Attack Allergies With Yoga

40 million Americans with seasonal allergies, the fertile warm-weather months bring sneezing, itching, aching, and fatigue. Besides being annoying, those symptoms get in the way of work, socializing, and even sleep. According to the American Academy of Asthma, Allergy and Immunology, allergic rhinitis (or "hay fever") happens when the inside of your nose becomes inflamed or swollen in response to something you've inhaled. "What happens is the allergen-be it grass, pollen, dust, or pet dander-triggers the release of a substance in your body called histamines," explains Michael Setzen, MD, clinical associate professor of otolaryngology at New York University Medical School. You can blame histamines for your runny nose and puffy, itchy eyes.
"When people have allergies, they become agitated and stress levels go up," says Baxter Bell, MD, a medical acupuncturist and yoga instructor in Oakland, CA. "When that happens, the immune system starts to shut down. Doing something that lets you unwind, like yoga, can help quiet your body's fight-or-flight response, in turn quieting allergies."

Setzen agrees: "Sometimes merely relaxing can allow the allergic reaction to subside." Plus, he adds, because yoga is typically practiced indoors, you'll be doing yourself a favor by avoiding whatever irritants are lurking in the air outdoors.
In particular, Bell suggests poses that keep your head above your heart, to avoid overstimulating your body. Next time your allergies start to act up, strike one of these head-clearing poses:
Warrior I Pose

Allows chest and lungs to open and gravity to drain all that mucus that's causing your stuffiness
1. Stand tall with your feet together and arms by your sides.
2. Inhale and step your feet wide apart.
3. Inhale and raise your arms overhead, shoulder-width apart, palms facing each other.
4. Exhale and turn your right leg out 90 degrees to the right and your left leg in 45 degrees to the right.
5. Exhale and rotate your hips and torso to face the same direction as your right leg. Take a deep breath.
6. As you exhale, bend your right knee, forming a right angle with your thigh and shin. Hold this position for 3 to 10 slow, deep breaths. Repeat on the left side.