Allergy Relief Breath Patterns & Natural Ways to Beat Allergies
Spring is in the air, so is pollen, mold, pesticides, and herbicides, which all contribute to your allergy symptoms. Sniffles, sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes are what you may be experiencing, but behind this your body is having an inflammatory response that have been triggered by histamines. Histamines are released when you come into contact with an allergen and they trigger an inflammatory response in the affected area of your body. They cause itchiness, swelling, redness and produce mucus.
How does my body get rid of these histamines?
Your liver breaks down histamines, if it not too busy working on other things in your body. If your liver is overloaded, your symptoms will last longer, which is quite possible as your liver processes nearly everything your body comes in contact with, from food and personal care products to things in our environment.
Breathing and Allergy Relief
Your breath plays an important role in your body for cleansing and eliminating toxins. By taking conscious, deeper breaths, we can take in more oxygen that cleanses the body, and exhale out the stagnant CO2 along with waste and other toxins our bodies don’t need to hold on to. Each breath is a chance to breathe in fresh new oxygen and release out the old. You can support your liver by taking fuller breaths and you can also reduce stress by activating your parasympathetic nervous system… the rest and digest system that needs to be on for your body to repair, cleanse and even break down the histamines.
4-7-8 Breath
Deep diaphragmatic breathing relaxes the body, and massages your lymphatic system, which helps in the elimination of toxins. This breathing pattern uses deep diaphragmatic breathing as you inhale through the mouth for 4 seconds, hold the breath in for 7 seconds, and exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds. This breath pattern also helps with reducing stress and activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
Place the tip of your tongue against the ridge behind your upper teeth and exhale completely through your mouth so that you make a whoosh sound.
Close your mouth and inhale deeply through your nose for a count 4, hold your breath for 7 counts, then exhale through your mouth for a count of 8.
Repeat three times.
Kapalabhati Breath
Kapalahbhati comes from two Sanskrit words: Kapala, which translates to “Skull,” and Bhati, which means “light.” It’s an exercise that purifies, rejuvenates, and invigorates the mind and body. It is a cleansing breath that can help your body release stress and toxins.
The important thing to remember for this exercise is that your inhale is passive and your exhale is the forceful, powerful movement. Start this practice at a slow pace, and with time you can build some speed if it feels comfortable for you to do so.
Sit comfortably in an upright posture and rest your hands on your lower belly. If you’re sitting in a chair, make sure to place both feet on the ground.
Take a deep, cleansing breath before you begin, in through your nose and out through your mouth.
Inhale deeply through your nose, filling your belly with air about ¾ way full.
In a quick motion, forcefully expel all the air from your lungs through the nose while drawing your navel in toward your spine. The primary movement is from your diaphragm.
Allow your lungs to fill up naturally, with no effort as your belly expands.
Perform this cycle 10 times, then allow your breathing to return to normal and observe the sensations in your body.
Repeat these cycles of 10 movements, 3 to 4 times.
Contraindication: Do not practice Kapalabhati if you are pregnant, or if you have high blood pressure, acid gastric issues, heart disease, or abdominal pain. You should also stop or slow down if you feel dizzy or anxious.
Natural Allergy Relief
Take Glutathione supplements to support your liver
Use or eat herbs that support your liver such as: Milk thistle, Burdock, Cardamom, Dandelion
Neti pot or sinus rinse