10 yoga classes for when you have a cold

Feeling a bit under the weather? Nurture yourself with these 10 comforting yoga classes.

yoga for cold

If you’re feeling off-colour or recovering from being poorly, try these gentle yoga classes to help restore your energy and move towards healing. If you’re in the throes of a very heavy cold or suffering from flu it’s best to rest until the worst has passed. If you’re struggling to breathe through your nose, breathe through the mouth instead. Be patient and kind to yourself and work well within your ‘exhaustion’ zone!  

1. Short healing practice – Irina Verwer / Hatha / Restorative / 15 mins

If you feel under the weather, are stressed out, tired, can’t sleep or are just longing for a slow, restorative practice – this one’s for you!

2. Yoga for a head cold – Esther Ekhart / Restorative / 45 mins

Seeing the big picture, and being ok when life doesn’t feel so good can be challenging when you’re battling a cold. Create the right circumstances for the body to restore its energy and move towards healing.

3. Yoga for healing and recovery – Sandra Carson / Therapeutics / 55 mins

Connect to the part of yourself that is always full and complete, no matter what the circumstance. A very gentle practice with soft twists, forward bends, some stretching and a nourishing relaxation.

4. It’s okay to feel bad – Esther Teule / Meditation / 10 mins

Let go of any judgement you may feel when things are ‘off’, and understand that you are fine, even when you feel bad. 

5. Yoga for when you’re low on energy – Esther Ekhart / Hatha / Restorative / 50 mins 

Create space with this nourishing practice that’s guaranteed to make you feel lots better than watching TV 🙂

6.  Yoga for when you don’t feel like practicing – Andrew Wrenn / Hatha / 38 mins

 This laid-back practice gives you the opportunity to experience your inner calm and clarity without the physical and mental pressures to ‘practice’ yoga.

7. Freeing the breathing body – Lisa Petersen / Somatics / 40 mins

Illness or stress can affect our ability to breathe fully. Learn some simple techniques to release your thoracic diaphragm, ribcage and spine. Includes fascial release techniques. 

8. Deeply rest your body and mind – Esther Ekhart / Restorative / 36 mins 

Esther’s go-to restorative yoga practice when she feels sick, spaced out and out of balance. A grounding, relaxing class to reset your nervous system and make you feel human again! 

9. Boost your immunity – Marlene Smits / Kundalini-inspired / 20 mins

This yoga set is really effective for boosting your immune system. It will activate your thymus gland and get the lymph system going, which are both fundamental to a well-working immune system.

10. Yoga for when you’re tired – Rose van Ooijen/ Gentle yoga / 40 mins

On some days just getting onto the mat is a Herculean effort… This practice is for those days, or whenever you want a mellow class that isn’t too stimulating or strenuous. 

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Kirsty TomlinsonKirsty moved to the Netherlands from the UK to work for EkhartYoga in 2015. She's done yoga training with Esther Ekhart and Julie Martin, and has done many courses in meditation, mindfulness and Yoga Nidra. Kirsty previously worked in publishing, graphic design and recruitment. Her role at EkhartYoga focuses on copywriting, editing and content creation.