In fact, I had been a figure skater (obviously being born in Russia figure skating was a preferable choice among sports for girls) since I was three years old and spent at least two hours I've been going to the gym for as long as I can remember. I used to push myself, run, and flex myself to the point of breaking, all the while thinking that's what I was supposed to do to be healthy. Needless to say, it was shocking for me to realize one day that my hands were shaking, my heart was palpitating, and that I had gained 30 pounds of weight in a month. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Although thyroid disorders have become a household name in recent years, still not many of us are familiar with Graves' death (hyperthyroidism) and once I heard my diagnosis I was in disbelief. “What is this Graves death?” I kept thinking to myself. As I discovered, Graves Deaths are named after an Irish doctor, Dr. Robert Graves, and because it is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system becomes confused. “It is considered a hyperimmunity disorder because cells of the immune system overreact and produce autoantibodies” * (Moore, Elaine A., and Lisa Moore. Graves' Disease: A Practical Guide. McFarland & Co., 2001). In other words, while the immune system is confused, it cannot distinguish the intruders from its own cells and begins to attack (in my case) the thyroid. This is, of course, a simplified explanation of the condition that affects at least 3% of the US population. And on top of all that, Graves' disease affects everyone differently, making it impossible to predict the course of progression, treatment, or recovery. Of course, the first question he or she has when getting sick is “why” and “how,” and those were the same questions that bothered me. Doctors and Western literature have been able to answer “how” but have not been able to tell me “why”. At this point, I subconsciously knew that the pills and radiation would only help relieve the symptoms for a while. I wanted to know the root cause and I wanted to heal. I didn't want to stay home tired and depressed, and I didn't want to have to skip my life just because I feel uncomfortable, anxious, and sick. I turned to reading. Part Two: “Our Body Speaks About Our Mind” - Stanley Keleman Of course, all the reading in the world couldn't answer all the emotional and psychological effects of my Graves Deceas Journey. I knew I was on the right track with diet and supplementing my body, but I felt like something else was missing. I felt like my body was still reminding me that it had reached its physical limits and it was time to take care of my body in a different way. It was then that I came across interesting material that addressed yoga therapy in detail and “A very important aspect of yoga therapy that teaches us to control the effects of the brain on the body” (Iyengar, B. Yoga the Path to Holistic Health. London: Dorling Kindersley Limited., 2001). This makes perfect sense since we know that the thyroid is located in our neck and that our neck is a “gateway” between our thinking and our voice. Once the gate is broken down, our emotions cannot be communicated properly. We may think one thing and say another, even though we may not even know it. All this confusion essentially manifests itself in our body and, according to eastern culture, in the imbalance of our third chakra. Believe it or not, our bodies actually listen to everything we say or think, all the negative self-talk or bullyingvirtual that we are reading. It was then that I discovered that yogis knew long before modern scientists and Western doctors that the endocrine system (of which the thyroid is a part) influences the emotions of the mind and vice versa. (Vishnudervananda, Swami. The Complete Picture Book of Yoga. Three Rivers Press (CA), 1995.). They can bring a variety of mental emotions such as anger, pain, hate, love, heart rate and blood pressure increase, while exercise through yoga will allow us to keep all those emotions under control, reduce stress and inflammation, increase l immunity and bring inner peace. Therefore, the difference between yoga therapy and our Western therapy is that yoga offers us a multidimensional approach, while Western and modern medicine address the problem as they only address certain parts of the body. That is why I am on a “mission” to share my experiences and knowledge through yoga with those interested in healing, and will focus on yoga for those with thyroid disorders (visit my website at www.mahadyoga.com ). Yoga will allow me to create a personalized asana practice for my students that will help them develop self-awareness and stress relief, which in turn will support the emotional part of the thyroid disorder. Part Three - “Yoga, why some questions can't be answered by Google” - Anonymous So how does it work? Very often we do not see a variety of yoga studios and even yoga classes in the variety of gyms and they are seen as a supplement to the already existing fitness program. However, the main goal of yoga is not necessarily fitness or even weight loss, but is to produce tranquility in the body and mind. This is profoundly important for anyone with thyroid disorders. Because thyroid patients have a “broken gate” between thought and voice, they must not only be able to open communication channels (their 3rd chakra), but must first address thought control. Cognitive and emotional aspects from this point of view are two key factors in stress and thyroid disorders. The emotional brain activates our emotions, which send adrenaline and cortisol through the body. At the same time, the cognitive brain tries to keep things under control and curb the emotional response. Yoga can address this problem in various ways. For example, whenever we hold a posture for a certain period of time, our cognitive brain activates and tries to maintain balance and concentration. So, when we lean forward during the sun salutation, relaxation signals are sent to the brain through the movement of the neck. So simply leaning forward will activate the brain's cognitive and relaxation response at the same time. Maintaining a better connection between the two would definitely help in controlling emotions and help cultivate a better stress response. This is, of course, a shorter version of what happens in the body through the brain when we practice yoga. However, for practitioners with thyroid disorders, this can be a life-changing experience, as stress can release thyroid-stimulating hormones from the pituitary gland and can also decrease thyroid hormone conversion. Therefore, any amount of chronic stress can disrupt thyroid function and lead to thyroid disorders or worsening of symptoms. With this, it is safe to say that yoga may not be an instant cure for thyroid problems, but rather helps us deal with how we react to stress and are able to balance and release our emotions regularly with asanas and otheryogic practices such as meditation and pranayama. At the end of the day, continued yoga practice will help us recognize our emotions and apply our knowledge and movement to release accumulated physical tension. In return, we will be able to reduce the impact of stress on our body, which will reduce thyroid symptoms in the long run. So while I talk about physical movements and the circle of brain-body-emotion effects, I would like to mention that there are multiple asanas that can directly affect the thyroid and should be practiced with caution for anyone suffering from hyperthyroidism. For example, Matsyasana (Fish Pose): As the neck and throat are stretched, blood circulation to the thyroid increases. At the same time the thyroid is stimulated. While anyone could benefit from releasing tension in the neck area in Fish Pose, practitioners with hyperthyroidism (or overactive thyroid) do not need to stimulate the thyroid, as it is already in overdrive. So, anyone suffering from hyperthyroidism (Graves' death, or what we call GD) should avoid holding this pose for a long time or avoid it altogether. On the other hand, increased blood flow during fish pose would help practitioners with underreactive thyroids (hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's). It is clear that a variety of Asanas directly address thyroid health, to name a few for hyperthyroidism: Bridge Pose, Corpse Pose, Cat Stretch, and for hypothyroidism: Fish Pose, Plow Pose, and Stretch of the cat. The cat-cow stretch is good for both as long as the practitioner can maintain awareness on the throat area while moving through the cat-cow. Of course, there are more asanas that are great for thyroid disorders, I'm just scratching the surface and describing just a couple. In addition to postures, the yogic practice of pranayama, which is significantly neglected in modern yoga practice, can be used to greatly improve the symptoms of any thyroid disorder. However, as with any physical exercise, some breathing techniques are not suitable for practitioners with an overreactive thyroid (or GD). Patients with overactive thyroid are believed to have excessive heat (“hot emotions” such as anger) in the body and are suggested to use cooling breathing techniques to bring balance to the body and calm the mind. For example, the Ujjayi (Ocean Breath) breathing technique (feeling the air in your lungs by contracting your throat and breathing through your nose). This technique will help clear the nasal and throat passages and restore communication channels (voice in particular), and helps address the "broken gate" problem, the same connection between voice and thought that I talked about earlier. Last but not least, the yogic practice of meditation could be a missing “link” in the recovery journey for those suffering from thyroid disorders and imbalances. As we meditate, so to speak, we place our mind in a neutral position, focus inward, and cultivate stillness. It is not as complicated as you think and can be practiced anywhere, anytime. It's probably the best way to turn stress into a state of well-being and help your thyroid rebalance or give it a significant break. When we enter a state of deep relaxation during meditation, we release serotonin (which counteracts anxiety and depression) and melatonin (which improves the quality of sleep – the key problem for those suffering from thyroid disorders). All the practices I mentioned in my essay, of course, have a deeper effect and each is vast and multidimensional. Please note: this is just an example. Get a document now