There are other negative feedback loops that signal to the thyroid and ovaries. Cortisol levels skyrocket into the evening, and an overwhelming week can both exhaust you and cause insomnia. And so on.īut chronic stress scrambles this process. Cortisol ebbs during the day as melatonin rises, culminating in bedtime. Then, melatonin tapers as cortisol gradually rises until it spikes and awakens you the next morning. At night, with cortisol at bay, you fall asleep as melatonin peaks. Cortisol and melatonin (the “sleep” hormone) have an inverse relationship, tag-teaming your circadian rhythms. The “stress” hormone cortisol plays a critical role in quality of sleep. CRH tells the anterior pituitary gland to produce adrenocorticotropic hormone, which prompts the adrenals to release cortisol. Within seconds of encountering stress, the brain’s hypothalamus secretes corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), initiating a game of telephone. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a negative feedback loop that regulates stress response. See also Yoga for Menopause: Alleviate Symptoms with Yoga Though we don’t face tigers every day, we live in constant state of fight-or-flight. We work at such a crazed pace in our culture, and we value doing-there is no surrender of being. When we talk about hormonal balance in women, I believe stress management is a good place to start. The Science of Why Stress Management Is Key to Balance (and a Solid Night of Sleep) In addition to checking pulse and tongue, we review bloodwork to uncover underlying conditions, like thyroid issues or gut infections, so we can treat the cause of imbalance. That’s why the integrative clinic I cofounded with my husband Joe Clarke and friend Carla Vidor blends TCM methods with the diagnostic tools of functional medicine. Once I made significant changes-saw a therapist, got help from friends in the naturopathic and TCM community, and developed a dedicated yoga practice-I was able to bring my body back into balance. Looking back, my imbalances were all really related to diet, stress, and emotional distress. Birth control pills were my only option, and I didn’t take them.
I dealt with too-frequent cycles and terrible PMS and acne. I knew I wanted to work with women, perhaps because I was always frustrated with my gynecologist visits. Some of my clients are using assisted reproductive technologies, so I work with their reproductive endocrinologists and offer acupuncture, herbs, and lifestyle adjustments to support medical treatments.
Now my patients are mainly women seeking to overcome fertility issues or balance their hormones. Acupuncture turned out to be the most effective treatment for my back, so I was inspired to pursue my master’s in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and herbal medicine. When I moved to LA after my trip, I had a full-blown back injury.Īs I focused on healing, I reflected that I had always intended to study some form of medicine. I thought I’d be fine I was young, resilient, and reckless. But I was overdoing backbends and in pain. Metaphorically, this theme of overextending without support trickled into my entire life.Įventually I traveled to India to study with Sharath Jois, Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Maty Ezraty, and Chuck Miller.
I was flexible and capable, but I didn’t understand containment or how to use my core to support my body. As Reid would say, my energy leaked all over the place. Living in Buffalo, New York, in my early twenties, I spent weekends commuting to Toronto for my yoga teacher training and to study with my mentor, Ron Reid. What a pace of life!īut, that rapid pace had consequences. I used to think yoga was too still for me, until I discovered Ashtanga’s beautiful rhythm and grace. Here, a cautionary tale, a yoga sequence, and acupressure meditations to boost vitality, wake up energized, and find peaceful and calming bliss.
Years after a yoga injury inspired me to slow down and study acupuncture, I now help women elude the dangerous cycle of chronic stress. Without time for stillness, your hormones (and well-being) can pay a steep price for an accelerated pace of life.