HORMONE YOGA THERAPY

Hormone Yoga Therapy (HYT) for women is a method created by the Brazilian doctor & psychologist and yoga therapist Dinah Rodrigues. It is a natural treatment, without the use of drugs, that reactivates the production of hormones, mainly in the ovaries, the thyroid, the pituitary gland and the adrenal glands.

This method consists of a specific series of dynamic Hatha Yoga postures (dynamic asanas) to reactivate the endocrine glands and improve blood circulation in those areas. The asanas are accompanied by intense breathing techniques (pranayamas). Visualization, relaxation (therapeutic Yoga Nidra) and stress reduction techniques are also included in this practice. HYT helps to reduce and/or eliminate most of the symptoms of hormonal imbalances and it has a positive effect on the entire endocrine system.

• Women from the age of 35, as a preventive therapy for the slowly declining hormone levels of the two main female hormones: estrogen and progesterone, and thus prevent and/or reduce the symptoms of menopause.
• Women of all ages with low hormone levels, fertility problems, polycystic ovaries, menstrual disorders, premenstrual syndrome, ovarian cysts, early menopause, hypothyroidism, among others feminine health problems.
• Middle-aged women who wish to alleviate or eliminate (in some cases) the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, such as hot flashes, insomnia, night sweats, emotional instability, mild depression, headaches, concentration difficulties, decreased libido, the possibility of osteoporosis and arteriosclerosis, among other conditions.

HYT helps to alleviate and/or eliminate the symptoms of the following women’s health problems. It is important to note that each body is different, so the results of this therapy may vary. Lifestyle is also another influencing factor:

• Symptoms of perimenopause, menopause, early menopause.
• PMS (premenstrual syndrome).
• Infertility (caused by hormonal imbalances or poor blood circulation in the pelvic area).
• Polycystic ovaries (whose symptoms include: hirsutism, infertility, acne, weight gain).
• Irregular menstruation.
• Mild depression, emotional instability, memory impairment (caused by low levels of thyroid hormones).
• Low libido, vaginal dryness.
• Osteoporosis (for osteopenia and/or not very advanced osteoporosis).
• Incontinence.
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism).
• Hair loss, brittle nails, dry skin and acne.
• Insomnia, low energy, fatigue.
• And many other problems caused by hormonal imbalances.

If you have experienced or are going through any of the following situations, this therapy should not be practiced. Consult your doctor first if you have any questions.

• In certain cases where your estrogen levels should not increase.
• History of estrogen dominant breast cancer.
• In any other case of cancer.
• Advanced endometriosis.
• Uterine fibroids (myoma).
• Hyperthyroidism (thyroxine hormone).
• Hypertension (when not controlled with medication).
• Glaucoma / detached retina.
• After a surgery.
• In case of acute psychosis.
• Pregnancy (wait 6 months after natural childbirth. In case of cesarean section, it is better to consult a doctor).

Hatha Yoga is practiced to maintain health. It consists of asanas (postures) and pranayamas (breathing exercises) with body awareness and relaxation. Hormone Yoga Therapist is therapeutic and is based on physiology. The asanas are dynamic, with very strong pranayamas to massage and reactivate the glands. It also uses the Tibetan Energy Techniques to reinforce the results, also known as “Energy Circulation”. Hormone Yoga Therapy (HYT) is a specific sequence of dynamic yoga postures combined with an abdominal breathing technique that stimulates and activates the glands through massage and compression. Then the practican moves the energy using Tibetan energetic techniques and reinforce physical work. The results are not the same if any of the steps or postures are omitted, the sequence must be practiced as a complete serie.

Yes! The HYT is accessible to everyone, including women with no prior yoga experience.

Yes! All poses can be adapted through the use of yoga props such as blocks, cushions, blankets, and straps. I will guide you in your practice and we will make the necessary adaptations without a negative impact on the results.

After the course, you will have access to two practice videos: one for beginners, which will familiarize you with the sequence. Another one for advanced practice, which only takes about 35 minutes. The morning is ideal. However, if you can’t at that time, try to reserve some time during the day. If the night is the only time you have, take at least an hour after practice before going to bed. Anti-stress / anti-pranayama exercises are ideal to practice before bed. Once you learn and memorize the sequence, the commitment is 30 minutes to do it, which comes with constant practice. For best results, I recommend practicing 3-5 times a week. Maybe you can get some practice partners from the group to motivate each other. Your health should be your priority!

Yes! Stress is one of the factors that most causes hormonal imbalances in women. This can occur when elevated cortisol levels suppress the body’s natural sex hormones (estrogen + progesterone). Acute and chronic stress can fundamentally alter the body’s hormonal balance, which can lead to missed, late, or irregular periods, as well as chronic fatigue, weight gain, insomnia, and other health disorders.

In 1993, after observing the excellent results obtained by her students, Dinah Rodriguez decided to carry out a controlled scientific research project on the effect of HYT on hormone levels and symptoms of low hormone levels (hot flashes, urogenital dryness, emotional instability, insomnia, chronic fatigue, depression, migraine, infertility, hair loss, weight gain, etc.). The results obtained by the women who practiced were measured with estradiol blood tests (before the start of the practice and repeated every 4 months) and the intensity of the symptoms was evaluated in a questionnaire to be repeated every month. The conclusion was that the results were very positive: the estradiol level increased on average 154% with 100% of the students, in a practice of 3 to 4 months, without medication, eliminated the symptoms or decreased their intensity to almost zero. You can also consult the following university theses (available only in English)

https://is.muni.cz/th/qwk1l/Diploma_thesis.pdf

https://www.longdom.org/open-access/what-is-hormone-yoga-therapy-2329-6925-1000286.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4264281/

https://www.researchgate.net/scientific-contributions/Dinah-Rodrigues-59047672

http://hormoneyogatherapy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Yoga-decdreases-insomnia-in-postmenopausal-women.pdf

In your case, Hormone Yoga Therapy is indicated since it reactivates and balances the production of hormones, which eliminates ovarian cysts. Polycystic ovaries can cause infertility, but after 4 to 6 months of practice, in 85% of cases, the desired pregnancy can happen.

Every woman owns her body and makes her own decisions. To do this, before starting an artificial hormonal treatment, it is advisable to educate yourself, look for a lot of information and investigate possible side effects. I invite you to read the following article from the Breast Cancer Society:

https://www.breastcancer.org/es/research-news/20131107

And another from the American Academy of Family Physicians:

https://en.familydoctor.org/hormone-replacement-therapy/?adfree=true

In this link from the No Pause website (in Spanish), you can read an interesting and objective article on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), its pros and cons

https://www.no-pausa.com/terapias-de-reemplazo-hormonal-lo-que-hay-que-saber-lo-que-hay-que-preguntar-y-como-hacerlo/

To reduce the symptoms of menopause caused by low hormone levels, there is also a more natural solution that is Hormone Yoga Therapy, created by Dinah Rodriguez.

Below, I copy an excerpt from Dinah Rodriguez’s book in which she talks about Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):

“According to studies carried out in various countries, about 20% of women in menopause present the hormonal drop without symptoms or signs of it. It should be noted that not all the investigations evaluated all the symptoms of low hormones. Only about six. We can divide the population of women into three groups:

1st Group: women whose health is greatly affected by a severe hormonal drop, many symptoms and pictures of serious problems, low bone density, high cholesterol, etc. This first group certainly requires medical attention and will most likely have HRT, calcium replacement, and/or other medications, depending on the severity and type of signs they present. However, in addition to receiving the external hormonal medication, they should seek the reactivation of their own estrogen production from their own body. Without a doubt, this would be the best solution. From my experience, I can assure you that this is achieved with the practice of Hormone Yoga Therapy.

2nd Group: women who have an average hormonal low that, feeling the symptoms of menopause, their health was not affected by osteoporosis, high cholesterol, etc. Those who present these characteristics do not need HRT but often end up being medicated to alleviate unpleasant symptoms and in the quest to «maintain youth». These women could safely be treated with Hormone Yoga Therapy that reactivates ovarian function, raising the level of hormones and eliminating symptoms almost entirely.

3rd Group: this is the group of our greatest interest. Who are these lucky women who go through menopause smoothly without feeling any symptoms? What can we learn from them? Through hormone level tests, we verify that even after menopause the drop in hormone production is gradual, your ovaries continue to be active, still producing a sufficient amount of hormone for your well-being, beauty and youth (…). The indication of Hormone Yoga Therapy for this third group is intended to activate hormonal production, which should be starting to drop, and bring more health and vitality.”

The immediate answer would be a NO. However, I recommend that you consult your doctor. Hormone Yoga Therapy increases the level of estrogen and can stimulate the carcinogenic cells.

The immediate answer would be NO. However, ask your doctor first. In case you want to continue with the HYT, you would have to adapt the sequence, especially the postures for the thyroid, with prior consultation and guidance from your HYT teacher.

It is recommended that you wait until 6 months postpartum before doing the HYT practice to give your body time to recover. After that, you’re ready to practice, and in fact, the exercises can really help restore your pelvic floor and flexibility.

While I understand that you are a yoga teacher, in this method of Hormone Yoga Therapy created by Dinah Rodrigues there are very specific techniques that need to be approached and performed with precision in order for it to work. There are many small details. In addition, it is required to have knowledge, at least general, of the functioning of the endocrinological system and other physiological aspects that are not obtained in traditional yoga training courses. Most yoga teachers who are certificated in HYT are very surprised at how unique it is, including me. I always recommend take a HYT teacher training after you do the course for your personal practice because you need to learn about hormones, health conditions, contraindications, how to adapt the practice in certain cases etc. The health of the students must be the priority!

Here two options to take the course online and become a certificated HYT teacher:

https://www.dinahrodrigues.com.br/home-en

https://hormoneyogatraining.com/

Shakti Simone Lehner (mi teacher)