Yoga benefits the endocrine system. People suffering from stress and tension because of medical conditions or the circumstances of life can find relief with regular practice. The many styles of yoga accommodate fitness enthusiasts of all levels. Gentle types of yoga include ananda, integral and sivananda styles. If your level of fitness is intermediate or advanced, you can try more physically demanding styles of yoga such as bikram, ashtanga and vinyasa flow.
Yoga
Yoga started in India. The word yoga comes from the ancient Indian language Sanskrit and means to unite. Yoga aims to unite your body, mind and spirit through meditation, breathing exercises and yoga poses called asanas. Performing different asanas, including inversions, forward bends and twisting poses, stimulate the glands of the endocrine system.
Endocrine System
The endocrine system consists of seven hormone-producing glands in your body: the adrenal cortex, the pituitary gland, the hypothalamus, the pancreas, the thyroid gland, the parathyroid glands and the testes or ovaries. These glands control essential bodily functions such as growth, reactions to stress, development of secondary sex characteristics and metabolism.
Cortisol and Stress
Practicing Iyengar yoga reduces the levels of cortisol in saliva, according to a Washington State University College of Nursing study that was reported in the March 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal gland in response to stress. Breast cancer survivors are at higher risk for chronic stress disorders than the general population. Nine breast cancer survivors attended a 90-minute Iyengar yoga class twice a week for eight weeks that progressed in difficulty as the fitness level of the women increased. Compared to the control group, the Iyengar yoga group had lower cortisol levels, less fatigue and improved emotional well-being.
Relaxation
Practicing yoga asanas and breath exercises initiates a relaxation response in the endocrinal system, according to an article by Dr. Nandini Vallath from the Bangalore Institute of Oncology in India and reported in the January -- April 2010 issue of the Indian Journal of Palliative Care. Vallath's research shows yoga stabilizes blood pressure, reduces muscle tension, lowers the heart rate and slows brain wave patterns. Yoga improves the emotional state of chronic pain sufferers whose hypothalamus, pituitary gland and adrenal gland are in a state of hyper arousal. Vallath also found that yoga influences the endocrine system by increasing blood flow to the thyroid during inverted poses such as shoulder stand and head stand.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Green Tea; 2010Endocrinology Health Guide; August 2010
- The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center; Yoga for People With Arthritis; Steffany Haaz; 2009
- Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners; Effect of Iyengar Yoga Practice on Fatigue and Diurnal Salivary Contisol Concentration in Breast Cancer Survivors; J. Banasik, et al.; March 2011
- Indian Journal of Palliative Care; Perspectives on Yoga Inputs in the Management of Chronic Pain; Nandini Vallath; January-April 2010
