Yoga is often praised for its flexibility and mindfulness benefits—but its impact extends much deeper, reaching into your immune, endocrine, and nervous systems. Modern research supports what ancient yogis understood intuitively: breath-centred movement, when practiced regularly, can help fortify the body’s internal defences, promote detoxification, and reduce inflammation. (B. Sharma, 2022)

When you're feeling rundown or simply want to maintain immune balance, yoga offers a simple, equipment-free way to support your body’s natural healing and regulation processes.
Below are five beginner-friendly yoga poses and techniques that require little time or space—but offer big benefits. All you need is a quiet spot, your breath, and 10–20 minutes.

1. Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)

This gentle inversion allows gravity to assist with lymphatic drainage, venous return, and nervous system downregulation. By elevating your legs above your heart, you reduce fluid stagnation in the lower limbs and shift into a state of rest-and-digest.

📌 How to: Lie flat on your back and place your legs vertically against a wall. Scoot your hips closer to the wall for comfort. Let your arms rest by your sides with palms up. Close your eyes, soften your jaw, and breathe deeply.

🕒 Recommended time: Hold for 5–10 minutes, longer if comfortable.

Why it helps: Research suggests passive inversions can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, modulate cortisol, and positively influence immune markers (Streeter et al., 2012). Regular practice may also improve sleep quality and blood pressure regulation (Field, 2011).

2. Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana–Bitilasana)

This dynamic movement helps awaken the spine, stimulate spinal fluid flow, and enhance breath awareness. Gentle spinal flexion and extension synchronised with breathing can also stimulate lymph movement—especially around the thoracic duct, a major drainage pathway for immune cells.

📌 How to: Begin on all fours with your hands under shoulders and knees under hips. Inhale as you lift your chest and tailbone (cow), then exhale as you round your back and tuck your chin (cat).

🕒 Recommended time: Repeat for 1–2 minutes with steady, mindful breathing.

Why it helps: This rhythmic motion not only improves mobility and posture, but also supports circulation and helps regulate the autonomic nervous system, making it an ideal way to start or end your day.

3. Child’s Pose (Balasana)

A grounding, restorative posture that promotes introspection, spinal decompression, and diaphragmatic breathing. It soothes the sympathetic nervous system and encourages relaxation through physical stillness and gentle pressure on the abdomen.

📌 How to: Kneel on the floor, bring your big toes to touch, and sit back on your heels. Stretch your arms forward, resting your forehead on the mat. Breathe slowly and fully into your lower belly and ribs.

🕒 Recommended time: Hold for 3–5 minutes or longer as needed.

Why it helps: Studies have linked slow, deep breathing to improved vagal tone, decreased stress hormones, and improved immune regulation (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005). Balasana facilitates this type of breath naturally.

4. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

This gentle twist supports spinal mobility, organ function, and lymphatic flow in the abdomen. The wringing motion may assist in stimulating digestion and aiding detoxification by gently compressing and releasing internal organs. (C.Watts, 2018)

📌 How to: Lie on your back, hug your knees into your chest, and slowly lower both legs to one side. Extend your arms out like a T and turn your head in the opposite direction.

🕒 Recommended time: Hold for 1–2 minutes per side, allowing each exhale to deepen the twist.

Why it helps: Twisting poses are believed to support peristalsis and circulation in the digestive tract—critical for nutrient absorption and immune function. Relaxing the spinal muscles also helps release accumulated tension.

5. Seated Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana Pranayama)

This yogic breath practice balances left and right brain activity and promotes calm, focused awareness. Alternate nostril breathing is known to influence vagal tone—a key component in regulating inflammation and stress resilience.

📌 How to: Sit comfortably with your spine tall. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril and inhale through the left. Then close the left nostril with your ring finger and exhale through the right. Continue alternating in a slow, even rhythm.

🕒 Recommended time: Practice for 3–5 minutes or until you feel more centred.

Why it helps: Nadi Shodhana has been shown to reduce perceived stress, lower blood pressure, and support autonomic nervous system balance (Saoji et al., 2019). It's a practical tool for managing mental fatigue and emotional reactivity.

Why Yoga Supports Immune Health

While yoga isn’t a treatment for illness, its holistic effects on stress regulation, lymphatic flow, and inflammation make it a valuable complementary wellness practice.
Here’s how yoga may contribute to immune function:
•    Reduces stress hormones that can suppress immune response (Streeter et al., 2012)
•    Enhances vagus nerve activity, which modulates inflammation (Brown & Gerbarg, 2005)
•    Promotes lymphatic drainage, essential for immune cell transport
•    Supports gut-brain communication, which is key to immune homeostasis (Pascoe et al., 2017)

Movement as Medicine

You don’t need 60 minutes or a heated studio to benefit from yoga. These five poses and breathing practices can be integrated into your morning, evening, or any moment when you need grounding and renewal.
Set aside 10–20 minutes daily—especially during winter, after travel, or during stressful periods—to support your body’s natural defences. Over time, you may notice improvements not only in physical resilience but also in emotional balance and clarity.
And remember: consistency, not intensity, is key.

References
•    Streeter, C. C., Gerbarg, P. L., Saper, R. B., Ciraulo, D. A., & Brown, R. P. (2012). Effects of yoga on the autonomic nervous system, gamma-aminobutyric-acid, and allostasis in epilepsy, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Medical Hypotheses, 78(5), 571–579. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2012.01.021
•  Sharma, Biswajit , YOGA PRACTICES FOR BETTER IMMUNITY AND HEALTH-A SHORT REVIEW, International Research Journal of Humanities and Interdisciplinary Studies (www.irjhis.com), ISSN : 2582-8568, Volume: 3, Issue: 10, Year: October 2022, Page No : 112-122,
•    Brown, R. P., & Gerbarg, P. L. (2005). Yogic breathing in the treatment of stress, anxiety, and depression. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 11(4), 711–717. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2005.11.711
•    Watts, Charlotte. Yoga therapy for digestive health. Singing Dragon, 2018.
•    Saoji, A. A., Raghavendra, B. R., & Manjunath, N. K. (2019). Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 10(1), 50–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2017.07.008
•    Field, T. (2011). Yoga clinical research review. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 17(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2010.09.007
•    Pascoe, M. C., Thompson, D. R., Castle, D. J., & Parker, A. G. (2017). Yoga, mindfulness-based stress reduction and stress-related physiological measures: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 86, 152–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.08.008