Home With a Cold

Many yogis who have a steady and regular practice talk about how rarely they get sick. I just never seem to get there. Maybe it also has to do with what constitution you are? I am mainly vata, and vatas have the poorest immune systems of the three doshas. I've also noticed that when I get sick, I almost always have my period. I remember reading somewhere that the immune system gets weaker during the menstruation. I can meet a person with a cold, a week passes and I think yeah! I didn't catcht it! Then comes my period and bang! I'm sick. Anyone recognize this, or is it only me?

I've been going through my notes from the Ayurveda course I took in Mysore. If you start treating the first symptoms right away, if your lucky(and don't get your period...), you might be able to stop it. Here are some tips Dr. Kumar gave us:

For a sore throat
Gargle with salt water.
For itching throat (kapha symtom): chew on 1 clove, 1 peice of black pepper and 1 peice of salt.
For pain (vata) or burning (pitta) in the throat: chew on a peice of liquorice.
Drink ginger tea 3 times per day. Take a thumb sized peice of fresh ginger, crush it and boil in 2 glasses of water. Boil until it has reduced to half. Add 2 pinches of turmeric powder and add jaggery or honey to taste(when it has cooled down). 1/3 in the morning, 1/3 in the afternoon and 1/3 in the evening. Max one glass of ginger a day.

I really miss my yoga practice during these times, but I will do this soft, immune enhancing program that my teacher has designed. It's done with a bolster, which you can make out of rolled up blankets and yogamats.

Immune Enhacing Program

• Baddha Konasana 10 minutes leaning back on a bolster(placed at the sacrum).
• Balasana (childs pose) 10 minutes leaning forward on the bolster.
• Supta Virasana 5 minutes leaning back on the bolster.
• Balasana 5 minutes without a bolster.
• Paschimottanasana with a bolster, 25 breaths.
• Upavishta Konasana with a bolster, 25 breaths.
• Viparita Karani (legs upp the wall pose) for 25 breaths.
• Baddha Padmasana & Yoga Mudra 25 breaths.
• Finish with Padmasana and Savasana.
• Everything done with Ujayi breathing if possible, exept if you have a sore throat or fever.
  

Well, being home with a cold gives time to write and study! So instead of being bored, I'm trying to see it as an opportunity to do things I otherwise don't have time for. Attitude is everything, right?