I must begin by stating if you have Graves’ Disease, please consult with your primary physician or endocrinologist before beginning any exercise program. For some individuals, exercise may be dangerous. I must be careful because of heart palpitations. A patient not in remission must always check with a doctor first before beginning The Yoga Journey!

Let’s face it everyone, Graves’ and other autoimmune disorders make us feel out of control. Along with crazy behaviors is the anxiety of hyper symptoms in the body. My hands will shake for no reason. My heart will race and skip beats for no reason. Many will say don’t forget about sleep insomnia! The little things in life are a challenge so why take The Yoga Journey!

• Focusing on breathing
• Changing behavior
• Reducing Stress
• Strengthening the Immune System

Breathing

Yoga is a great tool for focusing on breathing control. I want to live in the moment. My favorite saying is, “I’ll get to where I’m going when I get there”. Yoga teaches you to let go of things you have no control over by breathing and existing in the moment.

Behavior

Yoga will help to reroute the brain. I often say to people, “I don’t want to be the decision-maker”. A Graves’ patient wants to keep life simple and let’s face it, that is difficult to do. Those coping skills fall short on many days. Yoga is a peaceful way to remove dysfunctional behavior from the mind allowing positive vibes to take over.

Stress

Reducing stress is the main advice that is given to me by my doctors. What are the triggers in your life that make you feel out of control? Remove them! Again, that is not always possible in the crazy world we live in. Yoga brings awareness to the body by breathing patterns that will help control certain processes that make us feel uncomfortable. An irregular heartbeat is one example.

Immune System

Stress is harmful to the body. Think about it, if you reduce your stress levels what will this do for your immune system? Yoga will provide a natural way of strengthening the immune system by lowering stress hormones in the body. Yoga will help to strengthen the lungs and respiratory tract by stimulating toxins from the body!

Did anyone ever give you the advice, “if you cannot find a solution to your problem then change your perspective to the issue at hand”? Can you take another approach? Every time you take a different position in yoga you will see things from a different angle. Each visual focal point is a victory of its own.

I like to think of positive thoughts as I begin each day. Yoga is my favorite morning pick me up. The negativity of Graves’ Disease takes up too much of my being. I enjoy the comprehensive approach yoga brings into my life. If the day is hectic taking The Yogo Journey it will be!

Yoga is something you can do in the comfort of your own home. Check out free online yoga classes and begin The Yoga Journey with me. Again, please make sure you consult with your physician first.