It seems like our hormones regulate almost everything.  They do.  We, women, can certainly attest to that!  The main hormone related to the stress response is cortisol, which is secreted with the fight/flight response.  High levels are good in order to react quickly to danger, they're bad when lingering in the body all day.  Impaired cognitive performance, suppressed thyroid function, obesity (increased abdominal fat), diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, lowered immunity, depression and increased cancer risks are some of the factors associated with high cortisol levels in the body.

Restorative Yoga is a practice which can help bring on the relaxation response through supporting the body (see last week's article).  But, can lounging on bolsters and blankets really help with obesity, blood sugar levels, thyroid function, good/bad cholesterol?  That's quite a claim, you might say?  You'd be right to be skeptical about some of the wild health claims we hear attributed to yoga. Fortunately, some of these claims are being tested by the Western medical establishment.(1)  One is right here at UCSF's Women Research Center led by Dr. Alka Kanaya.  After a pilot study a few years ago testing the effects of Restorative Yoga on metabolic syndrome(2), UCSF was awarded an NIH grant to do a larger study.  I am fortunate to be one of the instructors.  With two venues (SF and San Diego), a control group (stretching) and two waves (one year each), the effects of Restorative Yoga (or stretching) on metabolic syndrome is being measured.  My group of 11 participants initially attended two classes per week and is now tapering to once a month.  The are required to practice a minimum of 20 minutes a day, three times a week.  They give blood draws measuring cortisol (among other markers) throughout the study.  Regardless of what the science says, here is what the students say:  "I'm sleeping great", "I'm more relaxed", "I've lost weight", "I've lost inches around my waist", "I love the practice".  These participants actually "look" healthier each time I see them. 

Do you have to get picked for a full-scale study in order to benefit from these Restorative Yoga positions?  Well, no.  Many studios are offering classes and you can come to my workshop on Saturday in Petaluma (see above).  But, you can do your own Restorative Yoga right now at home.  You don't even have to call it yoga if you don't want.  You can call it "Chillin'".  Whatever you want to call it, you'll get more results the more often you do it (hum, I've heard that before), but believe me, you'll feel the effects immediately.  Shoot for 30 minutes, 3 times a week, however, every day would be good.  Find a quite spot, set a timer, block light, relax your muscles, be warm, emphasize exhalation.  Here's an example (do this today):  Lie on your back facing your couch, put a pillow under your rump to lift your hips, place your calves on the couch, put a pillow under your head, cover yourself with a blanket, set the timer for 20 minutes and cover your eyes and then wriggle around 'til you're totally comfy.  Pretty easy, isn't it.  Sure beats the gym. 

 (1)    I'm not suggesting that if it hasn't gone through the scrutiny of our Western medical testing that it's not valid.  Along with Ayurveda, homeopathy and acupuncture, to name just a few, Western testing has not been able to validate health benefits which have been practiced worldwide for thousands of years.

(2)    Metabolic syndrome is a label given to a cluster of symptoms which have been shown to lead to heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.  They are abdominal obesity, low HDL and high LDL, elevated blood pressure, diabetes or pre-diabetes.   It's estimated that over 50 million Americans have it.