The most crucial aspect of our life is balance; this balance is what makes the world go round. When this balance is disturbed, problems arise. Similarly, hormonal imbalance occurs when certain hormones in the body increase or decrease.

In order to correct hormonal imbalance, physical exercise has always proven to be the most effective method. Yoga is the most effective way to treat hormonal imbalance. 

Our moods change from day to day depending on our circumstances. Some days we feel happy, some days we feel sad. So what is the primary reason behind this? It is called Hormones.

The Hormone plays an important role in our body. Many things are accomplished by it. What are hormones, and what are their functions?

What are Hormones?

Hormones are your body's chemical messengers. A hormonal imbalance occurs when a certain hormone is excessively or inadequately produced. Tiny changes throughout your body can have serious consequences.

Symptoms of a Hormonal imbalance:

Hormones play an important role in your overall health. Therefore, hormonal imbalance may result in a variety of symptoms.

• Weight gain

• Muscle weakness

• Weight loss

• Sweating

• Depression

• Decreased sex drive

• Nervousness

• Anxiety or irritability

• Blurred vision

• Insomnia

• Infertility etc,

Hormones are produced by glands in the endocrine system. They are the body's chemical messengers. They carry information and instructions from one set of cells to another.

Endocrine System:

• Endocrine glands produce varieties of hormones into the bloodstream depending on that activity. This lets the hormones travel to cells in other parts of the body.

• It regulates metabolism, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic agents, electrolyte balance, osmotic & blood pressure and recovery from stress relief.

• They help control many of your body's major processes, including metabolism and reproduction.

• The endocrine system is segregated into nine major parts. 

• Hypothalamus

• Pineal gland

• Pituitary gland

• Thyroid and parathyroid

• Thymus

• Adrenal gland

• Pancreas

• Ovary (Woman)

• Testis (Man)

• Each has the self function itself depending on their location. Today, we have to dive deep into the Adrenal Gland. All other systems will be discussed briefly on our upcoming blogs.

Adrenal Glands:

The adrenal glands are small glands that are located above both kidneys in the upper abdomen. They produce and release several hormones in the body.

It is also called emergency glands because it secretes adrenaline during stress and initiates a quick response to emergencies.  Adrenaline is an emergency hormone.

Adrenal Glands Functions:

• The small, triangular-shaped adrenal glands are made up of two parts -  the cortex and the medulla. 

• The adrenal glands help in metabolism, regulate blood pressure, and are responsible for the fight &  flight response.

Hormones Produced by Adrenal glands:

• Cortisol

• Aldosterone

• Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)

• Epinephrine

• Norepinephrine

  
  

Above hormones are produced by adrenal glands and it has a self function itself.

Cortisol: 

It helps control the body's use of fats, proteins and carbohydrates; suppresses inflammation; regulates blood pressure; increases blood sugar; and can also decrease bone formation.

Aldosterone:

Its main role is to regulate salt and water in the body, thus having an effect on blood pressure.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA):

It helps to create estrogen and androgen sex hormones and contributes to the development of androgenic effects, or masculinization.

Epinephrine & Norepinephrine:

It both works together in stressful situations to increase blood flow throughout your body. Both hormones interact with adrenergic receptors on the heart to elevate heart rate. When these hormones are generated, some changes are made in our body like increased heart rate, increased blood pumping of heart & increased blood pressure.

How to maintain the hormone in a balance condition through YOGA?

We have to do physical exercise to avoid imbalance hormone issues. According to that phenomenon, yoga is one of the best ways to balance the hormones in our bodies.

YOGA is not only physical exercise, it is based on the synchronization of our physical body to our mind. So we have to stimulate the particular parts of our body through yoga asana & pranayamas.

While we do the yoga asanas, the muscle fibers are lengthening & re-align according to that posture. The yoga asana will help to activate the glands by opening up the chakras of our body. The chakras are able to stimulate the hormones of our body,  so it will happen while doing asana & pranayamas. 

Pranayamas help to improve your breathings strength at the same time it would maintain the pace in the breathing, 

Yoga and meditation are well known for helping to relieve stress, stiffness of our muscles.

As it helps to improve the mobility, muscle strength & flexibility of our body. 

 The goal of restorative yoga is to bring the body and mind into complete relaxation. When we allow ourselves to reach this state of relaxation, the adrenal glands have a chance to “turn off" and reset, bringing our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems back into balance.

Yoga asana for Hormone Imbalance:

• Sasangasana

• Bhujangasana

• Viparita Karani

• Sethubandhasana

• Paschimottanasana

Sasangasana :

Sasangasana tones the pelvic muscles and the sciatic nerves and is beneficial for women who have an underdeveloped pelvis, It helps to stimulate the reproductive organs for both men & women. 

The stomach region is compressed when doing the sasangasana, at the time we would be able to feel the stretch of the abdominal region. It would help balance the composition of hormones produced in the adrenal glands.

The adrenal glands produce the hormones with the help of pressurized & depressurized glands, this phenomenon will happen by doing the yoga asanas.

Bhujangasana:

Bhujangasana is one of the best exercises for lengthening your spine & stimulating the abdominal region. It tones the buttocks, opens the heart & lungs. 

In the sense of backward bending, we feel the stretch completely for the spine, abdominal, chest & shoulder. 

The abdominal region chakras will be opened by regular practice of holding the bhujangasana. After this, the adrenal gland will be stimulated & hormones also balance constantly according to our body.

It would help to relieve stress & fatigue.

Viparita Karani :

It is a deeply relaxing pose that calms the nervous system, which in turn, helps lower stress and anxiety.

It stretches the hamstrings and lower-back, relieving tension in the back. Also, blood is passed through the upper body. At the same time, the abdominal region will also stretch if you are a beginner. If you don't stretch, you can adjust your legs by 90 degrees & move close to the wall.

It would help improve digestion and sleep.

It helps to promote balance throughout the systems of the entire body.

Sethubandhasana:

Setu Bandhasana strengthens the muscles of your back. It would help to relieve stress and strain in the muscles of the back by lifting & flexing the spine. 

The asana tones up the muscles of the abdomen and gives a good massage to the digestive organs.

The people who already got neck injuries, please don't over flex spine & keep maintaining straight to the knees. 

It tones and removes the unwanted fats in the buttocks, backside thigh.

The holding position of the sethubandhasana Stimulates the lungs, thyroid glands, and abdominal organs.

It gives calmness to the brain, stress, depression and reduces the level of anxiety.

Paschimottanasana:

Paschimottanasana helps with chronic neurological disease as well as reduces anxiety, headache and fatigue.

It massages and tones the abdominal and pelvic organs, making it a simple yet effective yoga asana for burning unwanted fat and aiding weight loss. 

It can help improve digestion if practiced regularly. It tones the shoulders and stretches the lower back, hamstrings, and hips.

While we do this asana do bend from your lower back, not hunch back your spine. You just feel the stretch in the abdominal region.

This is only to help you learn what happens when we do yoga. Please don't do this without an instructor.