All about Hypothyroidism (Part 5): Yoga for Hypothyroidism
Updated: Mar 2
How does Yoga help in regulating Hypothyroidism?
Hypothyroidism is a disorder which affects both the physical and the mental well-being of a person.
Practicing yoga can have several benefits. There are prescribed asanas which can help stimulate the thyroid gland to improve its functions and thereby decrease the symptoms.
Yoga can also help manage the stress which again helps to control the symptoms like depression. Practising the following recommended yoga asanas regularly has great potential to help improve the quality of life significantly in people suffering from thyroid disorders.
Sarvangasana
Lie down on your back, arms by your sides.
Lift your legs, buttocks, and back in a single motion to come up high on your shoulders. Hands can help to support your back.
Move your hands up your back, creeping up towards the shoulder blades, and bring your elbows closer to each other.
Continue to straighten your legs and spine by pressing your elbows into the floor and your hands into your back. Your head and neck should not be supported; instead, your weight should be supported by your shoulders and upper arms.
Maintain a solid leg position. As if you were leaving a footprint on the ceiling, raise your heels higher. Bring your big toes up and over your nose. Now raise your toes. Keep an eye on your neck. Do not put any pressure on yourself.
Keep your neck from collapsing onto the floor. Instead, keep your neck strong by slowly tightening the muscles in your neck. Your sternum should be pressed against your chin. Come out of the pose if you feel any strain in your neck.
Continue to breathe deeply and hold the pose for 30-60 seconds.
Lower the knees to the forehead to get out of the stance. Bring your hands to the floor and place them palms down. Slowly lower your spine to the floor, vertebra by vertebra, without lifting your head. Legs should be lowered to the floor. Relax for at least 60 seconds.
Halasana
Lie down on your back with your arms by your sides, palms down.
Lift your feet off the floor using your core muscles as you inhale, lifting your legs vertically at a 90-degree angle.
Continue to breathe normally while lifting your hips and back off the ground with your hands.
Allow your legs to sweep over your head at a 180-degree angle until your toes contact the floor. Your back should be parallel to the ground. Although it may be challenging at first, give this a try for a few seconds.
With each calm breath, hold this stance and allow your body to relax more and more.
On exhalation, gently lower your legs down after about a minute (a few seconds for beginners) of staying in this pose.
Matsyasana
Lie down flat on your back. Your feet are together, and your hands are relaxed next to your torso.
Place your hands below your hips, palms down. Close the distance between the elbows.
Lift the head and chest up as you take a deep breath in.
Lower the head backward and touch the top of the head to the floor while keeping the chest raised.
Press the elbows firmly into the ground, placing the weight on the elbows rather than the head, with the head just touching the floor. Raise your chest from the area between your shoulder blades. Thighs and legs should be pressed to the floor.
Hold the pose for as long as you feel comfortable, inhaling and exhaling slowly. With each breath, relax the posture.
Raise your head, then lower your chest and head to the floor. Bring the hands to the sides of the body. Relax.
Viparitha karni
Look for a tall, level, and straight wall. Sit with your left side against the wall and your feet firmly planted on the floor.
Move your back to the floor and your feet flat against the wall as you exhale.
Move your body closer to the wall with the help of your arms until your hip bones are directly against the wall and your legs are vertically above you, both legs directly over your hips. Place your head on the floor.
Make sure your pelvis is in a neutral posture before you begin.
If you’re having trouble with this position, elevate your hips and place your bolster beneath them.
Allow your hands to rest on your tummy or beside your torso on the floor as you relax your face and neck.
While maintaining your legs propped up against the wall, relax every part of your body.
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
Hold this position for up to 15 minutes.
Gently bend your knees and push your body away from the wall to finish the posture. Before forcing yourself up to a seated position, turn to your right side and lie in foetal posture.
Marjarasana
Get down on all fours. Create a table using your back as the table top and your hands and feet as the table legs.
Maintain a perpendicular relationship between your arms and the floor, with your hands precisely beneath your shoulders and flat on the ground; your knees should be hip-width apart.
Keep your eyes straight forward.
Raise your chin and tilt your head back as you inhale, pushing your navel downwards and raising your tailbone. Your buttocks should be compressed. Do you have a tingling sensation here?
Take long, deep breaths while holding the Cat stance.
Exhale and drop your chin to your chest, arching your back as high as you can; relax the buttocks.
Hold this position for a few moments before resuming it. Repeat 4-5 times
Navasana
Lie down on your back with your feet together and the arms by your sides.
Inhale deeply, then lift your chest and feet off the ground, stretching your arms towards your feet as you exhale.
Your eyes, fingers, and toes should all be aligned in a straight line.
As your abdominal muscles contract, feel the impact in your navel area.
While keeping the stance, continue to breathe deeply and gently.
Slowly return to the ground and relax as you breathe.
Ushtrasana
Kneel and sit down on your heels. Maintain a little separation between the knees and heels.
Raise yourself to your knees now.
Slowly bend your head and back with your chin elevated while you stretch your hands backwards. Your hands can be placed on either side of your hips. In this mid-position, we must steady ourselves.
Continue stretching until your hands extend down and you can feel your heels. Your hands should be resting on your heels. Make sure your chest is open and your neck is bent backwards with your eyes directed upwards.
As long as you feel comfortable, stay in this position. Depending on your comfort level, you can go anywhere from 30 seconds to 3 minutes.
Inhale and return to the starting posture to release the position.
Bhujangasana
Lie down on your stomach, soles facing up, with your toes flat on the floor and your forehead resting on the ground.
Maintain a close relationship between your legs, with your feet and heels softly touching.
Place both hands so that the palms of your hands are on the ground beneath your shoulders, and your elbows are parallel and close to your torso.
Lift your head, chest, and abdomen slowly while taking a deep breath in. Maintain your navel’s position on the floor.
With the help of your hands, pull your torso back and off the floor. Make sure you are applying the same amount of pressure on both palms.
Continue to breathe slowly and deliberately as you curve your spine vertebra by vertebra. Straighten your arms as much as possible by arching your back; tilt your head back and look up.
Maintain the posture for 4-5 breaths while breathing smoothly.
Now exhale and gradually lower your abdomen, chest, and head to the floor, relaxing.
Chakrasana
Begin by lying on your back.
Bend your knees to the point where your feet are flat on the floor, parallel to your sitting bones, and about a foot apart from your hips. Firmly plant your feet on the ground.
With your fingers towards your shoulders, place your hands on the floor directly above your shoulders.
Lift your upper body off the mat by pressing into your hands and placing the crown of your head lightly on the mat.
Activate your inner thighs by pressing into your feet and lifting your legs, pelvis, and abdomen off the mat.
More weight should be transferred to your palms as you push harder into your feet. Your lower back will be protected as a result of this.
Continue to press hard into the mat to maintain arm strength and stability.
Allow your head to hang in a neutral posture without straining your neck.
Hold the position for 5-10 breaths.
Slowly drop your arms and legs and return your spine to the mat vertebrae by vertebrae to exit the pose.
Shavasana
Lie flat on your back, ideally without any cushions or support. If necessary, place a little pillow beneath your neck. Close your eyes for a moment.
Maintain a comfortable distance between your legs and let your feet and knees to completely relax, toes facing to the sides.
Place your arms alongside your body, but slightly apart from it. Face your palms upwards and keep them open
Slowly relax your entire body by focusing on distinct body parts one at a time.
Begin by bringing your focus to your right foot, then to your right knee (when you complete one leg, switch your attention to the other leg), and so on, relaxing each portion of your body as you move upwards to your head.
Allow your breath to calm you more and more as you continue to breathe slowly, gently, and profoundly. The inhaled breath energises the body, while the exhaled breath relaxes it. Allow yourself to be free of any sensation of haste or need to focus on anything else. Simply be with your body and your breath. Allow your entire body weight to collapse to the floor and let go. Ensure you don’t doze off!
Slowly roll onto your right side after a few minutes, around 10-20 minutes, when you feel completely relaxed. For about a minute, lie in that position. Then, using your right hand to support you, gradually sit up into a seated pose like Sukhasana (Easy Pose).
Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths in and out as you become more aware of your surroundings and body. Slowly and softly open your eyes once you feel ready.
