Living with an autoimmune disease can feel like your body is working against you. Some days are good, while on others, your immune system flares up without warning. Medical care matters, but many people don’t realize how much mind-body practices like yoga can help ease symptoms, lower inflammation, and boost their well-being.
Yoga is not a cure, but it can lower stress, help you move more easily, improve blood flow, and help your body relax so it functions better. These are real benefits.
This guide will walk you through the top 7 yoga poses that can help relieve symptoms of autoimmune disease, explained in simple terms. You’ll learn the benefits of each pose, what they do, and why they are helpful for people managing autoimmune conditions.
Let’s get started.
Why Yoga Actually Helps With Autoimmune Diseases
Yoga is often recommended for people with chronic conditions because autoimmune diseases are closely linked to inflammation and stress. Practicing yoga is a strong way to lower stress in the body.
When your nervous system is calm, your immune system is less likely to stay on high alert. This can mean fewer flare-ups, less stiffness, and more energy overall.
Some benefits include:
- Lower inflammation levels
- Better joint flexibility
- Improved mobility for stiff or painful areas
- Stronger muscles that protect your joints
- Calmer nervous system
- More oxygen flow and circulation
- Reduced fatigue
- Better sleep, which is essential for immune recovery
Yoga helps your body find balance and feel calmer.
Top 7 Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief
Here are some of the best poses to support autoimmune conditions, whether you have lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, or other immune-related issues.
Each pose is clearly labeled to help you find what you need.
1. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Child’s Pose
Child’s Pose gives your body a chance to rest. It gently stretches your hips, spine, and shoulders, and helps your nervous system relax.
Benefits:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Calms the overactive immune response
- Eases lower-back pain
- Supports digestion and circulation
- Great for days when you feel fatigued or are experiencing a flare-up
How To Do It:
Sit back on your heels, fold forward, reach your arms out, and let your forehead rest on the mat. Breathe deeply and stay in the pose for 1 to 3 minutes.
This pose is especially helpful on days when a flare-up makes your body feel difficult to move.
2. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Cat-Cow Pose
Cat-Cow helps your spine move more easily, opens your chest, and boosts blood flow.
Benefits:
- Loosens stiff joints
- Reduces inflammation in the spine
- Improves mobility in the shoulders and hips
- Encourages deep breathing, which calms the immune response
How To Do It:
Start on your hands and knees. Arch your back up (Cat), then dip it down while lifting your chest (Cow). Move with your breath for 1–2 minutes.
This pose is especially useful if you have autoimmune arthritis, fibromyalgia, or MS.
3. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
This pose looks simple, but it is very effective. It helps your whole body reset.
Benefits:
- Reduces swelling and inflammation
- Improves lymphatic drainage
- Eases fatigue
- Helps regulate hormones
- Calms the nervous system
- Boosts blood circulation
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your legs straight up against a wall. Stay in this position for 5 to 10 minutes and let your body relax.
Many people with lupus, psoriasis, and autoimmune thyroid issues find this pose especially helpful.
4. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Downward-Facing Dog
Downward-Facing Dog is one of the most well-known yoga poses. It stretches your whole body and builds gentle strength, especially helping with tightness in the legs and back.
- Improves shoulder mobility
- Strengthens the arms and core
- Supports circulation, which helps the immune system function better
- Relieves stress and tension
How To Do It:
From hands and knees, lift your hips, forming an upside-down V shape. Press through your palms and stretch your heels toward the ground.
This pose can boost your energy and is especially helpful for managing fatigue from autoimmune conditions.
5. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Seated Forward Fold
This pose helps you feel calm and grounded, and it releases tension that builds up in your body.
Benefits:
- Stretches hamstrings and lower back
- Relaxes the nervous system
- Improves digestion
- Helps reduce fatigue and stress-triggered flare-ups
- Encourages slow, mindful breathing
How To Do It:
Sit with your legs stretched out, reach toward your feet, and fold forward. Stay for 1–3 minutes.
This is one of the best poses for calming inflammation, especially when stress is the trigger.
6. Yoga Poses for Autoimmune Disease Relief: Bridge Pose
Bridge Pose supports your spine, opens your chest, and strengthens the muscles that help you stay steady.
Benefits:
- Strengthens glutes and lower back
- Opens the chest for better breathing
- Improves circulation to the brain and thyroid
- Helps balance hormones
- Reduces fatigue and brain fog
How To Do It:
Lie on your back, bend your knees, plant your feet, and lift your hips upward. Hold 20–30 seconds.
This pose is especially helpful for autoimmune thyroid conditions like Hashimoto’s.
Despite its name, Savasana is the most important pose in this sequence.
This is the pose where your nervous system resets. It tells your immune system that it can finally relax.
Benefits:
- Deep mental relaxation
- Reduced inflammation
- Lower stress hormones
- Improved sleep quality
- Better recovery from flare-ups
How To Do It:
Lie flat on your back, palms open, eyes closed. Breathe slowly for 5–10 minutes.
This pose gives you deep relaxation and a sense of calm.
Tips for Practicing Yoga Safely With Autoimmune Disease
Since flare-ups can occur, here are some tips to practice yoga safely:
- Stop if something hurts in a bad way
- Use props like pillows, bolsters, or blocks
- Keep movements slow and controlled
- Avoid hot yoga during flare-ups
- Listen to your energy levels
- Gradually increase intensity
- Don’t force flexibility
Remember, your body is not something to compete with. Move at a pace that feels right for you.
Final Thoughts: Yoga Is One of the Most Underrated Tools for Autoimmune Healing
Autoimmune diseases can make you feel disconnected from your body, as if things are happening beyond your control. Yoga helps you reconnect with your body in a gentle and empowering way.
These top 7 yoga poses for autoimmune disease relief are beginner-friendly, low-impact, and good for anyone who wants to manage symptoms naturally, along with medical care. With regular practice, they can help lower inflammation, improve movement, boost your mood, and support your body in real ways.
Your body may have its own challenges, but yoga can help you face them with patience, strength, and kindness.