Cure Common Cold through yoga
Definition:-
Most adults suffer from common infections like cold at least two to three times a year. This is more frequent for children who have as many as six to eight colds a year, since their immunity systems remains weak at an early age. Benjamin Franklin tried to define common cold in one of his research papers.
Because of the similarity of the symptoms of this disease to those occurring due to exposure to cold weather, this has come to be known as common cold. According to Franklin , common cold passes on from one person to another through touch and it travels through the air. The virus causing these diseases has still not been discovered totally.
Comman causes:-
Though exposure to cold weather has not been proved as the actual cause of catching common cold, no matter what the name suggests, still common colds are seasonal, especially occurring during the winter months. It is still under debate as to whether short-term exposure to cold weather causes common cold more or the direct chilling. In accordance with the symptoms, the Common Cold Centre at the Cardiff University has researched and come to certain conclusions about the circumstances in which one might catch common cold. The most significant cause among them is acute cooling of the feet.
Though the entire virus’s causing common cold has not yet been diagnosed, Rhinoviruses are the cause for most common colds. Common cold or acute viral nasopharyngitis, or acute coryza is an extremely contagious disease. This is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, the primary cause of which is rhinovirus, picornaviruses or corona viruses.
Among the adults, upper respiratory tract infections are the most common. Children are more prone to infections of common cold.
Symptoms:-
The common symptoms of common cold are as follows:
Sore throat
Running nose
Congestion in the nasal passage
Cough
Sneezing
Sometimes reddening of the eye
Muscle pains
Fatigue
Weakness
Loss of appetite
Headache
Fever
Yogic cure:-
[1]Shatkarma {Purificatory techniques}
{a} Jal-neti {Nose wash by water}
{b} Kunjal {Volitional stomach wash}
[2]Yogasanas {Posture}
{a} Uttanpadasana { Foot stretch}
{b} Mayurasana { Peacock }
{c} Shirsaasnas {Head stand }
{d} Servangasana {Shoulder stand }
{e} Halasana {Plough}
{f} Sinhasana {Lion}
{g} Kurmasana {Tortoise}
{h} Matsyasana {Fish}
{i} Shalabhasana {Locust}
{j} Vajrasana {Adamantine}
{k} Shavasana { Corpse}
[3]Pranayama {Body-mind energising breathing practices}
{a} Anulome- vilome {Alternate nostrial pranayama}
{b} Bhastrika { Bellows pranayama}
{c} Kapal bhati {Lungs and brain wash by breathing}
[4]Bandhas:- {Bands}
{a} Uddiyana bandha {Abdominal lock}
[5] Mudras: {Finger –posture}
{a} Linga mudra
{b} Pran mudra
{c} Agni mudra
[6]Dhayan {Meditation}
{7}Yogic diet:-
Abstain Solid Foods, Drink Fruit and Vegetable Juices
During the acute stage of the cold, when fever is present, the patient should abstain from all solid foods and only drink fruit and vegetable juices, diluted with water.
Well-Balanced Diet of Seeds, Nuts
After the acute symptoms are over, the patient can gradually embark upon a well-balanced diet, consisting of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Avoid Meat, Fish, Eggs and Starchy Foods
It is advisable to avoid meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and starchy foods.
Scientific Explanation:-
Our yogic techniques try to cure the problem of cough & cold,by cleaning your lungs. Yoga not only cleans your lungs but also gives you the will power to give up smoking through meditation. The breathing exercises oxygenate your lungs, and increase their flexibility. By strengthening your immune system, they also reduce your dependency on medication. The posture prescribed brain mucus from your lungs, and relax your lung muscles. These processes will also teach you to breath correctly.
Yoga will not only help in preventing cold but in improving a person’s health and strengthening his immune system thus lessening his susceptibility to cold. Mild exercise in the form of the asanas can also contribute to make the body fitter. If ling mudra is practiced daily, for some time,along with proper practice of kapalbhati pranayama etc. then various incurable diseases of the chest can also be healed.
Home Remedies For Cold:-
A common cold occurs more often than any other disease. Some of the home remedies for common cold :-
- Boil about 5-10 gms small slices of freshly cut ginger in a glass of water for 5 minutes. Add a teaspoonful of sugar to enhance the taste. Strain the decoction through a tea strainer. Drinking this tea 4-6 times a day would ensure instant relief from common cold.
- Take equal amounts of cardamom, ginger powder, black pepper and cinnamon (1 teaspoon each). Make a fine powder.
- The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or tulsi leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for colds.
- 3-4 tsp onion juice with 3-4 tsp honey taken daily prevents cold.
- Lemon is an important remedy for the obvious symptoms of a common cold. Dilute juice of one lemon in a glass of warm water. Add a teaspoonful of honey to it. Take this lemonade twice or thrice daily. This vitamin C rich lemonade increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of illness.
- Take Vitamin C and Zinc lozenges this can help stop the cold from going through the entire process.
- A tablespoon of carom seeds (ajwain) crushed and tied in a muslin cloth. Inhale whenever nose is blocked.
- Take half a teaspoon of ginger juice with half a teaspoon of honey, three times a day. In winter, warm the mixture by mixing a teaspoon of warm water in it.
- Goldenseal is another herb that acts as a natural antibiotic, and can be taken to help your body in its battle against the cold. It helps to relieve nasal, as well as lung congestion, among other symptoms.
- To 4 ounces (120 ml) of water, add ¼ teaspoon salt, mix the solution, boil it and let it cool. You can put 2-3 drops into each nostril.
Further suggestion:-
Common Cold treatment using Lemon
Lemon is the most important among the many home remedies for common cold. It is beneficial in all types of cold with fever. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice increases body resistance, decreases toxicity and reduces the duration of the illness. One lemon should be diluted in a glass of warm water, and a teaspoon of honey should be added to it. This should be taken once or twice daily.
Common Cold treatment using Garlic
Garlic soup is an old remedy to reduce the severity of a cold, and should be taken once daily. The soup can be prepared by boiling three or four cloves of chopped garlic in a cup of water. Garlic contains antiseptic and antispasmodic properties, besides several other medicinal virtues. The oil contained in this vegetable helps to open up the respiratory passages. In soup form, it flushes out all toxins from the system and thus helps bring down fever. Five drops of garlic oil combined with a teaspoon of onion juice, and diluted in a cup of water, should be drunk two to three times a day. This has also been found to be very effective in the treatment of common cold.
Common Cold treatment using Ginger
Ginger is another excellent remedy for colds and coughs. About ten grams of ginger should be cut into small pieces and boiled in a cup of water. It should then be strained and half a teaspoon of sugar added to it. This decoction should be drunk when hot. Ginger tea, prepared by adding a few pieces of ginger into boiled water before adding the tea leaves, is also an effective remedy for colds and for fevers resulting from cold. It may be taken twice daily.
Common Cold treatment using Lady’s Fingers
Lady’s fingers are highly valuable in treating irritation of the throat and a persistent dry cough. This vegetable is rich in mucilage and acts as a drug to allay irritation, swelling, and pain. About 100 gm of lady’s fingers should be cut into pieces, and boiled down in half a litre of water to make a decoction. The steam issuing from this decoction may also be inhaled once or twice a day to relieve throat irritation and a dry cough.
Common Cold treatment using Bitter Gourd Roots
The roots of the bitter gourd plant are used in folk medicine to cure a cold. A teaspoon of the root paste, mixed with an equal quantity of honey or holy basil leaf juice, given once every night for a month, acts as an excellent medicine for colds.
Common Cold treatment using Turmeric
Turmeric is an effective remedy for colds and throat irritations. Half a teaspoon of fresh turmeric powder mixed in 30 ml of warm milk, and taken once or twice daily, is a useful prescription for these conditions. Turmeric powder should be put into a hot ladle. Milk should then be poured in it and boiled over a slow fire. This mixture should then be drunk by the patient. In case of a running cold, smoke from the burning turmeric should be inhaled. It will increase the discharge from the nose and provide quick relief.
Common Cold treatment using Tamarind and Pepper
Tamarind-pepper rasam is also considered an effective home remedy for a cold in South India. Dilute 50 mg tamarind in 250 ml of water. Boil the diluted tamarind water for a few minutes with a teaspoon of hot clarified butter and half a teaspoon of black pepper powder. This steaming hot rasam has a flushing effect, and should be taken three times a day. As one takes it, the nose and eyes water and the nasal blockage is cleared.
Common Cold treatment using Vitamin C
Regular intake of vitamin C-75 mg for adults and 35 mg for children-will prevent the common cold. If, however, a cold has already appeared, large doses of this vitamin will relieve the symptoms and shorten its duration. He estimates that one to two grams (1000 mg to 2000 mg) per day is approximately the optimum amount of this vitamin for this purpose. His advice is to swallow one or two 500mg tablets of vitamin C at the appearance of the first sign of the cold and continue the treatment by taking one to two 500 mg tablets daily.
Home Remedies for Stuffy Nose
Inhale turmeric fumes, for this tie some turmeric in a clean cloth and light it. Boil some water and allow it to cool, now add ¼ teaspoon table salt to it. Put 2 to 3 drops of this solution in your both the nostrils before meals and going to bed. Mix natural apple cider vinegar and water in equal parts. Boil this solution in a pan, when the fumes rises lean over the pan and inhale the fumes. Prepare a solution using 4 drops of Lavender Essential Oil and Pine Essential Oil, 3 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil and 7 drops of Eucalyptus Essential Oil. Inhale vapors of this solution by putting it on a cotton ball or an aromatherapy diffuser.
The common cold is an upper respiratory infection caused by virus. Colds are considered to be the immune system’s response to viral attack. Although anyone and everyone can get a cold,there are a few things which can help one prevent it like some pranayama , having proper quantity of vitamin C in diet as well as fruits and vegetables and most essentially washing your hands frequently,especially after coming into contact with someone who has cold. The immune system plays an important role in the prevention cold.
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Yogi Yoganand