Check these symptoms
Do you have difficulty getting up in the morning and hitting the snooze button of your alarm more than once? Have you gained weight especially around your abdomen area? Are you craving salty foods? Have you been snacking a lot lately? Do you feel tired from 7 to 10pm but get a second wind if you stay up later? All of the above for me! I have been feeling all these lately and yes, it is hormonal.
White Tantric, Summer Solstice at Espanola, New Mexico (2016)
It’s adrenal fatigue. The adrenal glands sit on top of the kidneys and are responsible for producing hormones to help us adapt to stress. One of the hormones produced by the adrenals is Cortisol, a long-acting hormone which determines our response to stress. When the adrenals are fatigued, it can no longer respond appropriately to stress and may feel burned out. Cortisol levels may spike up or down in response to stress.
The stressors are cumulative and their impact adds up in the body over time. Sources of stressors include stress and overexertion, not enough time for relaxation and play, improper breathing, toxic exposure, heavy metals, lack or excessive exercise, etc. These are the symptoms that may apply to me, but the infographic below is more complete.
Here’s how you can support your adrenal glands
Let me share with you 10 lifestyle tips recommended by my teacher, Naturopathic Doctor and Healthy Breast advocate, Sat Dharam Kaur, to support the adrenal glands:
1) Spend at least 20 minutes daily doing a breathing exercise. Your diaphragm and breath strongly influence your adrenal glands. To balance the adrenal glands, do Breath of Fire for 3 minutes in the morning and long deep breathing through the left nostril only (block your right nostril with your right thumb) before bed.
2) Exercise 40 minutes daily as this elevates cortisol slightly.
3) Eat regular meals and healthy snacks between meals to stabilize cortisol levels.
4) Avoid sugar, chocolate, caffeine and high glycemic carbohydrates which cause a spike and then a drop in cortisol.
5) Replace coffee with green tea, yogi tea or a roasted chicory or barley coffee substitute.
6) Take a 20 minute break between 3 and 5 in the afternoon, when cortisol levels are low, either with a nap, a snack, a walk or relaxation or meditation. Find ways to nurture yourself, and accept nurturing from others.
7) Go to bed before 10 pm.
8) Have 1⁄2 to 1 tsp of sea salt daily, especially if you crave it. If you have high blood pressure, check with your physician first.
9) Reduce or eliminate time spent being with people or doing things that drain your energy. Say ‘no’ more often.
10) Spend at least half an hour each day doing something you really enjoy and if possible, laugh daily.
Class Updates and Important Forecast Dates
We have a solstice event happening on June 21. The solstice is an auspicious time to honor the sun and recharge. My gong therapy teacher, Mehtab Benton, says, “Summer Solstice is the most powerful day of the year to connect to your soul’s inner sun and meditate, meditate, meditate. While the energy is high around the Solstice, it is also a good time to fast and perform austerities such as late evening meditations while the sunlight still lasts.”
He recommends to take this powerful opportunity to heal in the 10 days leading up to Solstice to strengthen the glandular system. Taking his advice, on June 11, which is exactly 10 days before the solstice, the class will be focusing on strengthening the glands. On June 14, a new moon, there will also be the Grace of a Woman for the Lunar Woman series.
Stay healthy, and wishing you well till our next practice together.
In loving service,
Rosan
