When looking for beneficial yoga poses for the ears, focus on asanas designed to increase balance as well as poses that can relieve sinus pressure. Everything from the common cold to stress can impact your ear health. Several yoga poses can offer relief from the symptoms of common ear issues.
Yoga for Ear Disorders
Because the inner ear is responsible for balance, disorders of the inner ear can lead to a loss of equilibrium. Many traditional yoga poses are focused on balancing the body and the mind. Stress can aggravate those with ear conditions like tinnitus. The body releases cortisol when it is under stress, and the relaxation techniques used in yoga may help reduce cortisol levels. Colds and sinus infections can leave your ears feeling plugged up. According to yoga expert Larry Payne, Ph.D., yoga is an immune system booster.
Poses for Ear Health
The Corpse pose is one of the easiest yoga poses. It also offers many health benefits, including calming the brain and restoring balance while releasing tension from the body. Battling a cold? According to yoga guru Payne, this is the best pose to boost your immune system. The challenging Tree pose helps restore the body’s internal balance, which can be beneficial for those with inner ear issues.
Poses to Relieve Ear Pressure
Even beginners are familiar with the Downward-Facing Dog pose and are able to perform it successfully. This yoga pose may offer sinusitis relief by releasing pressure from the ears. The Inverted Plow pose offers a host of health benefits, including potentially relieving sinus pressure. The Ear Pressure pose increases the blood flow to the head, which can help naturally restore ear health by releasing ear and sinus blockages.
Focus on Breathing
Additionally, the deep breathing exercises known as pranayama can help alleviate the ringing in the ears associated with tinnitus. This calming and cleansing ritual can be done in conjunction with the poses above, and is ideal to perform at the end of a yoga session. Pranayama is best learned in a class setting taught by a qualified instructor in order to learn the proper techniques.
