Thyroid disorders are mainly caused due to malfunctioning of the thyroid gland as thyroxine is not secreted properly. Not only does it cause serious disorders like goiter, it affects your self-confidence and outlook towards life as well. However, by using yoga as a weapon, you can fight such disorders easily. In this post, we have shared some amazing and simple yoga asanas which will help in balancing your thyroid hormone. Let us learn yoga for thyroid in this post (1).

What is a Thyroid Problems?

There are several kinds of thyroid problems, starting from hyperthyroidism to hypothyroidism. Improper secretion of thyroxine can also lead to cancer. Even though it is rare, but around 5 percent of the total population of the world have carcinogenic cells in their thyroid nodules. You can fight such problems by adopting a healthy lifestyle and practicing yoga every day. It may not eliminate the problem, but it will help you to decrease the effect of it (2).

Yoga for Thyroid: 10 Yoga Asanas for Thyroid

Yoga is good for you health and keeps you fit. There are several kinds of asanas that you can try out to deal with thyroid problems. Even though it might seem a bit tricky at first, it is quite easy.

1. Matsyasana

Mastyasana is also known as the pose of fishes. Here you have to pose like a fish and hold it for some time. This is a very simple asana.

How to do Matsyasana

There are a few steps which you need to follow before you do the Matsyasana.

1. Lie flat on the ground. Keep your legs together and hands by your side.
2. Place your palm underneath your hips facing the ground and place your elbows closely.
3. Cross your legs properly.
4. Keep your knees and thighs flat on the ground and your feet crossed in the middle. Relax and breathe properly.
5. As you take in the oxygen rise, your head, as well as your chest,  while your crown is facing towards the floor touching it.
6. In order to do this asana properly,  put your body weight on your elbows. Never try to put your body weight on your head while doing this asana. After you have lifted your chest, pressurize your shoulder lightly.
7. Maintain this position as long as you are comfortable and can breathe properly.
8. After you are done, exhale slowly. At first, drop your head, chest and untangle your legs.
9. Matsyasana helps you to fight thyroid problems by helping you to stretch your neck region.
10. It helps to stimulate the gland that produces thyroxine i.e thyroid gland.

2. Halasana

In this kind of asana, you have to pose like a plow. This asana is being used for ages, in countries like China and India. Yoga for thyroid is the best exercise.

How to do Halasana

1. Lie on the floor.  Keep your hands by your side and your palm facing the ground. Inhale slowly.
2. Slowly lift your legs in the air. Be careful as you have to use only your abdominal muscles to lift your legs. Always keep your legs at a ninety-degree angle while performing this asana.
3. Use your hands to lift your hips. Your hands will provide the support to lift your hips from the floor. The next step is to keep your feet at a one-eighty degree angle so that you can place the toes over your head.
4. Keep your back straight perpendicular to the ground. Maintain this posture for some time. Meanwhile, you have to focus on your breathing.
5. After some time, bring your legs down without jerking them. Exhale slowly while you are getting back to your normal position.
6. Halasana exerts pressure on your neck region. It helps to compress the thyroid gland in order to stimulate the production of thyroxine.

3. Bhujangasana

Bhujanga means cobra, which is a kind of snake. Also known as the cobra pose, it is the 8th asana among the 12 asanas of Surya Namaskar.

How to do Bhujangasana

1. Lie down on the ground, with your stomach facing the ground and hands by your side.
2. Keep your torso together so that they are in contact with each other.
3. Next, move your hands in the front and at shoulder level. Your palm should be touching the floor.
4. Slowly, put all of your body weight on your palm, as you start inhaling.
5. Raise your trunk and head slowly.
6. At this point, bend your arms at your elbow region. Replicate the position of a cobra with a raised hood.
7. For that, keep your shoulders firm and away from your ears.
8. Press your body against the floor and stay in this position for around 30 – 15 seconds. Breathe easily in order to feel your stomach pressed against the ground.
9. In order to relax from this position, slowly bring your hands to your side and rest your forehead on the floor.
10. Slowly you have to start exhaling and with practice, you can hold this position for more than 2 minutes.
11. Along with dealing with stress and fatigue, Bhujangasana helps to regulate the activity of your thyroid gland, as there are several sorts of stretching and compressing activities near the neck region, is associated with the asana.

4. Setubandhasana

This asana helps you to relax your body and is performed by a lot of people. ‘Setu’ means bridge and ‘Bandh’ means the lock. You have to pose like a bridge in this asana.

How to do Setubandhasana

1. Lie on the ground, relax your body and breathe normally.
2. Bend your legs and keep them away from each-other. Place them in a straight line.
3. Rest your arms beside your body with your palm facing downward.
4. Inhale and lift the lower part of your body above the floor.
5. Roll your shoulders in and touch your chin to your chest.
6. Let your arms and shoulders take your whole body weight.
7. Make your butt muscles firm while keeping your legs parallel to each other.
8. Interlace your fingers so that you can lift your torso region higher.
9. Breathe slowly during the whole process and after a few seconds, relax your body.

This asana will help you to tone as well as stretch your neck region where the thyroid gland is located. It will help you to open your lungs up and reduce all of your thyroid problems.

5. Shirsasana

Shirsh means head and asana means pose. You can use this asana to become more fit and strong.

How to do Shirsasana

1. Sit on your knees first and interlock your fingers placing them in front of you.
2. Then you have to place your head in your palms and put your legs up in the air. Your body should be in a straight line.
3. In the beginning, you can do this asana with the support of the wall.
4. Stay in this position for 15 to 20 seconds.
5. Breathe normally and later bring your legs down.

This asana helps in stimulation of all organs in your body. It will help in proper circulation of your body and the thyroxine will reach all the targeted body parts.

Hre is an informative video from Sylecraze

6. Dhanurasana

It is also known as Urdava Chakrasana. Dhanura means bow so you have to take the shape of a bow while performing this asana.

How to do Dhanurasana

1. Lie flat on the ground and keep your hands by your side. Keep your feet wide apart.
2. Fold your knees and take your hands back so that you can hold your ankles.
3. Inhale properly and pull your body upwards in order to resemble a bow.
4. Keep your head straight when you are performing this asana.
5. Maintain your position for 15-20 seconds. Keep breathing properly. After you are done, relax your knees.

This asana will help you to improve your blood circulation and stretch your neck muscles. Your thyroid gland will function properly and you will be able to deal with obesity.

7. Surya Namaskar

Surya Namaskar means ‘salutation to the sun’. It constitutes of 12 steps. It should be done early in the morning after you get up from your sleep.

How to do Surya Namaskar

1. The first step is Pranamasana. Stand and keep your feet together. Balance your body weight equally on both your legs. Inhale and expand your chest. Lift your arms and while exhaling, keep your hands in front in the prayer pose.
2. In Hasta uttanasana, you have to breathe in while keep you’re your arms up and placing your biceps close to your ears. Stretch your body from top to bottom while you are performing this asana.
3. In the Hasta Padasana, breathe out and bend forward. Make sure that your spine is erect during the whole process. While exhaling, place your hands near your feet.
4. The next asana is Ashwa Sanchalanasana. Bring your right knee forward and left leg back.
5. In Dandasana or  The Stick pose, take the right knee backward and keep your body in a line. Inhale while doing so.
6. The next step is Ashtanga Namaskara asana. Bring your knees together and press it against the ground. Maintain the contact between your chest and ground. Raise your hip as well as your posterior position and exhale.
7. The next step is Bhujangasana, raise your head to form the hooded cobra position. Maintain a distance between your shoulders and your ears.
8. In Adho Mukha asana, maintain an inverted ‘V’ position where your tailbone should be placed high above the ground.
9. In Ashwasanchalana Asana, keep your right knee forward and stretch your left leg backward.
10. In Hastapadasana, bend down and touch your feet.
11. The next step is Hastauttasana, bend backward and join your hands in prayer position.
12. The final asana is Tadasana, where you relax your body and place your hands by your side.
13. Surya Namaskar helps you to deal with obesity. It deals with the improper production of thyroxine by stimulating the thyroid gland.

8. Shishurasana

It is also called as ‘The Child Pose’.

How to do Shishurasana

1. Sit on your heals and rest your hips. Bend your head forward so that your forehead touches the ground.
2. Keep your arms by your side.
3. Slowly press your chest and maintain this position for 15 – 20 seconds.
4. This asana can be highly beneficial as it helps you to relax your back muscles.
5. It helps in proper functioning of your nervous system. Your thyroid gland will work effectively.

9. Marjariasana

This asana is also famous for its other name, the cat pose. It acts as an excellent stretch out exercise.

How to do Marjariasana

1. Come on your fours so that your back resembles a table.
2. Keep your knees apart and place arms in such a way so that it is perpendicular to the floor.
3. Look forward while you are performing this asana and inhale.
4. Raise your tailbone up and stay in this position for a few seconds.
5. After some time, relax and return back to your table position.
6. Apart from making your spine more flexible, it also improves your blood circulation and massages your neck region.
7. It helps in stimulation of your thyroid gland so that it functions properly. It is also helpful in regulating the menstrual cycle.

10. Viparitkarni Asana

Viparit means ‘inverted’ whereas Karni means ‘doing’. It is a restorative asana and helps you to be healthy.

1. Find an open space first and see that you sit near a wall.
2. Let the left side of your body be touching the wall and spread your feet properly.
3. Exhale as you lie on your back, with the soles of your feet pressed against the wall.
4. Your leg should be placed in an upright position.
5. Press your butt to the wall or place it a few inches away from it.
6. Your body has to form a proper ninety-degree angle.
7. Hands should support hips and you have to hold this position for 5 minutes. Breathe properly during the whole asana.
8. It gives the back of your neck a good massage and helps in proper functioning of the thyroid glands. Secretion of thyroxine is facilitated if you perform this asana.

 

Foods for Thyroid

The thyroid problem can be cured by proper exercise and food. You can try the above-given exercises daily. Along with that take proper diet and sleep. You can read my article on best thyroid diet foods and foods to avoid for thyroid.

Yoga has a lot of health benefits. Along with medicines, practicing yoga will help you fight with problems such as Thyroid and other hormonal disorders.