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My restorative yoga practice when I have a cold

by Lorraine C. Ladish March 10, 2020
written by Lorraine C. Ladish March 10, 2020
My restorative practice when I have a cold

I’m usually pretty resilient when it comes to sidestepping colds. As soon as one of the teens or my husband catches a cold, I start taking Kick-Ass Immune, an organic, herbal immune booster by WishGarden herbs. I’ve managed to prevent myself from catching a cold numerous times,  just by taking this supplement. However, last week, every single person in the house had a cold, and were coughing and sneezing all over the place, so despite my best efforts, my body succumbed too.

Once I realize I’m in full-blown cold mode, I give in and take myself to bed. As much as I dislike interrupting my work flow (I do love my work as a writer and communicator), and resist giving up my regular asana practice, I know that nothing cures a cold faster than complete and utter rest.

I spent all of last Friday and part of Saturday in bed, sleeping and reading. Mostly sleeping. I also did some yoga nidra. This was so effective that by Sunday evening I was already feeling up to visiting the beach for a bit. I can’t praise enough the benefits of pressing pause in a world that wants us to be on the go at all times. I used to feel guilty when I got sick, but studying yoga philosophy and focusing on the now has helped ease that!

Now, even when I’m down with a cold, I’ve found that practicing a little restorative yoga helps me feel better physically, mentally and emotionally while still taking care of myself. I keep a bolster, blanket and yoga blocks at the foot of the bed, and whenever I feel I’ve had it with lying in bed but I’m still not up to walking around, I indulge in a few restorative poses.

I diffuse eucalyptus and tea tree oil in the room, play some calming music, and then hold each of the following poses for around five minutes. I confess I don’t really time myself, but at the end of it all, around twenty minutes have gone by, maybe even thirty. And at least I’ve focused on my breathing and allowed myself to fully relax with the intention to heal. 

Chest opener
It could be any chest opener, but I like this supported fish pose, where the bolster is under my thorax. It feels great when I’m congested. You could also use blocks, or just one block on the lowest setting. If you have none of this, use a pillow.

My restorative yoga practice for when I have a cold
Restorative fish pose

Supported twist, once on each side
I can tell you I’m usually not smiling when I’m sick, but thankfully I take the photos when I’m well and healthy and feeling great. 😀

To get into this twist, get your legs parallel to the bolster or pillow, then twist so that chest is facing the bolster and your hands are to the sides of it. Then gently hinge forward and relax into it. You can also use several bolsters or pillows or prop up the bolster with blocks. As long as it’s comfortable for you, it will be fine.

My restorative yoga practice when I have a cold
Supported twist

Child’s pose
I love child’s pose because of how grounding and nurturing it feels. I’m not using a prop here, but I could, and usually do when I’m not feeling well. I would have it right under my torso and belly, like in the featured photo of this post. It feels absolutely wonderful. I have even fallen asleep in child’s pose!

My restorative yoga practice when I have a cold
Child’s pose

I hope this helps you relax and restore when you have a cold, by triggering the rest and digest response offered by restorative yoga!

I find that a gentle restorative yoga practice helps me feel better physically, mentally and emotionally while still taking care of myself. #yoga #restorativeyoga

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Lorraine C. Ladish

I’m a 21st. Century Communicator, helping empower women and others to achieve their goals. I am the founder and CEO of Viva Fifty! a bilingual community that celebrates being 50+. I’ve worked as an editor and social media coordinator for a number of online publications. I’m a content creator and regular contributor to NBCNews, Huffpost, AARP, Babycenter and Mom.me. I’ve contributed to People en Español, La Palma of The Palm Beach Post, Purple Clover, Latina magazine and Redbook . My latest book on embracing age was published by HarperCollins in 2017. But most of all I am a woman, a mom, a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend, a writer, an entrepreneur, a yogini.

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About The Flawed Yogini

About The Flawed Yogini

Yoga & Wellness

I'm Lorraine C. Ladish, bilingual writer, mom, wife & yogi. I started my yoga & wellness journey at 12, with a book by Richard Hittleman. I have a huge flaw, an addictive and compulsive personality. In the long run, this turned out to be my biggest asset. I learned to channel it into leading a creative and productive life. At 58, I'm committed to sharing my journey to inspire others to channel their flaws into positive things and achieve greatness.

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