Many people are overcome by stress during the holiday season. Work, buying presents, preparing for family arrival, going to visit family, being with family, holiday parties, and more fuel the fire that is stress in your body. When you are constantly stressed, the adrenal glands suffer and can become fatigued.
What Is Adrenal Fatigue?
The adrenals glands are located on top of the kidneys and they secrete adrenaline into the body. This helps your body spring into action in a stressful, fight or flight situation. The body is not designed to be in this fight or flight state all the time, but this can happen if you are constantly stressed. When your adrenal glands are constantly fatigued, you can experience cravings, weight gain, fatigue, anxiety, or depression.
Why Yoga?
Yoga is a stress-relieving activity that helps to restore an internal balance in the body. Restorative yoga, in particular, works to establish mind/body relaxation, giving the adrenal glands a chance to rest and reset. Use the following yoga poses to help keep your adrenals healthy, or whenever you feel overwhelmed by stress.
Viparita Karani (Hold 5 minutes):
This pose works to bring promote healthy circulation of lymphatic fluid from the legs to the abdomen and brain. This helps to energize the circulatory system. Watch the video to do the exercise.
Supported Child’s Pose (Hold 5 minutes):
Child’s Pose is a classic yoga move that is typically used for resting. The idea is to just let go and completely relax. When you use a bolster, or a stack of blankets, it gives your body a lot of support. This isn’t required, but you may feel like it helps. Watch the video to do the exercise.
Supported Cross-Legged Pose (Hold 2 minutes):
Helping to relieve tension in the hips, this pose works to relax both the body and the mind.
Supported Bridge Pose (Hold 5 minutes):
This pose works to bring your body back into a balanced state and slowsa the release of adrenaline from your adrenal glands. Watch the video to do the exercise.
Twist Pose (Hold 2 minutes per side):
You’ll feel a nice back stretch when you do this pose. What a lot of people don’t know is that this pose works to stimulate digestion and relieve mental stress. Watch the video to do the pose.
Let us know if these yoga poses helped relieve stress.
