Caroline, Author at Yoga For Endometriosis

Stress & Endometriosis

Caroline — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 11:19:52 +0000

Various studies have found that women with endometriosis suffer a greater degree of stress than those without the disease.

Stress is the body’s reaction to situations or thoughts experienced with emotional tension. Our nervous system “reacts” by releasing hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol that, over time, can weaken the functioning of the immune system

The Effects of Stress

We breathe faster and it becomes more shallow, muscles tense, headaches and migraines, digestive issues, changes in our menstrual cycle and, in general, we become more vulnerable to infections and inflammations, which aggravate the symptoms of endometriosis

How to reduce or avoid stress

To lose negative feelings and manage stress, it becomes important to find ways to manage our emotions, take care of them, be aware of them and not let ourselves be carried away by them in such a way that they don’t cause long term damage to our health and state of mind

Welcoming Mindfulness

Some practices such as yoga and Mindfulness can be of great help to, firstly, recognize our emotions, then accept them, listen to them, understand them, lower their intensity and improve our well-being and relationships with them

This then helps reduce stress and, therefore, the symptoms and intensity of endometriosis

Our Goal =

Introducing simple practices that can bring greater balance and become a tool that contributes to improving the quality of life for those living with endometriosis

Benefits of Stress Management practices for Endo Warriors

We breathe better
We manage to relax body and mind
We reduce fear and negative feelings
We reduce stress and pain
We strengthen the immune system
We enjoy a higher quality of life

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Three Benefits of Myofascial Release for Endometriosis

Caroline — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 11:12:13 +0000

Everything in our body is connected through fascia, connective tissue holding our bones, organs, blood vessels, muscles and more together. Fascia is like this spider web that weaves itself around and between everything, keeping everything where it needs to be inside!

OUR IDEAL STATE =

Our fascia is moved every day, well mobilised and hydrated, we live a stress free life, and our day to day rhythm of living is healthy

When everything is working well our muscles can contract, our blood circulation is good, fascia is hydrated, we have great range of motion (ROM), physically we feel good, and we have good posture with a balanced front and back body and are PAIN FREE

This is of course an ideal world scenario…..

Sadly many of us Endo Warriors are not always living in an easy straight forward kind of world every day. We have days of pain, discomfort, high stress and more

As we know tension gets stored in the body physically, which becomes a bit of a Catch 22

Our fascia serves as a messenging highway between the brain and the nerves. If we restrict the nerves through tension in our body, stagnant fascia & restricted blood flow, our brain receives signals of pain pain pain and our experience of pain intensifies

Our nervous system is on high danger alert and the vicious cycle continues leading to more pain and inflammation

What is Myofascial Release?

You can think of any kind of myofascial release is a way to smooth out these hard knots of stiffness and pain, ultimately releasing tension and pain stored in the body by restoring motion in our soft tissues

MFR has become a common treatment amongst athletes, every day people and Endo Warriors which can be very successful at breaking up these trigger points, adhesions and to release tension stored in our body

3 Benefits of Myofascial Release for Endo Warriors

1) Reduce the Pain Factor

Pain can create a protection response from the body. The muscles around that pain point will engage to provide support and protect the surrounding tissues. Over time, this can lead to more restrictions. Especially with chronic pain. When these pain points are managed through MFR, pain is released as blood flows with more ease to the original area of pain.

2) Improved Circulation

When we are using these techniques regularly then circulation is going to be improved, freeing up space in the blood vessels to transport throughout the whole body. No more pins and needles, cold fingers and toes. No more inflammation and pain.

As you start to practice more regularly you begin to tune into what your body needs and move more into those areas to prevent poor circulation becoming an issue

3) Helps Us to Relax

MFR is thought to be connected into our nervous system. When our brain receives the signal of releasing tension it moves away from Fight & Flight mode and we shift into the calmer part of our nervous system.

That in itself causes alot of nourishment and healing for the internal organs and tissues to relax, rejuvernation and nutrition for them to do their job. As well as the physical and mental benefits of more time spent in Rest & Digest mode

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Endometriosis & Traditional Chinese Medicine

Caroline — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:30:49 +0000

Endometriosis According to TCM

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, Endometriosis is known as ‘menstrual pain’ due to its symptoms.

It isn’t categorised as a disease, and is described as a blood stasis syndrome (stagnation) with formation of lumps. Blood stasis is said to be related to stagnant Qi (which restricts blood circulation) and Kidney Yang deficiency (which affects metabolism).

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine….

…..a women’s menstruation should be painless and with minimal signs and symptoms except our bleeding. When we bleed our blood should be of sufficient volume, a rich, fresh colour and free from clots. The absence of these factors is an endometriosis system, which then needs attending to in order to find balance.

Quite simply – if there is free flow, there is no pain; if there is pain, there is no free flow

Finding our Way to Balance

The most common cause of Qi stagnation is thought to be stress which often results in liver stagnation. It is the liver’s job to maintain the free flow of Qi and inner harmony. The liver is also intricately connected to our menstrual cycle and distribution of blood. When liver Qi is out of balance, it will also affect spleen, kidneys, heart and lungs as they then work together to try and help bring Liver back to healthy function and carry its workload.

In Chinese Medicine, the uterus and the liver are closely related. The liver maintains free flow of Qi of the body, as well as circulation of the blood and delivery to the uterus. The liver, spleen and kidney channels run through the pelvis and all can affect menstruation. If any of these channels are blocked, congested or deficient in women it almost always manifests as some sort of menstrual problem.

The Chinese natural remedy is to manage our emotions so that harmony is maintained. Maintaining an even flow of emotions is the same as maintaining an even, free flow of Qi and blood.

We need to teach ourselves, consciously and deliberately and daily how to relax. This can help to greatly alleviate the severity of any endometriosis symptoms and pain associated with blood stagnation.

What Does This Mean?

Remember that your body is trying to tell you something when you are in pain. In the various phases of our cycle we need to really tune in to how we are feeling at each stage. Track the details of our cycle (see this blog – LINK). Tune in and pay attention to ensuring that we live by our cycle, and energy and hormonal flows, manage our stress and move according to where we are in our own unique cycle.

Ultimately finding our inner balance.

Ways to Find Inner Balance
Movement (phase of cycle dependent)
Stillness
Warm nutritious food
Meditation
Pranayama
Resting well
Sleeping well
Stress management
Letting go of unrealistic goals

All of which need more or less attention at different parts of our cycle.

Stay tuned for how I can help you in 2023!

The post Endometriosis & Traditional Chinese Medicine appeared first on Yoga For Endometriosis.

Effect of Stress on Endometriosis

Caroline — Mon, 28 Nov 2022 11:21:08 +0000

Survival Mode

The fight/flight or freeze response of our nervous system is meant to be short term and adaptive, which makes sense. When your body goes into that mode, your normal immune function is temporarily shut down. In the old days fight or flight was triggered by something like a tiger chasing you, pure survival – your body devotes energy and resources to running away, not to digesting the last thing you ate – or to helping your liver detox excess estrogen!

Returning to Safety

There is supposed to be a point at which you signal to your brain that you are safe, and you switch back to rest and digest mode. In

which case your body and organs return to normal functioning mode. It is when you are in that fight/flight/freeze mode chronically that the cascading inflammatory response is set up. It is this dysfunctioning response to stress that over time prolongs itself and can become implicated in chronic health problems like us Endo Warriors experience.

Inflammation is the body’s response to a threat whether it is a foreign invader, such as bacteria, virus or cancer, or even a psychological or emotional stressor. In response, the immune system sends out an army of chemicals, called pro-inflammatory cytokines, to attack the invaders.

When stress is chronic, the cycle of stress and inflammatory response gets stuck in the body creating a constant stress response inside. That is when inflammation starts to cause damaging effects on the body.

“Endometriosis is, at least in part, a disease of immune dysfunction” – Lara Briden

Stress can fuel a constant response inside the body. This can include inflammation or increased activity of the immune system or immune suppression as its new ‘normal’. There is also a complex interaction between the nervous system and the immune system called neurogenic inflammation, which I will share more about in another blog

Learning how to reduce stress

Endometriosis, as we know, is a condition of inflammation, so anything that makes inflammation worse makes endometriosis worse. The relationship between stress and pain is cyclical. Pain can increase stress levels and the body’s stress response can increase pain. The greater the inflammation, the greater the pain and symptoms.

Learning how to manage this is key for Endo Warriors!

Stay tuned yogis – I will be sharing more content around stress management for my Endo Warriors soon.

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An Introduction to Your Nervous System

Caroline — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 14:21:32 +0000

Your nervous system affects every aspect of your health, including:

Thoughts, memory, learning, and feelings
Movements, such as balance & coordination
Senses, including how your brain interprets what you see, hear, taste, touch & feel
Sleep, healing, and aging
Heartbeat & breathing patterns
How we respond to stressful moments
Digestion, as well as how hungry and thirsty you feel

…with all of those lines running throughout the city. Well those lines would represent a vast network of nerves sending electrical signals to and from other cells, glands and muscles all over our body, These nerves receive information from the world around you. Then the nerves interpret the information and control your response

The Two Main Parts of the Nervous System are…

Central Nervous System (CNS) – your brain and spinal cord
Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) – consists of many nerves that branch out from CNS all around the body. This system relays information about your brain and spinal cord to your organs, arms, legs and fingers and toes.

Your PNS consists of:

Somatic Nervous System, which guides our voluntary movements like choosing to engage a muscle.
Autonomic Nervous System, which controls the activities you do without thinking about it.

Our ANS is broken into Parasympathetic and Sympathetic Nervous System.

Our sympathetic nervous system is often referred to as “Fight. Flight or freeze”. Our body constantly scans our environment evaluating stimuli. When we sense a threat our SNS leaps into action sending vital resources to the parts of our body needed to fight danger.

Our parasympathetic nervous system is referred to as “rest and digest”. The parasympthatic system is like the brake that slows us down and helps us to re-establish balance after a more stressful period. Increased parasympathetic activity causes the heart rate and respiration to slow down. When we feel safe, our body sends blood to our organs and away from skeletal muscles. We digest our food. We make hormones. We repair our muscles. We build strength. Our body is in a state of feeling calm and this relaxation breeds recovery.

In an ideal world we are seeking a healthy balance between both aspects of our Nervous System. We want to invite more equal parts of ‘being’ and ‘doing’.

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Women are Cyclical Beings

Caroline — Fri, 18 Nov 2022 14:50:21 +0000

“We follow the infradian rhythm, which is linked to the menstrual cycle. When you understand your infradian rhythm and how it informs your unique female biochemistry, you can become calmer, happier, and healthier, as well as more productive at work and more satisfied in your relationships. Your hormones will stay balanced and you can live a more symptom-free life”

– Alisa Vitti

Benefits of Tracking

Tracking your menstrual cycle and changes on a regular basis has so many benefits in terms of assessing your overall health, managing issues such as endometriosis, or trying to get pregnant. It helps us to identify patterns, which then help us make more sense of the information we discover. Put simply, our bodies and brains are different during each phase of our cycle, so our food, exercise and self-care should be different each week too.

Benefits for Endo Warriors

Through tracking our symptoms at different phases of our cycle, what we eat and how we react, how more or less sleeps affects our mood, differing types of exercise at different times, when our pain or flare ups arise or when we feel more steady helps us to manage our life with a feeling of calmness and control. Pain no longer has to be normal, we can create tools for a healthy lifestyle for us. We can spend our energy on things that matter to us and keep us grounded.

Things We Can Track:

Energy levels
Pain with a sliding scale
Physical symptoms
Mental symptoms (feelings, emotions, thought patterns)
Length of bleed
Allergy sensitivity
Cravings
Desire to be alone versus social
When you ovulate
Sleep
Inspiration to create
Ability to focus
Anxiety, sensitivity levels

Allowing us to:

Understand our energy and moods better
Manage stress
Track pain and symptoms
Help plan our lives better – social/creative/intuitive time/self-care/travel moments
Move better
Know which meridian lines to attend to in our yin practice
Make lifestyle changes to meet our needs
Speak to our Dr with ease and factual information

A period is never just a period, it is a unique insight into how your body is functioning. If we track it we can make it work for us (and not against us). Begin by documenting everything you experience throughout your cycle. Once you have done that, over the course of a few months, start to look for patterns. Work out a plan of action for living more harmoniously with your infradian rhythm.

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Moving with Your Menstrual Cycle

Caroline — Fri, 11 Nov 2022 13:55:19 +0000

Women are Cyclical beings

– Alisa Vitti

Cyclical Living

As with nature and the seasons, our personal rhythms and cycles change and we need to learn to adapt the way in which we move, eat, sleep, rest and self-care. Our bodies, hormone levels and brains are different during each phase of our cycle, so our food, exercise, and self-care should be different each week too.

Our Hormone Cycle

Our Movement Cycle

Nurture Your Unique Cycle

You can plan your workouts according to where you are in your cycle, doing high-intensity workouts when your body will make the most of them, and meditating or doing gentle yoga during more quiet inward parts of our cycle. Read more about this HERE

Note – it is important to remember that we are not one size fits all, we are all unique. This is why cycle and symptom tracking are so valuable for us Endo Warriors to learn what triggers and what works for us. We can only feel our best when we eat, exercise and live in ways that support our own personal infradian rhythm.

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