3 breathing exercises that reduce your chances of catching a cold this winter

Home LivingWellness3 breathing exercises that reduce your chances of catching a cold this winterUse these breathing practices to build heat in your body during the winter months and boost your immune systemWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

Use these breathing practices to build heat in your body during the winter months and boost your immune system

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Pexels)

Breathing exercises

(Image credit: Pexels)

Breathwork is a major part of any yoga practice as there are lots of different styles of pranayama that help with various things. Pranayama can be translated as controlling the life force, the prana, within the body. Prana is often related to the breath but it’s not – it’s the energy within the body, the energy that gives us life, and this energy is linked to the breath. So, to control the life force, we need to learn to control the breath.

So, grab yourbest yoga matand let’s get started.

1. Alternate nostril breathing

To practice alternate nostril breathing, sit with your spine straight. Sitting on a chair or on your heels is perfectly fine, too. Bring the index and middle finger of your right hand into your palm. Exhale through both nostrils. Using your right thumb, close your right nostril and breathe in through your left. Using your right ring finger, close your left nostril while keeping your right nostril closed with your right thumb. Hold the breath briefly before releasing your right thumb and exhaling through the right nostril.

Image1of3(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)

Image1of3

(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)

(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)

breathing exercises: alternate nostril breathing

(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)

breathing exercises: alternate nostril breathing

(Image credit: Jason Parnell-Brookes / Kat Bayly)

breathing exercises: alternate nostril breathing

Inhale through the right nostril, keeping the left nostril closed with the right ring finger. Close both nostrils using the right thumb and ring finger, holding the breath briefly before releasing your right ring finger and exhaling through the left nostril. This is one round.

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Repeat up to six times a day to keep your nose and sinuses clear this winter. You may opt to practice more rounds if you have a cold as the first few will feel difficult while the nose is blocked but in time, this clears allowing a release of your sinuses.

2. Kapalabhati

Kapalabhati is a very different breathing exercise to alternate nostril breathing. While alternate nostril breathing helps keep the sinuses clear and is deemed a calming pranayama practice, Kapalabhati produces heat in the body and is known as a Kriya exercise in yoga – making it a cleansing practice. Following yogic philosophy, producing heat in the body helps to ignite the agni, the inner fire, and this inner fire helps to aid our immune and digestive systems. Practicing Kapalabhati, and stimulating your inner fire, can help keep colds at bay.

A word of warning: this breathing exercise involves the pumping in and out of the abdomen. Therefore, anyone who experiences anxiety or panic attacks may not wish to do this breathing practice.

(Image credit: Pexels)

Breathing exercises

(Image credit: Pexels)

To practice Kapalabhati, sit comfortably with a straight spine. Place your hands in a comfortable position. The traditional hand gesture, or mudra, is to bring the tips of the index fingers and thumbs together with the back of the hands resting on the knees, palms facing up. Take a few deep breaths before beginning this pranayama.

3. Surya Bhedana pranayama

To practice Surya Bhedana pranayama, use the same hand gesture with your right hand as alternate nostril breathing bringing the first two fingers into the palm. Close your left nostril with the ring finger of your right hand and inhale through the right nostril. Close your right nostril with your right thumb and exhale through the left side. Repeat this for a few minutes. You can add in a retention of breath after every inhale if you wish to further energize the warming qualities within the body.

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1. Alternate nostril breathing#

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2. Kapalabhati#

3. Surya Bhedana pranayama#

1. Alternate nostril breathing

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2. Kapalabhati

3. Surya Bhedana pranayama