Sneeze free
One thing we don’t need right now is an allergy but a lot of us do suffer seasonal sneezes. So what can we do about this? Did you know that seasonal allergies are over vigilant immune systems? That once again our stress levels can exacerbate these symptoms? Did you know that excessive bad posture affects muscles that affect them being used properly?
- Sitting shortens the psoas muscle one of our fight and flight muscles
- Both driving and stress from hunched shoulders
- Concentrating for an entire day in the unnatural position
- Stresses in life make us hold our breath and that make us tense up
- Our neck posture from our mobile devices
- Slouched when tired too many days of the week without a rest
Poses that help and work well with good pranayama of 6 – 8 breathes are:
- Utthita Trikonasana or Extended triangle pose
Stand facing the long edge of your mat and widen the legs to come under straightened arms to about the wide of your writs. Keep your torso long as you bring your hand down the the ankle or block on the front leg for this twisting extended pose. A variation of this pose to open the chest would be to place the palm of your top hand on the sacrum facing away from the body, so it opens the chest more. - Parsvottanasana or Intense side stretch pose
A straight legged forward fold from Warrior one placing your hands onto blocks or the floor to be comfortable. - Virabhadrasana 1 or Warrior 1 pose
Facing the top of your mat step back with your right leg and turn your back heel into the centre line of body. Bend the front knee over the top of the ankle. Lift the arms to open the chest. - Prasarita Padottanasana or Wide leffed standing forward bend
Stand facing the long edge of your mat and widen the legs to come under straightened arms to about the wide of your writs. As a soft bend in a knee when needed and placing your hands onto blocks or the floor to be comfortable. This pose would work well between left and right sides of the last three poses. - Setu Bandhasana Sarvangasana or Bridge pose
From a position lying on your back bend knees from feet that are hip distance apart. Inhale as you lift your spine and interlace hands behind back or take the sides of a mat to move the chest.
