GOQii

Blog

By 19 Comments

How Yoga Can Affect Your Endocrine System

endocrine systemYoga not only plays an important role in maintaining our health but also has a very good effect on our endocrine system. Due to a hectic lifestyle and everyday stress, people are experiencing a lot of hormonal problems. Some of the health issues faced by both men and women are hormonal changes, underactive or overactive thyroid and hormonal imbalance. Increase in cortisol levels, insulin deficiency or insulin resistance, early puberty and early menopause are few hormonal disorders that women face. It’s therefore good to know more about the endocrine system. The Endocrine system is a collection of glands that release hormones directly into the bloodstream to the targeted cells.

Why Is The Endocrine System Important For Us?

Endocrine system  helps maintain the body’s homeostasis (balance). Metabolism, growth, sexual development, mental growth, mineral balance, heart rate regulation, setting our sleep cycle, muscular and skeletal growth are the functions of endocrine gland.

Role of the Hypothalamus: Hypothalamus is a part of the brain that is responsible for the direct control of the endocrine system through the pituitary gland. Hypothalamus is also the center of emotions and is affected by strong emotions, odor, powerful thoughts, taste, stress, laughter, etc.

Pituitary gland is the master gland controlling the whole endocrine system including the pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, thymus gland,  adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testes. The hypothalamus sends signals to pituitary gland, which then releases chemicals to stimulate the hormones from other endocrine glands. So this will work like Hypothalamus–pituitary-organ pathway.

The Role of Yoga in Controlling the Hormonal System

  • Pranayama: has a good effect on the endocrine system. Pranayama means stretching , modifying and lengthening the breath. Pranayama has dual benefits. In Pranayama, when you control your breath, it controls both your mind and your body. We supply more oxygen to the lungs which is transported to each and every cell of the body. The blood supply and the oxygen supply to the brain and hypothalamus increases, thereby, improving their functioning. One can control stress and emotions in a better way because stress can disturb the functioning of the hypothalamus. Pranayama improves the relationship between hypothalamus –pituitary and the other glands and thus, the entire endocrine system is balanced.
  • Yog Nidra or Yogic Sleep: is a great way to control stress and emotion. It is not about going to Shavasana and just sleeping but staying awake and controlling your thoughts and senses, replacing negative thoughts with positive ones, relaxing and energizing your mind and body. Yog Nidra will improve the functioning of the brain, hypothalamus and the relationship between hypothalamus and pituitary and the other endocrine glands.
  • Yogic Poses: like Sirsasana, standing forward bend increases blood flow to brain and improves the functioning of the brain and hypothalamus along with improving the  functioning of pituitary and pineal gland. Halasana and shoulder stand improve the functioning of thyroid and parathyroid gland. Ardh Matsyendrasana and Balasana will stimulate pancreas for the release of insulin and glucagon from pancreas. Setubandhasana and Bhujangasana will stimulate testes and ovaries.

We hope this article helps you improve the functioning of your endocrine system and bring balance to your mind and body! Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on how yoga can help you, check out Healthy Reads or ask a GOQii Coach by subscribing for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

You can also practice yoga online with guidance from a certified expert by subscribing for GOQii Pro Classes within the GOQii App.

#BeTheForce

By Leave a Comment

Pranayama To Detoxify The Body, Mind And Vital Organs

detox your body with pranayama

Pranayama is the yogic practice of breath control. It means the ability to expand our health by controlling the breath. There are various ways and positions to practice yogic breathing.

The combination of pranayama and meditation has positive effects in curing various problems like acidity, stress, anxiety, skin diseases, improved blood circulation, and managing lifestyle disorders such as thyroid, PCOS, controlling blood sugar and blood pressure. 

We breathe daily, right? So what is pranayama? Why Pranayama? 

Pranayama is slow, deep breathing, in a rhythm. The breathing that we do normally is not in rhythm and is non-harmonic. It is in pranayama that gets our mind and organs in sync. There are various pranayama practices which you can do daily. 

1. Kapalbhati Pranayama
This is a famous pranayama practice also known as The Skull Shining Breathing Technique. Kapalbhati has  physiological effects on cardiovascular, digestive and nervous systems.

Benefits of Kapalbhati Pranayama: 

  • It Generates heat in the system to help dissolve toxins and waste matter.
  • Daily practice helps in adding luster to your face and you get glowing skin
  • Improves digestion and can help alleviate gastrointestinal problems like acidity, indigestion and flatulence.
  • Improves the function of kidneys and liver as it provides a gentle massage to the organs.
  • If practiced daily helps in reducing belly fat.
  • Kapalbhati helps reduce stress in the eyes, thus reduces dark circles around the eyes.
  • It triggers your abdominal region, so it’s beneficial for diabetic patients.
  • It improves the blood circulation problem in whole body parts.

2. Anulom Vilom
Also known as Alternate nostril breathing, it has various benefits for the body internally and externally. Oxygen is pure and required by the body for every single process to take place and therefore, it is vital for us to breath right and Anulom Vilom serves the purpose. It is the best way of balancing the Tri Dosas (Tri means “three” and the meaning of dosas is impurities) in our body i.e. Vaat, Pitta and Kaffa. All three are the cause of all diseases. So, it is important to balance them. Our body gets ill when Tri Dosas are not in harmony.

Benefits of Anulom vilom Pranayama

  • It can provide some relief from mental health problems like Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Tension, etc.
  • Improves the working of the lungs, beneficial for  most respiratory problems like (Bronchitis, Asthma), etc.
  • Best breathing technique for boosting your memory – makes your brain sharper, increases concentration and gathers focus.
  • Improves your immune system, so it can cure general issues like cough & cold.
  • Alternate nostril breathing is an ideal breathing technique for maintaining your heart healthy.

3. Sheetali Pranayama
The meaning of the word “Sheetali” is cooling down. This pranayama practice is a process to cool your body down. It gives the feeling of coldness by decreasing the body temperature, thereby having a positive impact on our nervous system and endocrine glands. Extremely helpful during the summer season.

Benefits of Sheetali Pranayama

  • It is useful in managing disorders related to tongue, mouth and throat.
  • It is very beneficial in treating diseases of the spleen.
  • Helpful in fever by cooling the system down.
  • Controls and manages high blood pressure.
  • It purifies the blood.
  • Improves sleep quality and is best for fighting Insomnia.
  • It calms the mind, as it is an effective stress buster. Once our mind is calm, we can easily deal with negative emotions like  anger and anxiety.
  • Effective in hyperacidity. Excellent for people who have GERD and face issues with acidity and indigestion.

There is another breathing practice similar to Sheetali, known as Sheetkari pranayama. 

Both are similar, the only difference is the way of breathing. In Sheetali, we breathe in by folding the tongue and breathe out from the nose. In Sheetkari, we inhale through the teeth and exhale from the nose.

Benefits of Sheetkari Pranayama

  • Effective against dental problems like bad breath, bleeding gums and pyorrhea.
  • Balances body temperature.
  • Calms the mind, reduces emotional excitation and mental tension.
  • Can help you manage depression, anxiety and panic attacks. 

As a yoga instructor, I get these questions a lot of time: What is the best time to do pranayama? Generally, morning is the best time for a breathing exercise as it helps us activate our organs. Plus, on an empty stomach, we achieve optimum benefits. To know why morning yoga is beneficial, you can have a look at my previous article: https://goqii.com/blog/benefits-of-practicing-morning-yoga-at-home. 

We hope this article helps you! For more on yoga, check out Healthy Reads. You can also get tips and learn more about yoga and pranayama from experts by subscribing for GOQii’s personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

By 2 Comments

Can Pranayama Techniques Cool Your Body During Summer?

Can pranayama cool your body during summer

Are you using lots of water, cool drinks, air-conditioning or beach parties to beat the heat this summer? Would you be interested to know about an easy and inexpensive way to chill instead? If yes, then read this article to learn three different breathing techniques to cool down your body. Yes! You read it right. All you need to do is breathe! Here’s how Pranayama techniques can cool your body during summer! 

Pranayama Techniques To Cool Your Body 

1. Increased Rate & Depth of Breathing
Preferably lie down in Shavasana and practice deep diaphragmatic breathing, allowing the belly to rise with each inhalation. Make sure to increase your breathing rate too. A modified version of doing it is panting like a dog. Just open your mouth and stick out your tongue as far as it can go, then start panting. Make sure that your stomach goes in or contracts immediately with each exhalation. 

Why does it work?
We sweat a lot during the summers. The evaporation of sweat cools down our body. In the same ways, with an increased rate and depth of breathing, we exhale a lot more water vapour. It enhances the cooling effect of the body. Now you know why dogs don’t sweat? They stick out their tongue and release the heat. More breaths and less movement ensures the double advantage of cooling your pace.

2. Sheetali Pranayama
Stick your tongue out and roll it like a straw. Inhale air through this straw as if you were sipping in a cool beverage on a hot summer day. Exhale through the nose. Sheetkari pranayama is a modified version of Sheetali, which can be done if you are unable to roll your tongue. Here you have to open your mouth with clenched teeth to inhale through them and exhale through the nose.

Why does it work?
When we breathe in through the nose, the air gets warmed up on its path to the lungs to match the internal body temperature. While we breathe in through the mouth, this doesn’t happen. On the contrary, the air gets moistened when we inhale through the mouth, enhancing its cooling effects.

3. Left Nostril Breathing
Use your right-hand fingers to block the right nostril and breathe through the left nostril. An easier way to activate the left nostril breathing is to insert a cotton plug in the right ear.

Why does it work?
Our body temperature is maintained by the movement of air through the right and left channels. The right channel is associated with sun, heat and activity. Whereas the left channel is associated with the moon, cool and rest. It is like the accelerator and brake pedals of a car. Applying the brakes gently slows down and cools off the overheated car engines. Similarly, when we deliberately breathe in through the left nostril, the brakes get applied to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to produce a cooling and calming effect on the body.

And there it is! We hope these 3 pranayama techniques will help you cool your body during these hot summer days. Try them and let us know your experience in the comments below. For more summer tips, check out Healthy Reads. To get these tips directly from a GOQii Coach, subscribe for personalized health coaching here: https://goqiiapp.page.link/bsr

#BeTheForce 

By Leave a Comment

Yoga Therapy To Fight Viral Infections

yoga therapyMonsoons and the subsequent change in weather often result in low immunity and viral infections such as a sore throat, cold, fever, etc. which drain us. Yoga therapy has a holistic approach, works on 5 different levels i.e. Physical Body, Energy Body,  Mental Level, Intellectual Level, Emotional level and Spiritual level, which can help you overcome these ailments. Let’s look at how these levels help viral infections. 

How Does Yoga Therapy Help? 

1. Physical Body
Here are some Yoga Asanas you can practice to remove the physical symptoms of the infection.

  • Uttanasana: Helps in clearing out the sinus passages, thereby clearing out blockages and allowing for more complete breathing. It invigorates the nervous system and relieves stress and tension.yoga therapy
  • Setubandhaasana: Opens up the chest. It also sends fresh blood to the head, which helps open up the sinuses further. This asana also activates the thymus glands, one of the main organs of the immune system.
  • Viparit Karni: The Legs Up the Wall Pose is a great pose to practice to counter respiratory ailments. When you practice this asana, you will realize that you are relieved of headaches or backaches that accompany a cold. Practicing this asana calms the mind and makes you strong as your body deals with the cold and helps in reducing fatigue, which usually follows common cold. This asana helps the immune cells to move through your body.
  • Adho Mukha Svanasana: In this asana, your heart is placed higher than the head. There is a reverse pull of gravity that happens when you do that, and this aids in the proper circulation of the lymph and the blood. The mild inversion allows a free flow of white blood cells throughout the body and also helps to drain out the sinuses.
  • Ustrasana: Opens up the chest and clears out all the passages. It is essential to try and breathe as much as you can while you are in this pose. This will help open up all the blocked areas that are causing the cold.
  • Matsyasana: When you assume this asana, your chest is raised and your throat is opened up. This improves your breathing and helps cure a cold. During colds, one can support the upper thoracic back with a cushion, bolster, or yoga blocks, aiding optimal recovery.

2. Energy Body
Pranayama are practiced to eliminate mucus and any agitations in the breathing. Practices for this are as follows:

  • Kapalbhati Pranayama: Helps unclog the respiratory tract. Improves blood circulation and uplifts the mind. 2-3 rounds twice a day gives you renewed energy to help combat cold.
  • Bhastrika Pranayama: Involves forceful exhalation that aids in clearing the nasal passage.
  • Nadi Shodhan Pranayama: Helps open up blocked nose, Facilitates better flow of oxygen to lungs and keeps your mind calm and peaceful.
  • Ujjayi Pranayama: Helps increase lung capacity, and releases toxins with each exhalation.

3. Mental Level
Simple Dhyana Meditation is practiced to keep one relaxed in the physically stressful time. Just sitting in a quiet place with closed eyes for a few minutes and meditating can help boost our immune system and fight with any kind of infection.

4. Intellectual Level
Observing part of self while practicing Yoga, Increases the awareness of self. This awareness eliminates agitations of mind, which brings self love and compassion

  • Shavasana: This is a deep resting pose. Sometimes, when you have a cold, all you need to do is to rest your body. It energizes it and helps it fight better against the cold-causing viruses. It helps in focusing on oneself and increases body awareness which helps relax the mind and body.

5. Spiritual Level
Mediation, Prayers and Chanting can help you boost your immunity and keep you mentally strong during the time when the body is suffering with an infection.

Practicing the yoga therapy based module for viral infections not only strengthens the immune system of the body but it also improves mental health which is very important to heal and recover. Staying strong mentally helps our body fight any infection better. Yoga Therapy works on our overall health. It gives one a strong body, strong mind and strong spirit to overcome most things. 

To check out these yoga poses and to learn more about yoga, you can look up Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by our yoga specialists on GOQii Play.

#BeTheForce  

Devesh Srivastava Lowers His HbA1c from 6.7 to 5.8 With GOQii

Have you ever suffered from a cold or fever and thought to yourself that you can manage this? In fact, there’s a good chance that with some medication and rest, the symptoms of a cold or fever have subsided. But, when you deal with issues such as Diabetes and Hypertension, trying to manage the issue […]

Deepak Sampat Lowers His HbA1c Levels With GOQii

Diabetes often seems like a death sentence for those who are inflicted by it. It means spells of numerous medications, not being able to enjoy food they once did and regular check ups that only add up to the stress of living with Diabetes. We’re here to tell you that Diabetes is not a death […]

How Ruta Pandya Managed Ulcerous Colitis & Arthritis With Lifestyle Changes

We’ve always spoken about how you can manage lifestyle diseases with minor tweaks to your habits. But sometimes, it isn’t enough. Especially when one condition leads to another. Our player Ruta Pandya suffered from a condition called Ulcerous Colitis and a series of other medical issues which she battled for years. After fighting an uphill […]