Gone are the days when nature and it’s natural by-products were prized possessions: when farmers would use cow dung and other natural manures and fertilisers, when containers and utensils were earthen or natural metals, when food was wrapped in muslin, when sunlight and natural dyes were dyeing and bleaching agents, when communication meant real-time conversation, when cots and chairs were jute and wood, when soils and clays were cleansing agents, when toys meant wooden carts and when gulab and mogra lent fragrance…
This is the age of synthetics, of rayon and acrylic, of pesticides and plastics, of chemicals and dyes, of computers and mobile phones, of cosmetics and perfumes, of lead paints and toys. In a nutshell, this is the age of ‘endocrine disruptors’. You will seldom build a connection between ailments such as thyroid, migraine, chronic fatigue, depression, asthma etc. and the chemical intake in the body through shampoos, shower gels, creams, lotions and potions. And therefore you continue to impose these disruptions on your system exposing it to long-lasting negative impact on your bodies.
Theo Colborn, Ph.D., Environmental Health Analyst (The Endocrine Disruption Exchange, Colorado) explains how chemicals from all the above-mentioned sources enter our bodies and interfere with our hormones—such as insulin, thyroxin, estrogen and testosterone. These natural hormones regulate vital functions such as body growth, response to stress, sexual development and behaviour, the production and utilisation of insulin, metabolism, intelligence and behaviour, and the ability to reproduce.
Thyroid, a part of the endocrine system, at the elemental level is seen as an imbalance of the ether element. At the physical level, it manifests as hypo-thyroidism or hyper-thyroidism disturbing the body’s metabolic processes. Some of the symptoms include: sudden change in weight, thinning of hair, sluggishness or nervousness, husky voice, skin changes, abnormal menstrual flow.
Such a condition may be attributed to emotional turmoil, hyperactivity and ingestion of chemicals, which lead to congestion of prana (the life force that runs the entire Creation and the body) thus disrupting the free flow of prana in thepranamaya kosha. Each of the chakras in the pranic body controls certain physical processes of the body. An imbalance at the pranic level thus manifests as a disease in the physical body. Thyroid indicates the malfunctioning of the Vishuddhi Chakra (located in the Adam's apple area in the throat region).
Sanatan Kriya, which is a wholesome practice to help the modern man cope with routine challenges of emotional and physical stress, includes certain techniques to stimulate the Vishuddhi.
1.HALASANA
Lie down straight on your back. Inhale. Slowly raise both the legs and take them over your head, finally touching the toes to the floor. Palms can be placed either at the lower back to provide support or can be taken backwards touching the toes.
2.KANDHARASANA
Lie flat on the back, bending the knees bring heels close to the hip. Hold the ankles with the hands. Keeping the shoulder and head firmly on the ground start raising the hips and back, till the back is completely arched and the pelvis thrusts outwards, lock your chin into the chest.
These asanas are not suitable for people with stomach ailments and spinal injuries.
Ayurveda prescribes intake of 3 to 4 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil everyday to stimulate the functioning of thyroid gland.
Yogi Ashwini is the Guiding Light of Dhyan Foundation and an authority on the Vedic Sciences.
