Keeping the Yoga Community Healthy

The yoga studios are a cozy refuge from this season’s the tornado warnings, rain and cold… but they are only a refuge from seasonal colds and the flu if we work together as a community to keep the spaces healthy. Yoga District takes every precaution to minimize transmission of germs to keep students, teachers and volunteers happy and healthy. Every day we are wiping down door knobs, pens, and mats with a vinegar and tea tree oil solution that acts as a non-toxic, natural disinfectant (to learn how to make the same solution at home, check out our blog post about our eco-cleaning practices).

We also ask that anyone feeling under the weather practice at home rather than risk infecting fellow yogis. To jumpstart your home practice when you’re not feeling well enough for a visit to the studio, we’ve put together a couple of immune-boosting practices you can try on your own… including a full length yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation recording by Jasmine.

But first, try bridge pose (pictured above). This pose is said to massage the thyroid glands, kidney and adrenals as well as help with lymphatic circulation. It can also open the chest to promote fuller breathing. The slight inversion this pose offers also can help promote circulation to the sinuses to improve circulation and clearing. For bridge, follow these steps and be sure to adjust the pose to ensure it is safe for you:

1. Lie down on your back
2. Press your arms into the floor alongside you with your palms facing down.
3. Bend your knees to firmly plant your feet hip-width apart on the floor near, but not touching, your fingertips.
4. Press into your feet and arms as you gently lift your hips into the air, ensuring your heels are either directly beneath your knees or further towards the top of your mat.
5. Roll your shoulder blades towards each other.
6. Take deep breaths, allowing the chest to expand.
7. Exhale as you lower back to the ground.

After you’ve tried out bridge a few times, check out this yoga nidra recording. Yoga nidra is a practice of deep relaxation and sense control/withdrawal. Dharma Mittra often says that “relaxation is the best antidote for impurities” so try to relax and rest deeply as you tune into this yoga nidra recording.