Do you find yourself easily tired, facing either unnatural weight gain or weight loss? Do you find yourself going through fits of depression that you don’t quite understand? Do even mild winters seem intolerable because your body cannot maintain enough body heat? Does your skin feel unnaturally dry even after applying lotions or oils, and does your hair fall out in large bunches? If you’ve found yourself going through a lot of these symptoms, your thyroid might not be functioning properly. But what is the thyroid gland? And why is it not functioning properly? We’re about to get all these answers in this article.
The Thyroid Gland
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland at the base of our neck and produces hormones that regulate the metabolism, growth, and development of the body. The thyroid gland also controls the functions of the heart, muscle, and digestive system. Other than this, it also keeps the hair and skin in good condition and affects the functionality of the nervous system.
Thyroid Disorders
The function of Thyroid Gland is to produce hormones that keep the body functioning properly. Sometimes, it might produce more hormones than needed or not enough hormones. This can lead to the following disorders:
- Hyperthyroidism – When the gland produces too many hormones, it’s a case of hyperthyroidism and can lead to problems such as rapid pulse, increased sweating, and overactive metabolism.
- Hypothyroidism – When the gland produces insufficient hormones, it becomes hypothyroidism and can cause problems such as hair loss, weight gain, dry skin, and even depression and physical fatigue.
Yoga for Thyroid Patients
Yoga can be a very helpful complementary tool on your journey to attain thyroid health. Patients with both hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism can use it. Yoga for thyroid patients can help in:
- 1. Improved Thyroid Function – Yoga poses for thyroid include several exercises that work directly on the thyroid gland. These asanas improve blood circulation in the neck area, at the base of which the thyroid gland is located. This can improve its function and hormone production.
- 2. Causing Hormonal Balance – Yoga practice helps to create a hormonal balance in the body and regulate the regular production of hormones. As thyroid disorders are caused by hormonal imbalance, yoga asanas for thyroid problems can be very effective by enabling proper hormone secretion in the gland.
- 3. Stress Reduction – One of the major factors leading to thyroid problems is a high level of stress or chronic stress. Practicing yoga can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels, which can help patients manage symptoms of thyroid. Regular yoga practice helps patients develop a spiritual lifestyle and improve their overall well-being.
- 4. Improves Mental Well-Being – Yoga for hyper thyroid has been shown to improve its practitioners’ mental health and quality of life. Patients showed significant improvement in overall quality of life when they practiced yoga regularly.
- 5. Weight Management – Both, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism patients struggle with weight issues as a symptom of their disorder. These weight issues arise because of faulty metabolism, which has been altered by insufficient or excess hormone secretion. Yoga asanas for thyroid actively promote physical activity and mindfulness about dietary choices to enhance metabolism and overcome these weight issues.
- 6. Improving Lifestyle Awareness – Yoga encourages practicing mindfulness to make the practitioner aware of their lifestyle, exercise habits, and diet. With this awareness, patients can feel motivated to eliminate bad habits and develop healthier habits that support thyroid health.
Yoga Asanas for Thyroid
The practice of yoga holds several yoga asanas for thyroid problems which cater to patients of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Habuild’s 14-day yoga challenge helps you learn about these asanas and practice the best yoga for thyroid in the following way:
Simhasana (Lion Pose):
How To: Simhasana is a unique posture in which the practitioner mimics the roar of a lion. The basic posture involves kneeling on the floor with your palms on your knees and your buttocks resting on the heels of your feet. Inhale in this position, and exhale by sticking out your tongue and making a “haa” sound. Focus your gaze on the tip of your nose or between your eyebrows. Repeat this process multiple times in a relaxed posture.
Benefits: stress relief by promoting relaxation and calmness, improved digestion by stimulating the abdominal organs, thyroid stimulation to regulate metabolism, enhanced respiratory function with improved lung capacity due to deep breathing, and voice clarity by enhancing vocal quality.
Ujjayi Pranayama:
How To: In this pranayama, you inhale and exhale only through the nose. Remember to keep your mouth closed and constrict your throat so your breathing makes a rushing noise like light snoring. This form of pranayama falls under yoga for thyroid patients as it supports thyroid health by stimulating the gland and promoting hormonal balance.
Benefits: It enhances focus and concentration in practitioners by improving mental clarity, making it easier to be in the present moment. Other benefits include stress and anxiety reduction by calming the nervous system, improving respiratory function by enhancing lung capacity and efficiency, and increased energy flow by facilitating the flow of prana, the life force, throughout the body.
Khechari Mudra:
How To: To practice this “King of All Mudras,” roll your tongue backward and rest it against the soft palate at the back of your throat. This practice stimulates various energy centers and glands, including the third-eye chakra. Once you become an expert, you can even try reaching for the nasal cavity with your tongue.
Benefits: This practice enhances spiritual awareness and opens the path to higher consciousness. It also supports thyroid function by helping to balance thyroid hormone secretion which is essential for metabolism and overall health. The mudra also leads to detoxification of the body by stimulating the secretion of nectar that cleanses our system and promotes oral health.
Matsyasana (Fish Pose):
How To: It is a reclining back-bending yoga posture in which you resemble the shape of a fish. To practice this pose, lie flat on your back and slightly raise your pelvis. Place your hands under your buttocks and arch your back until the crown of your head rests flat against the mat.
Benefits: It is commonly used to relieve tension in the neck, shoulders, and spine. However, it also helps thyroid patients by stimulating the gland to regulate metabolism and improve hormonal balance. Other benefits include enhanced digestive health, as the abdominal muscles are stretched in this pose; relief from stress and anxiety through deep breathing and relaxation.
Laughter Therapy
Laughter therapy is a tool for relaxation that reduces stress by releasing endorphins and decreasing cortisol levels. Cortisol hormone can negatively affect thyroid function if elevated. Laughter therapy helps reduce stress and improves mood and energy levels.
This can be crucial for hypothyroid patients going through depression and fatigue. Laughter also boosts the immune system and proves beneficial for thyroid patients by strengthening their immune system to manage the symptoms in a better way.
Yoga as a Complement
Thyroid Health is of utmost importance to ensure that your body functions properly, from your heart to your metabolism, to energy levels, and even mental health. Yoga can be used to maintain the required hormone production of the thyroid gland. It can also be used as a preventive method for those facing symptoms of thyroid disorders who have not yet been diagnosed.
You can Improve your thyroid health by joining Habuild’s Online Yoga Classes daily. With our expert-led sessions and Free 14-day Yoga challenge, find out how to prevent all symptoms related to thyroid disorders and ensure its hormone secretions are in order by practicing these yoga asanas daily.
Join Habuild today and pave your path to a healthier, happier lifestyle. Although yoga for thyroid problems can be a great tool, it should not be used as a substitute for medication and proper medical treatment. Individuals must receive a procedural medical diagnosis through healthcare professionals while employing yoga for thyroid and weight loss as a supportive activity. Yoga poses for thyroid patients can help them develop healthier habits and a healthier lifestyle, which can greatly aid them in their journey to healing.
