5 Yoga Poses to Get Relief From Sinusitis Symptoms

Here are 5 easy and effective yoga poses to try at home for sinusitis

About 134 million Indians suffer from chronic sinusitis.

(Photo: iStockphoto)

Sinusitis is a common condition that causes congestion and is caused due to the growth of the polyps caused by allergies, infection or irritation due to particles or chemicals in the air. Your sinuses get inflamed commonly during monsoon and winter. The symptoms include a stuffy nose, thick discharge from the nose and facial pain.

It can also cause cough, headache, fever and sore throat. The symptoms are much similar to flu. The only ways to prevent the infection is Immunization, avoiding smoke and washing hands. Pain killers and antibiotics can also help manage symptoms but yoga can be a long term plan to prevent the condition without any medicines. Certain yoga asanas can ease breathing during by opening the air passage of the nose.

1. Cobra Pose 

This stretches your abdomen, chest, and shoulders. It strengthens your spine and may soothe sciatica. It helps the muscle groups: hamstrings, gluteus maximus, deltoids, triceps, and serratus anterior. It also helps manage stress.

Follow the steps:

• Lie on your stomach and place your hands under your shoulders with your fingers facing forward

• Draw your arms to your chest, and your elbows should not go out to the side

• Press into your hands and slowly lift your head, chest, and shoulders

• Lift part way, halfway, or all the way up

• Slightly bend your elbows

• Let your head drop back to deepen the pose

• Release back down to your mat and breathe out

• Bring your arms by your side and rest your head

• Slowly move your hips from side to side to release tension

2. Camel Pose

The camel pose helps the front body stretch out, and the parts involved include the chest, abdomen, and quadriceps. It helps flush out toxins from the body and strengthen the core. Practice the pose like this:

Bend forward to your knees and place your legs hip-width apart. Keep your hips over your knees, squeeze your thighs toward each other, and inhale while you engage your belly. Then reach your tailbone toward your knees and create a space between your lower vertebrae.

Inhale again while you lift your sternum and draw your elbows back, toward each other, behind you. Let the ribcage expand. The chest should be raised, the core engaged, and the chin tucked in. Press the heels of your hands into the heels of your feet while you drape your fingers over the soles. Lift your shoulders and let the trapezius muscles between the shoulder blades rise up and cushion the cervical spine. Extend the head and neck backward.

3. Bridge Pose 

The bridge pose helps regulate blood pressure. It calms the brain and alleviates stress. It is beneficial in managing mild depression and is good for abdominal organs, lungs, menstrual pain, fatigue, headache, and anxiety as well.

• Lie on your back, place your hands at your sides, bend your knees, and your feet should be flat on the floor close to your butt.

• Press into your feet while you lift your hips and torso to create a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.

• Hold the pose for up to 30 seconds, then lower your hips to the floor.

4. Downward Facing Dog Pose

This is one of the traditional yoga poses in which you bend forward. It can be restful and rejuvenating. This pose can help relieve back pain and sciatica. It helps manage imbalances and improves strength.

The pose focuses on muscles like hamstrings, deltoids, gluteus maximus, triceps, and quadriceps. You should:

• Get on all fours.

• Your hands should be aligned under your wrists and your knees under your hips.

• Press into your hands, tuck your toes, and lift up your knees.

• Move your sitting bones slowly up toward the ceiling.

• Slightly bend your knees and lengthen your spine and tailbone.

• Your heels should be slightly off the ground.

• Press firmly into your hands and distribute the weight on both sides of the body.

• Pay attention to the position of your hips and shoulders.

• Your head should be in line with your upper arms and your chin tucked in slightly.

• Hold this pose for at least 1 minute.

5. Shoulder Stand Pose

A shoulder stand is one of the first poses that a trainer might ask you to try if you suffer from thyroid problems. It's an inversion pose and that is why it stimulates blood flow to the glands of the upper body.

It is believed that this yoga pose has a positive effect on the efficiency of the thyroid. Your chin tucked into your chest for this yoga pose is believed to benefit thyroid function.

You can try this at home by bending your elbows and placing your hands on your lower back in such a way that your fingertips point up toward the ceiling. Place your elbows on the ground, shoulder-width apart. Make sure your elbows do not splay out to the sides. When you get comfortable, slowly lift your thighs in a vertical position while keeping your knees bent.