Halasana and thyroid health

Halasana ~ Plow

Hala: Plow

Hollah! I love this pose. This pose stimulates the THYROID. The thyroid gland, found in the neck, makes proteins, controls how much energy we use and controls our sensitivity to other hormones –– by producing it's own hormones which regulate our metabolism. 

In halasana your feet do not need to touch the floor behind your head, it is more important that you keep the legs straight. In the morning, especially, when we tend to be stiffer, do not push this pose hard or far. There is never a need to "push!" yourself in order to reap the benefits of yoga. If you are an A type and this compassionate approach sounds outlandish to you just think of all the time you will waste recovering from an injury. 

The thyroid gland is shaped like a butterfly; let us discuss The Butterfly Effect:

In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions; where a small change at one place in a nonlinear system can result in large differences to a later state. For example, the presence or absence of a butterfly flapping its wings could lead to creation or absence of a hurricane. ––wikipedia.com

 

There is no insignificant action. Recall that every action has a consequence far beyond your understanding and be present in your decisions. J and I watched the documentary Food inc. last night. Although I would recommend any of Michael Pollan's books over this film, I appreciated the reminder of how important our role is as consumers. Keep in mind the ripple effect of your behavior the next time you are at the grocery store. 

Michael Pollan food rule #39: Eat all the junk food you like, as long as you cook it yourself.

You do not need to eat 'perfectly,' just be aware and above all enjoy yourself. I love to bake--- CLICK for some of my favorite recipes.