At the end of our series on the immune system, the golden autumn is over and the damp and cold autumn weather reminds us of the coming winter. A first wave of infections has already swept through the country, and there will certainly be several more before spring. Reason enough to gather ideas and resolutions for a strong immune system.

In our last newsletter articles we already pointed out that the immune system and intestinal health are closely connected. According to Maharishi Ayurveda, the gastrointestinal tract (Koshta) with its functions is the switching point for life energy. The digestive force Agni is responsible for extracting vital substances from food and distributing them to all body tissues. If this is done well, the body remains constantly well nourished and is resistant to destructive influences from the environment, which undoubtedly include viruses and bacteria.

If you want to strengthen and nurture your immune system, you have to start with the digestive tract. If the digestive fire Agni is weakened by stress, overtiredness, wrong diet or inappropriate eating behaviour, the door is opened to diseases.

Our 10 tips aim to optimise our defences with simple lifestyle measures. This will get you safely through the winter.

Strengthen Agni through proper nutrition

Agni expresses itself through a strong feeling of hunger. If we consciously and consistently avoid the intake of snacks and caloric drinks, we experience a strong feeling of hunger several times a day. In such situations, the body begins to utilise stored food remnants or body waste. This process is called autophagy. It prevents chronic silent inflammation and slows down the ageing process. A particularly important eating break is between the evening meal and the first meal of the next day. Depending on your constitution, this should be at least 12 to 16 hours. Late dinners (after 6 p.m.) are particularly stressful for the body and immune system.

Exercise in the fresh air

Besides eating breaks, exercise is one of the most important ways to strengthen the inner fire. You have certainly had the experience of feeling cold when you are idle indoors. A brisk walk even in the freezing cold changes your well-being drastically. If the temperature in your home is the same, you will feel comfortably warm after the walk.

The intensity of the exercise is decisive for the effect on the immune system. As soon as you get into exhaustion during sport, you throttle the immune system. Sport and exercise only help if they are done in moderation. The continuous use of nasal breathing is a good measure of the immune-promoting effect of exercise.

Sufficient sleep

With proper nutrition and physical exercise, we set healing stimuli. However, these have to be processed by the body, and this happens in rest phases. Sleep plays a special role in this. When it comes to sleep, it is not only the right amount that counts, but also the right time. Sleep before midnight counts double!

Drink hot water

There are constantly substances in our bodies that act as toxins. We either absorb them from the environment (pollution, microplastics) or they are produced when our digestive and detoxification functions are overloaded.

When water is boiled, it becomes "thinner" and can more easily "take along" metabolic waste products and toxins and excrete them via the kidneys and bladder.

Detoxify and build up the microbiome

Even with the best lifestyle, waste products and toxins build up in every body and are deposited in the so-called "matrix", the lymphatic fluid located between the body's cells. There, over time, they lead to obstructions in the exchange of substances and information in the body.

ust as a building does well once or twice a year with a more thorough cleaning (Christmas and Easter cleaning) with decluttering of no longer used items, the human body revives through cleansing cures carried out several times a year. Here at soma we offer a huge range of detox cures for all ages and pockets - from herbal detoxes to our webinars to stationary Pancha Karma cures.

After every cleanse, it is essential to renew the microbiome in the gut. Our new proprietary product Triphala pro is suitable for this purpose. By using Triphala pro you improve the body's ability to produce and distribute life-enhancing messenger substances from the intestine to the whole body.

MA4 Maharishi Amrit Kalash - Immunity Booster of the year 2021

According to Ayurveda, after every cleansing of the body, the application of so-called Rasayanas is useful. Rasayanas are substances that strengthen Agni and nourish the body tissues.

Maharishi Amrit Kalash is the first and most important Rasayana recommended in the classical Ayurvedic texts. It is timeless and tasty!

Vitamin D

We recommend taking vitamin D in adequate doses all year round. Hundreds of studies in recent years have shown how important vitamin D is for a well-functioning immune system.

If you have been taking a break from vitamin D during the summer, now is the time to start again.

Meditation

Any period of rest improves the processing of healing stimuli and the assimilation of vital substances. In Maharishi Ayurveda we recommend practising Transcendental Meditation regularly. In 20 minutes of meditation twice a day, a deep restful alertness develops that strengthens and regenerates the mind and body. Hundreds of studies indicate that regular practice of Transcendental Meditation can greatly reduce the "sick time" in a person's life. And it does soooo much good!

Heat and cold stimuli

Excessive heat or cold can weaken the immune system and become a pacemaker for contagious disease.

Short warmth and cold stimuli (sauna, cold water treatments) can increase resistance enormously. The important thing here is: Do not overdo it! A few minutes after a heat or cold application, well-being must be noticeable in the body (pleasantly warm hands and feet, a feeling of relaxation). If these signs do not occur, these applications are an additional immune burden.

Spending time with people who are good for you

Besides the digestive fire Agni, the experience of happiness and well-being is the best boost to the immune system. Spending time with people we like and have fun with helps us to banish worries and shed old burdens. Every caress is a booster for the immune system (FFP2 mask or not)!