My Yoga Online
I am currently a student @ HB Hot Yoga & recently came down with a cold, which in turn became a severe sinus infection. At the onset of the cold I thought it would be a good idea to “sweat out” the cold by going to Hot Yoga. Bad idea! I have not had this bad a sinus infection in my life. I am on heavy antibiotics, eating clean & resting! I am anxious to return to Hot Yoga! Thank you for confirming that rest is what I need, like most Yogis when I miss a session I feel like a bum! Now I can rest in peace!
Dear Kreg,
I am SICK! With a fever and everything. I thought that perhaps it would be good for my cold to do a gentle class, but I decided to see if you had anything to say on the subject.
Thankfully, you did! I will now continue to rest.
~ Ben
This was very comforting to read. Thank you for your valuable input. I strive to practive yoga at my studio atleast 3 times a week. I refrained from going when I first felt the onset of my sinus cold. Who wants to have a drippy nose in down-dog. But I wasnt thinking about the other effects on my body.
I am still in the recovery stages and building my energy back. I am taking your advice and continuing to rest. I am honoring my body. I shouldnt feel guilty for missing a practice.
Thank You