Yoga Support for Long Covid Program

A gentle program of short video practices to support people suffering from Long Covid.

This program is designed to be supportive, replenishing and nourishing for your lymph and circulatory systems, autonomic nervous system, and respiratory system and to support your body and mind to help you cope with inflammation. It is not about increasing challenge, “graded exercise”, or stretching.

You do not need any previous yoga experience, or any level of fitness or flexibility to benefit from this program.

I’ve designed this program after undertaking training with the Yoga Therapy Institute, “Yoga and Long Covid” presented by Liz Williams who is a highly experienced and qualified health educator and medical trainer. If you’re a yoga teacher, I can highly recommend it. I’ve also drawn on my experience working one on one with people who have ME/CFS as well as my experience so far with working one-on-one with people who have Long Covid.

The symptoms of Long Covid/Post Acute Covid Syndrome/PACS can be incredibly varied, and much is still unknown about this illness. I’ve designed this program with many common challenges in mind, but Yoga works best when it’s tailored to individuals. Before you try this practice, you might like to chat with your health professional about what kind of breath-work or mindful movement might be best for you. This program does not replace medical advice or attention. This practice is for when you’re safe to recover at home.

If you use this program, I would love to receive your feedback. If you use it and feel ready for more, let me know and I’ll look into providing a second program for further recovery.

I’ve invested a lot in this program: in training and equipment, and in time spent studying, researching, designing, recording, video editing, and website editing. Since it’s impossible for Long Covid suffers to work, and yet currently Long Covid is not recognised as a disability that requires financial support, I’ve made this program accessible free of charge.

If you have the means, a donation would be greatly appreciated and will help me to make the program more widely known, but if you don’t have the means, please don’t worry, I’m just really happy that you’re here making use of it.

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I would really appreciate it if you could spread the word so that more people can benefit.

How to use this program when you have …

The practice is split into sections. You might start with video 1, which is a special resting position for your breathing, and which requires no movement at all. When you feel ready you could then explore video 2, and eventually 3, which you can also do in bed. Videos 2 & 3 involve gentle, simple movement. Try the movement three times or so and then pause to rest and reassess.
Take your time adding in further repetitions, or further steps when you feel ready.
Don’t push, and if you have a bad day, focus purely on video 1 again; it will still be of enormous value.
I can highly recommend a yoga nidra guided relaxation anytime. Mental restlessness and extreme physical fatigue are a horribly frustrating combination. A yoga nidra can allow your nervous system to rest along with your body by engage your cerebral cortex so that with regular practice, your brain can then transition into healing delta and theta waves. You can find some yoga nidra deep relaxations here:
https://soundcloud.com/alison-eastland
You can do videos 1, 2, & 5 of this practice horizontal in bed, so there’s no need to be getting up and down.
videos 3 & 5 are practised sitting.
Once you feel able to include the other video practices, you will be able to transition very slowly between lying down, sitting or being on hands and knees. None of the practices are done standing up.
At first, just breathing out and breathing in can be difficult. If you find that any attempt at conscious breathing causes irritation, don’t lose hope. Video 1 is a resting position that requires no special way of breathing and may help bring more ease to your breath as you rest.
In video 2, if you find the suggested movement of the chest does bring on irritation and coughing, work with a Yoga Therapist or an experienced yoga teacher one-on-one if you can, to adjust the positioning of your head, throat and body in a way that is tailored to you and avoids that irritability. Sometimes this step just needs to be individually tailored.
If your energy levels allow, you could adapt the program by using videos 1 and 3 first, and then circle back to video 2 when you’re ready.
Video 4 is the only one I would recommend leaving until pericarditis symptoms have subsided and your health professional gives you the ok.
However, none of the videos here require you to lie on your back, which can aggravate symptoms.

The Videos

1. Resting Crocodile Pose

Prone positions allow the back of your lungs to expand fully, and improve the way oxygen moves through your body.
The supports shown here can be personally adjusted for comfort. The pillow or folded blanket under the front hips here creates additional space for your breath and soothes your lower back.
2. Balloon Breathing

Balloon breathing to gently encourage the muscles that support your breathing to relax for good gaseous exchange and better oxygenation in your body.
It helps to reduce the tendency for carbon dioxide to be retained in the body when you haven’t been able to move much or breathe as well as you normally would.
3. Gentle Ankle Circles & Calf Pumps

In this gentle, simple practice, you'll get some synovial fluid hydration for your joints, reduce lymphatic congestion, and support your lymphatic immune response.
4. Supported Side Opening Position

This position can be practised on a bed with sufficient pillow/folded blanket support, or on the ground. This practice supports the elasticity of your intercostal muscles to help with your breathing.
5. Gentle Neck & Shoulder Release

This practice is part of the Yoga Support for Long Covid Program. This is a gentle shoulder and neck release to help support good circulation to your brain for cognitive health, and to support your vagus nerve pathways.
6. Cat-Cow Pose

Use this video only once you've practised with the previous videos and feel that you've regained the energy and strength to be on hands and knees on the ground. If bearing weight on your hands and knees doesn't suit you for any reason, try the Seated Cat-Cow video instead.
This slow motion Cat-Cow circles offer gentle movement for your joints and spine, encourage synovial fluid hydration for your joints, and provide an opportunity for some weight bearing for strength and muscle tone.
7. Seated Cat-Cow Pose

In this practice you can get all the benefits of the Cat-Cow pose for your back and your breathing, without having to get down on the ground or bear weight through your hands and knees. This video is intended to be used only once you've practised with the previous videos and feel that you've regained some energy.
This practice offers gentle movement for your joints and spine, and encourages a gentle slow build of strength.
8. Gentle twist on hands & knees ("Thread the Needle")

This is a twisting sequence following on from the Cat-Cow practice, to help you to release tension around your upper back. Please make sure that you've practised with the previous videos in this program for a while first, and that you feel confident you've recovered some energy and strength and are comfortable getting up and down off the floor, before practising this sequence.
9. Seated Twist

A seated twist variation that you can practice sitting in a chair or on the end of a bed. If you're using this video as part of the Long Covid Support Program, it's best to practise with the previous videos for a while first, before practising this sequence. This is a twisting sequence following on from the seated Cat-Cow practice, to help you to release tension around your upper back.