Yoga during illness

[duriyah]

One of my yoga goals this year was not only to find a practice that would help me recover from illness, but to continue my practice during an illness. I must admit that I had limited success this time around. I did do yoga for about 15 minutes last Monday. I did half a dozen poses supposed to be helpful for respiratory problems. But then I foolishly ended with legs up the wall pose, which, while it supposedly "cures whatever ails you", was I dumb choice for someone who has head and chest congestion. I got out of the pose as soon as I realized it was making me more congested, but after that I really didn’t feel much like doing any yoga while I was sick. I gotta laugh--I know better!

This week has been better. I did the same sequence for respiratory problems (minus "legs up the wall" pose) Monday after work. Yesterday I did an easy practice focused on the hips and legs for about 25 minutes. Overall I’d have to give myself a B. I did yoga when I was getting better but still feeling bad. I could do better at making myself do something when I’m feeling too bad to pull myself off the couch.

My favorite yoga blog actually posted some suggestions last week, which I didn’t get around to trying. Maybe next time.

Here they are, for future reference:

• While lying on back, take a few deep sighing breaths. Then touch the thumb tips to each finger tip. Repeat a few times. Now touch the thumb tip to the second joint of each finger. Repeat a few times.
• Flex and extend the feet to breath (flex in inhale, extend on exhale).
  Bend knees and raise the feet off the ground. Lie for a few breaths with your hands on your knees. On the exhale, bring the knees to the chest (keep your hands on your knees, but don't use your hands to pull your knees to your chest -- use your core) and on inhale let your knees go back to the original raised position.
• Bring your legs down so you're once again lying flat on your back. On inhale one arm up and on exhale bring it back down to your side. On inhale raise one leg a few inches off the bed and bring it down on the exhale. Now do the same with the other arm and leg. Repeat alternating arms and legs.
• Bridge -- raise alternate arms (3x on each arm) when coming up into the pose and then raise both arms when coming into the pose.
• Savasana

I'm not so sure about bridge pose. I sure didn't feel like I had enough energy to do that. But the rest sound doable.