Yoga for Allergies: Yoga Poses for Allergy Symptom Relief

Yoga has several health benefits you may not know. These benefits include increased flexibility, balance, energy, reduced stress levels and even allergy relief. 

The yoga poses in this video are great for opening and relaxing your airways so you can enjoy better breathing when suffering from allergy symptoms. 

How to Use Yoga for Allergies

No matter which yoga pose you are attempting, focus on your breathing. Be mindful of your breath coming in and filling up your lungs, and notice it leave your lungs as you exhale.

Focusing on the breath can help to reduce stress and lower the amount of histamine in your body. Histamines cause allergy symptoms, such as itching and sneezing, and are also released as part of the stress response.

While reducing stress won’t get rid of all the histamines your body releases during an allergic reaction, it can help to reduce it.

There are several breathing techniques that can help to reduce stress, and therefore histamines. Keep in mind that nasal congestion can make some of these techniques uncomfortable, and maybe even stressful.

If you’re experiencing nasal congestion, you might opt-out of specific breathing techniques and just focus on trying to make your inhales and exhales as full as possible, even if that means breathing through your mouth.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Our first yoga pose will be alternate nostril breathing. To do this pose, first, make a fist. Then release your thumb, keep your forefinger and middle finger tucked and release your ring and pinky fingers.

Exhale and bring your thumb to the outside of your right nostril, lightly pressing it closed. Inhale through your left nostril and pause as you shift your fingers to release your thumb, opening your right nostril, and lightly press your ring and pinky fingers against the outside of your left nostril to close it.

Exhale completely through your right nostril. Inhale through the right, then pause and shift your fingers. Thumb comes in to close the right nostril. Ring and pinky fingers release to open the left nostril and exhale.

Inhale through the left and continue this pattern at your own pace.  Inhale, shift fingers, exhale. Inhale, shift fingers, exhale. If at any time this becomes uncomfortable or stressful, simply discontinue the breathing technique and return to normal breathing.

Camel Pose (with Modifications)

Sometimes when we don’t feel well, such as when allergies are acting up, we tend to round in through the upper back.  This can cause extra tension and tightness in chest muscles that are already tired from working hard to help you breathe.  

A yoga pose that can help with this is camel pose.  It helps stretch those chest muscles, relieving tightness and soreness. It also opens up your rib cage, creating more space in your body for nice, full breaths.

You can do this pose in different ways, so choose the variation that is best for you.

First, try supported camel pose.

Begin kneeling with your legs about hip-width apart.  Roll your shoulders down and back and lift the crown of your head towards the ceiling.

Place your hands on your sacral area with fingers pointed down, and inhale as you begin to lift up through your chest as your gaze comes towards the ceiling.  

Imagine bending from the upper back, right below the shoulder blades while working to keep the lower back neutral.  Hold here for a few breaths.  Then exhale as you return to an upright position.

If that feels good, you might try half camel.

Begin in the same kneeling position as supported camel.  This time, inhale as you reach your right hand to take hold of your right heel or ankle, perhaps tucking the toes to close the gap a bit more.  Lift your left hand towards the ceiling and find the bend in the upper back, right below your shoulder blades.  

Hold for a few breaths, and then exhale as you return to the upright position.  Repeat on the other side.

Another option is the full camel pose. It’s very similar to half camel, except you’ll reach back with both hands to take hold of your heels or ankles.  Remember that alignment is key, so be sure to keep your hips over your knees.  If you’re unable to maintain proper alignment, choose half camel or supported camel instead.

Opening the Chest with Three Poses

To open up your chest and relax the muscles through the side body we’ll try a few other poses.

First, let’s try an outside angle pose. You’ll want to come to the front of your mat and step your left leg back, taking a wide step. Be sure to step straight back, as if you’re standing on railroad tracks as opposed to a balance beam. Spin your foot so that your toes are pointing out to the side of the mat, and take a bend in your right knee.

Inhale as you bend into your side angle pose. Your right forearm will come to rest on your right thigh, your left arm comes up over your head.

On your next inhale, you’ll transition to reverse warrior. Your right home comes overhead, and your left hand will rest on your left thigh. Hold here for a few deep breaths. When you’re ready, inhale back up to standing, coming through to triangle pose.

For this pose, you’ll straighten your right knee, inhale, reach your right hand out and exhale as your lower down into a triangle pose. When you’re ready you’ll inhale and come back into standing. Do this on each size.

Inversions for Allergy Relief

Inversions, where your legs are over your head, can help drain your sinuses and get fresh, oxygenated blood into your sinus cavities. These poses can be a bit more advanced and have some contraindications, so choose the pose that’s safe for you.

To avoid adding pressure to your sinuses, only hold these poses for five to ten seconds at a time.

Legs up the wall pose is accessible to most people. In this pose, you lie on the floor with your legs up a wall.

To enter the pose, you’ll sit next to the wall, with your hip as close to the wall as you can. You’ll then spin your legs to come up the wall as you lower the upper half of your body to the ground. Try to get your legs as flat against the wall as you can for the most benefits. Take deep breaths here, and drop your legs to the side when you’re done to get out of the pose.

Another more advanced option is shoulder stand. This pose can put pressure on the neck so it’s best to avoid this is you have neck issues.

First, lie on your back and then bring your knees into your chest. You’ll inhale as you lift your hips, bringing your hands underneath to support your back. Adjust your hands so that they are against your sacral area and bring your elbows in closer together.

The goal is to get your hips directly over your shoulders, with your ankles directly over your hips. You can modify this position if it is more comfortable by adding more of a bend in your hips, positioning your feet a little more over your head.

From here, you can move on to plow pose, but be wary that this pose does put more pressure on your neck. You’ll lower your legs down overhead, keeping them pressed tightly together. Try to keep your legs as straight as possible, but some bend in the knee is acceptable.

Take several breaths here, and when you’re ready you will remove your hands from your back, tighten your core, and slowly lower your hips and legs to the floor.

Allergy Sufferer Modifications for Savasana

My last suggestion for you on using yoga to relieve allergy symptoms is to modify the final resting pose, or savasana, as needed.   

During savasana, you lie flat on your back with your arms out to your sides and palms up. For someone suffering from allergies, this pose can be uncomfortable and increase congestion.

You can modify savasana for allergies by placing a yoga block and bolster or a rolled-up towel beneath your head. Elevating your head helps congestion drain out of your nose and sinuses, making it easier to relax and breathe.