Breath For Life: Seasonal Allergies

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Misty L. Trepke

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" BREATH FOR LIFE " : Seasonal Allergies

By Harriet Russell (Bhumi)

 

Runny nose? Sneezing? Congestion? Headaches? Welcoming spring can be

pleasant for some and not for others. I will address seasonal

allergies and asthma from a holistic health perspective. I hope you

and your students find some relief!

 

Hereditary factors, environmental conditions, and lifestyle habits

all affect our ability to be a healthier person. Heredity and

environmental conditions are hard to modify. However, lifestyle

habits are within our personal control. How we eat, exercise, and

deal with stress can be changed. The situations we put ourselves in

and our attitudes about life circumstances can also be altered.

 

Why do some people get seasonal allergies and sinus conditions and

others not? Pollen may not be the only underlying culprit. It may

trigger the symptoms, but the propensity towards the condition comes

first. Therefore, strengthening the immune system by making some

lifestyle changes can definitely help.

 

The immune system is responsible for our ability to fight off

infection and disease and keeps the body in good repair. To work at

its best, all other organs, especially the eliminative organs such

as the lungs, intestines, and kidneys need to be functioning well.

They remove wastes and toxins built up by stress and improper diet

or overeating. If the body cannot remove toxins, or we are in

constant stress, then the immune system suffers strongly.

 

Yoga poses are a powerful way to reduce stress, strengthen the immune

system, and create hormonal balance. There are yoga postures, such

as the fish, camel, bridge, wheel, cobra, and bow that expand the

chest, increase breathing capacity, and detoxify and purify the body

with fresh oxygen. Strong lungs strengthen immune system

functioning. The shoulderstand is wonderful for prevention and

relief. There are other postures which strengthen the immune system,

such as twists. To strengthen the immune system is to build a

foundation for prevention of future discomfort.

 

Breath awareness to prevent shallow breathing helps. Breath

awareness is a main feature of a meditation practice. Since stress

also creates toxins, tension, and shallow breathing, the stress

management techniques of yoga and meditation are quite effective.

There are several specialized pranayama breathing techniques which

can bring relief. Kapalabhati and alternate kapalabhati, skull-

shining breaths, and bhastrika, the bellows breath, purify toxins

from the lungs. Anuloma viloma and nadi shodhana, alternate nostril

breathing techniques, increase breathing capacity.

 

And of course -- stay away from cigarette smoke and other pollutants

that aggravate the condition.

 

Seasonal allergies (such as hay fever) and asthma can be worsened by

certain types of foods such as:

 

Dairy products Sugar (including fructose, sucrose, dextrose, corn

syrup)

Caffeine

Alcohol

Oil

Highly processed foods

Dairy products (such as milk and cheese) are mucous forming. The

sticky fat molecules are 2 – 3 times the size of vegetable oil fat

and adhere to the lung wall. So if you have a cold, allergies, hay

fever, asthma, or other sinus conditions, it is best to eliminate

dairy products from your diet, at least until the condition

improves.

 

Ginger tea is good to cut through mucous and has lots of vitamin C.

It is easy to make: grate fresh ginger, add to water, simmer 10

mins., strain, enjoy.

 

Sugar and caffeine deplete the body of nutrients and weaken the

immune system. Highly processed foods do not give us the nutrients

we need.

 

There are three foods especially good for lung function:

 

Rice (not instant rice, please!)

Hard dark leafy greens (kale, collards, radish tops, parsley, mustard

greens)

Lotus root (found in any Asian food store)

There are ways to remove the allergens from the nasal passages. You

may intake water with sea salt into each nostril and then flush it

out with a " snorting " action. A ceramic pot with a spout called

a " neti pot " is commonly used for nasal cleansing.

 

In conclusion, consider what you eat, how you breathe, the ways you

deal with stress. The ways you take care of your body and mind are

directly responsible for your overall health.