Balancing your Adrenals Glands – reduce adrenal fatigue

Balancing your Adrenals Glands – reduce adrenal fatigue

Reduce adrenal fatigue

 

This blog will give you some key postures for rebalancing your adrenals and reduce adrenal fatigue. I’ve added a link to an 8 Minute Restorative Yoga class and some really interesting information about the Yoga Koshas – the subtle layers of our energy system. Knowing how to access these deeper layers of ourselves allows us to access a much deeper yoga practice.  

 

4 Postures to Practice

Child’s Pose – Balasana

child's pose

  1. Breathe into the lower back – connect with your adrenals
  2. Use a blanket under your feet if needed and try a blanket between your thighs and calves.
  3. Explore the 5 koshers – Check in – are you comfy, bring awareness to breathe, notice any feelings that arise as you settle and allow them to be present, notice any thoughts as they arise – allow them to be there without getting involved, rest and relax in the posture for as long as you like/is comfortable.

 

 

 

Sitting forward bend – Pashimottanasana

  1.   Sit with legs stretched in front.
  2.   Inhale and bring open palms up to heart centre.
  3.   Exhale & bend forward extending from hips and taking the hands towards     knees/ankles – where ever is good for you.
  4.  Reach calves, ankles or feet. Inhale return to original posture (head comes up last) and repeat.
  5.  Eventually stay for up to one minute and breathe into the back of your body inviting  your adrenals to come back to balance.
  6. Spinal Rock as a counter pose (on your back knees up to chest and rock from side to side).

 

 

 

Head to knee pose – Jira SarasanaReduce adrenal fatigue

  1. Sit on floor with buttocks lifted on a folded blanket & legs straight in front. Inhale, bend right knee and rest right foot sole lightly against inner left thigh & lay the outer right leg on floor with shin at a right angle to the left leg. (Use a cushion to support right knee if needed.
  2. Inhale & stretch arms up.
  3. Exhale & bend forward extending from hips.
  4. Reach calves, ankles or feet. Inhale return to original posture and repeat.
  5. Eventually stay for up to one minute and again breathe into the back of your body inviting your adrenals to come back to balance.
  6. Spinal Rock as a counter pose (on your back knees up to chest and rock from side to side).

 

Crocodile Pose (Makarasana)

 

Reduce adrenal fatigue

  1. Lie on belly, elbows in front of shoulders, open legs wide & roll heels in (innerthighs, knees & ankles are in contact with the floor, press pubic bone into floor, belly soft, tuck chin into throat so back of neck is long, forehead on forearm, quietly breath. Stay here for as long as you like – breathe info the adrenal glands – invite them to rest and rejuvenate.
  2. Release by bringing feet close together & turning head to rest check on the floor.

 

 

Eight Minute Restorative Yoga Video

I have recorded a short 8 minute Restorative Class that I filmed on a beach in Thailand as Al and I were travelling over to Australia to move here in 2016.

Click on the link here to access

 

 Five Koshas in Yoga

In each and every yoga class you will be working with the more subtle energies as well as your physical body. Yes, we stretch, strengthen and create flexibility but yoga also helps to balance your emotions and calm a busy mind. Within Yogic Philosophy these subtle layers of energy are called Koshas. They are the different layers of our being which help us to explore our body, emotions, thoughts, deeper wisdom and our soul. Having access to these helps us navigate through life from a much wider and wise perspective.

 

1. Annamaya kosher – Physical layer.

As you start your yoga practice I’ll always invite you to scan through your body and notice how it feels. Is there a particular area that needs more care? Become aware of this and you will avoid unnecessary injuries. Your ego won’t need to push you in a way that is not safe for you on the day of your practice.

Being able to recognise our ego in our practice and continue in a loving way to ourselves is a great skill to have. We may hear “Oh just try and push that little bit more”, however when this creates pain we have succumbed to our ego which is not very helpful in our yoga practice. Instead listen to your body. Notice what feels good and learn how to challenge yourself so you benefit from this rather than create injuries.

 

2. Pranamaya Kosha -Vital Energy Layer.

Connecting to your breath is priceless. I say this because it is always there for us, it is free and it can help us to become calm and balanced within seconds with awareness. As you’ll know mind, body and breath move together in unison in our yoga practice. Yoga in itself means ‘unison’ of our mind, body and deeper spiritual self.

Our breath is like a navigation system to help us connect to our deeper wisdom. This happens because of the connection to our central nervous system. When we breathe with awareness and steady our breath it activates our nervous system.This either energises or relaxes us depending on the postures you are practising. Both systems ultimately bring us back into balance.

 

3. Manomaya Kosha – Mental Layer

Notice how you ‘feel’ throughout your yoga practice as you hold postures, as you enter a more relaxed and open space. We may notice emotions emerging that we had not thought about for a while. I can highly recommend acknowledging and inviting these emotions into your practice. Observe them, where do they exist within you body? Can you use your breath to bring a softness to it without any pressure for the feeling to be anything else? As you give permission for your emotions to be there there will be a softening and a release. This is what we mean by ‘letting go’. Observe, allow and release.

Visualisation is a wonderful tool to bring into your practice here. In my classes I’ll often bring in visualisation to help you to connect to your emotional layer. For example you may visualise the beautiful light of the sun pouring through you and energising your very deepest self. You may use your breath to release an emotion in a gentle and loving way. I love this creative process which can be used in your yoga practice. It’s one that I use in both my own practice and in my teaching.

 

4. Vijnanamaya Kosha – (Wisdom or awareness body).

As you process these emotions you may notice what thoughts come up in your practice. As you delve into your deeper layers you get closer to your inner wisdom. I experience this as a feeling of knowing or a perception that feels very whole. Take your time to observe and you will receive so much wisdom which you can use to guide your daily life.

A good exercise to do to connect to this layer is ask a question before your practice. As your mind quietens throughout your practice notice what wisdom comes to you. Often I receive ‘messages’ of wisdom and ways to address certain situations I am facing which I may need some assistance for. When this ‘comes through’ it is always from a place of unconditional love, which of course is one of the highest forms of vibration in our universe. As well as become the observer we can also become the creator here.

The use of affirmations is very powerful when incorporated with movement, breathe and intention. Consider you’re intention for your practice and create affirmations. Some examples that I may use are, “I am joyful and fulfilled today’ or I am feeling ……and open to receiving….. today”. You can also set these are reminders for yourself throughout the day to keep you connected to your intentions for the day.

 

5. Anandamaya Kosha (Blissful Layer) 

As we move through the different koshas we eventually arrive at our blissful layer. This is the space within us where you feel connected to a ‘higher wisdom’. For me this place feels peaceful. I can receive answers for my questions and trust this guidance and wisdom to be for the greater good of all including myself. It’s the place typically where students arrive at the end of a yoga class. This is often described as ‘the best part of the class’ – relaxation.

This part of the class is so important as it is the time when your body will heal and re-balance itself and integrate the energy of the class. It’s a time to rest here knowing and trusting that your body, mind and spirit will do what they need to do as you relax and receive.

Here’s how to access more of our classes:

Head on over to our  Soul Harmony Yoga You Tube Channel.   You are welcome to access our short yoga classes as well as some of our full yoga classes.

To access our full library of classes head over to our Memberships Page where you can either access a contract free monthly membership for US$14 per month or a Annual membership for US$150.

Have a wonderful day,

Debs

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