7 Poses to Do When You Have a Cold and Can’t Breathe Through Your Nose

Text courtesy and images courtesy of Yoga Journal

Bonus: They’ll help you feel better now, and boost your immunity so you stave off more sickies

‘Tis the season for the sniffles. A cold, stuffy or runny nose, itchy throat—all of these things may have you thinking you shouldn’t practice yoga, but yoga can actually have healing benefits that’ll help you feel better faster. 

Practicing yoga when you’re not feeling well can actually help you fight your illness by boosting your immunity. The best part? I’ve created this sequence so it includes supported, restorative postures that require very little energy. Once you set yourself up with the appropriate props, you can just relax and let the pose do the work.

These postures will help open and stretch your intercostal muscles, which support the lungs, making breathing easier. The gentle inversions, Legs-Up-The-Wall Pose and Supported Shoulderstand, will help to get your blood and lymph fluids moving to naturally assist your own body in healing.