THYROID DISEASE
WE ALL KNOW PEOPLE WHO CAN EAT AND EAT AND NEVER GET FAT, WHILE OTHERS NEED ONLY TO THINK OF FOOD TO PUT ON WEIGHT. SOME PEOPLE FLY THROUGH THE DAY WITH ENERGY AND VITALITY TO SPARE WHILE OTHERS HAVE TO DRAG THEIR BODIES AROUND LIKE DEAD WEIGHTS. THESE ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF VARIATIONS IN METABOLISM, THE ENERGY SYSTME OF THE PHYSICAL BODY.
METABOLISM
METABOLISM IS THE SUM TOTAL OF THE CONSERVATION AND EXPENDITURE OF THE BODY ENERGIES AND IS DIVIDED INTO TWO:
- ANABOLISM : THE BUILD-UP AND REPLACEMENT OF TISSUES AND THE STORAGE OF ENERGY, FOR EXAMPLE, GLUCOSE IS TAKEN FROM THE DIGESTIVE TRACT AND STORED IN THE LIVER AS GLYCOGEN.
- CATABOLISM : THE BREAKDOWN OF TISSUES AND THE USE OF ENERGY. SCIENCE HAS NOT YET FOUND THE KEYS TO UNLOCK ALL ITS MYSTERIES. IT IS KNOWN, HOWEVER, THAT THE TYROID GLAND IS THE REGULATOR OF METABOLISM IN THE BODY AND IS ITSELF REGULATED BY THE PITUITARY GLAND IN THE SKULL. REGULATION OF METABOLISM IN A HEALTHY PERSON OCCURS IN RESPONSE TO PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DEMANDS RELAYED THROUGH THE BRAIN AND ITS HYPOTHALAMIC CENTRES.
MANAGEMENT OF
THYROID DISORDERS
BOTH UNDERACTIVE OVERACTIVE THYROI DYSFUNCTIONS ARE AUTOIMMUNE DISORDERS. THIS MEANS THAT OUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS PRODUCING ANTIBODIES TO OUR OWN TISSUES. THERE IS INCREASING EVIDENCE THAT WHEN OUR DIGESTION IS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND THE FOOD IS NOT BROKEN DOWN FULLY IN THE GUT, THE INCOMPLETELY DISGESTED PROTEINS BECOME IMMUNOGENIC, THAT IS, THEY ARE LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO RECOGNIZE THEM AS FOREIGN ENTITIES AND PRODUCE ANTIBODIES FOR PROTECTION. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ANTIBODIES CAN CROSS-REACT WITH OUR OWN TISSUES AND IN THIS CASE ATTACK THE THYROID GLAND.
YOGIC MANAGEMENT
THE TYROID IS ALSO RELATED TO VISHUDDHI CHAKRA, THE PSYCHIC CENTRE WHICH PURIFIES THE POISONS OF THE BODY, VISH, AND TURNS THEM INTO AMRIT, THE NECTAR OF IMMORALITY. LONG BEFORE MEDICAL SCIENCE EVER KNEW ABOUT THE EXISTENCE OF THYROID GLANDS, THE YOGIS HAS DEVISED PRACTICES WHICH NOT ONLY MAINTAINED HEALTHY GLANDS AND METABOLISM, BUT ALSO FORMED PART OF A SYSTEM OF ENLIGHTENMENT, BUT ALSO FORMED PART OF A SYTEM OF ENLIGHTENMENT. THE GOOD HEALTH OF THE NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEM WAS UNDERSTOOD TO BE VITAL TO HIGHER AWARENESS.
THE MOST EFFECTIVE PRANAYAMA FOR THYROID PROBLEM IS UJJAYI. IT ACTS ON THE THROAT AREA AND ITS RELAXING AND STIMULATING EFFECTS ARE MOST PROBABLY DUE TO STIMULATION OF ANCIENT REFLEX PATHWAYS WITHIN THE THROAT AREA (ASSOCIATED, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH VOMITING, BREATHING, SWALLOWING) WHICH ARE CONTROLLED BY THE BRAIN STEM AND HYPOTHALAMUS. THIS PRACTICE ALSO GIVES US DIRECT ACCESS INTO THE PRANIC AND PSYCHIC NETWORKS, THE SUBSTRUCTURES OF METABOLIC ACTIVITY. UJJAYI IS THE BASIS OF VISHUDDHI SHUDDHI AND AJAPA JAPA, WHICH ARE VERY POWERFUL YOGIC PROCEDURES AND SHOULD BE TAUGHT AFTER THE PATIENT HAS ACQUIRED THE INITIAL SKILLS THOROUGHLY.
JALANDHARA BANDHA APPLIES PRESSURE TO THE THYROID AREA AND SHOULD BE INCORPORATED INTO PRANAYAMA CAUTIOUSLY AND AFTER THE INITIAL EXERCISES HAVE BEEN MASTERED. OTHER BANDHAS CAN ALSO BE ADDED TO ENHANCE THE EFFECTS OF PRANAYAMA. OF COURSE, IN THE LONG RUN THE MOST POWERFUL TECHNIQUE TO TUNE NOT ONLY THE TYROID GLAND, BUT ALSO THE WHOLE NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEM, ARE THE POTENT MAHA BANDHA, MAHA MUDRA, AND MAHA BHEDA MUDRA. THESE CAN BE MASTERED ONLY BY ADVANCED YOGA STUDENTS.
THE ROLE OF RELAXATION
BALANCING OF THE EMOTIONS, AND GIVING A SUITABLE OUTLET FOR THEIR EXPRESSION IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF YOGA THERAPY FOR THYROID DISEASE. KIRTAN (SINGING OF MANTRAS COLLECTIVELY TO THE POINT OF SELF-FOGETFULNESS AND TRANSCENDENCE) IS ONE OF THE MOST USEFUL MEANS. ANOTHER IS AJAPA JAPA MEDITATION (PRACTICE OF MANTRA AWARENESS IN THE FRONTAL PSYCHIC PASSAGE FROM NAVEL TO THROAT) IN CONJUNCTION WITH UJJAYI PRANAYAMA.
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