Our bodies have an amazing chemical messenger system going on that controls all of our feelings, emotions and reactions that happen in the body from digestion, energy release, reproduction, growth, sexual interaction & many (many many many) more. We call this the endocrine system and infact it orchestrates the entire functioning of your body. The endocrine system constantly produces chemicals, sending them out into the bloodstream like little messengers to tissues and organs so that they can work and do their jobs. Hormones are constantly changing in their levels & there are hormones that correct other hormones to exert or prohibit release in order to maintain that balance. Sometimes, due to life, stress, food, environment etc. there can be reasons that hormones become imbalanced. Your hormones fluctuate in different stages of your life such as puberty, menopause and pregnancy. However, a constant imbalance can lead to conditions such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, stress etc. Keeping hormones in balance can be challenging but there are many ways to help this process – including yoga!

One of the main causes of hormone imbalance is stress and as many of us know yoga dramatically reduces that stress. Yoga focuses on breathing which has a stimulating effect on your hormones and endocrine system. It has been said that inverted poses such as headstand, handstand and shoulder stand are beneficial to your thyroid, heart, hormones and lungs. Forward bending postures such as downward dog, childs pose and forward fold are beneficial in alleviating stress, anxiety and fatigue – all assisting in balancing hormones. Through breathing, mindful movement and time away from hectic lives, yoga brings you into the present moment, bringing your body into a sense of calm, lowering stress levels and bringing hormones into a happier, healthier balance.