My Journey with Cushing’s disease
At 30 years old, I was fit, healthy and naturally a size 8–10. I knew my body well, which is why, when it started to
Yoga is a mind-body connection which includes movement, stillness, breathwork, relaxation, and mindfulness. There are many different styles of yoga and ways to practice, making it accessible for all.
Whatever you prefer, yoga is beneficial for your overall hormonal health as the energy wheels of the body (known as Chakras) are in the same locations as the endocrine glands that produce our hormones. Read on to find out how yoga can support your hormonal health.
When we’re stressed, our bodies prioritize the production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline over the production of the female sex hormones estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. The body does this to protect us and to keep us alive, but fluctuating levels of sex hormones can disrupt our menstrual cycles, affect our fertility, and lead to PMS and anxiety during menopause.
Yoga is beneficial for lowering stress in several ways. The physical movements experienced in yoga (known as asana) help to produce endorphins, aka our happy hormones, which lift our mood and reduce stress hormones within the body. Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which promotes calmness and relaxation, which increases the flow of energy and blood back to the reproductive and digestive systems helping to support hormonal health.
You try: Find a comfortable seated position and become still. Make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips, so your spine is straight, and your lungs can move freely. Close your eyes, or look down to the earth if you prefer (this reduces the external stimulation that can cause stress).
Focus on your breathing and start to breathe in and out through the nose. As you inhale, draw the breath in slowly through the nostrils, and feel it moving downwards towards your belly button, allowing the belly to swell.
As you exhale, slowly draw your belly button gently back towards the spine and feel your breath move upwards through the body and leave through the nostrils. Start by repeating 6-8 times and then build up to 10-12 rounds of breath.
Hormones are transported around the body to the cells via the blood through a network of arteries, veins, and capillaries. Physical movement helps to keep the cardiovascular system strong and healthy and allows hormones to reach the cells in the body quickly and effectively.
Yoga is beneficial for our heart and cardiovascular health not only through movement but also with the use of breathwork and relaxation. Physical movement also helps to use fat in the body rather than it becoming stored in the arteries which can lead to cardiovascular disease and heart failure.
You try: The NHS recommends that adults participate in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise and 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. Depending on the style of yoga you could practice three to four 60 minute lessons a week to meet these recommendations.
You can find a local class or practice at home. here are lots of free practices available on the internet.
Once a hormone has reacted in a cell, it then travels to the digestive system to be destroyed and removed from the body. If our digestive system is congested or we are constipated, then excessive hormones can remain in the body. Our brain will sense the increased levels and reduce the production of new hormones as it thinks we have enough.
OR
We hope you enjoyed this article. To help us to create more content like this, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to Female Health & Fertility magazine.
At 30 years old, I was fit, healthy and naturally a size 8–10. I knew my body well, which is why, when it started to
If you’ve had more than one loss, you may already have had chromosome testing, a karyotype or carrier screening, and still no answer. Here is
I am 36 years old, and I have spent a large part of my life trying to understand my own body and trying to become
