Postures

Yoga for Adrenal Fatigue

“The adrenal glands are paired glands located on both sides above the kidneys. In the anatomical and functional sense, each adrenal gland has its own core and cortex from which different hormones are secreted. Hormones secreted by the adrenal medulla – epinephrine and norepinephrine work by speeding up the heart, raising blood pressure, tensing muscles, and raising brain activity to the highest level. In addition, the adrenal cortex secretes many hormones, the most common of which is cortisol.”

Cortisol is a natural steroid that raises blood sugar levels (so that muscles get powerful fuel), prevents inflammation, and weakens the immune system.

Adrenal hormones are catabolic, meaning that energy is consumed in the biological processes in which they are involved, and cellular structures are broken down. Suppose we activate the adrenal glands over and over again, and between those activations, we do not get enough rest. In that case, the body wears out, becomes weak, and becomes susceptible to numerous diseases.

These are the Symptoms of Adrenal Dysfunction

The first sign is chronic fatigue. Pay attention to other characteristic symptoms: insomnia despite fatigue; craving for sweets; distracting attention; feeling of muscle weakness; sudden weight gain; skin, nail, and hair problems; strong irritability and outbursts of aggression for no reason; occurrence of allergies, rashes, redness; muscle cramps.

Many women face hormonal imbalance, irregular menstruation, infertility, cysts, and premenstrual syndrome. One type of help can be yoga, which affects the balance of body and mind and the regulation of the reproductive system.

Yoga directly affects the central regulatory system, improves blood circulation, affects the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and activates the parasympathetic nervous system.

Pay attention to breathing when performing yoga postures – you should breathe slowly, deeply, and consciously.

To achieve hormonal balance, it is important to include reverse yoga poses in your exercise.

If these poses do not suit you, choose some simpler ones, put a pillow under your pelvis or use a chair.

I will tell you four very simple yoga poses that are great for people facing the problem of adrenal glands.

  1. Sukhasana – In addition to relaxing in this pose, you can also do a variation of Adho Mukha Sukhasana – pull up a chair, rest your head on the seat and relax your arms next to your body and lean on the floor.
  2. Shavasana – Breathe normally and ensure your exhale is long and slow. Relax your whole body completely.
  3. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana – This pose helps in menopause and relieves stress.
  4. Viparita karani – This pose is not so difficult and can give you the necessary relaxation after a hard day. This pose accelerates lymphatic drainage of the legs and restores venous blood from the legs, relaxing the leg muscles and reducing fatigue and swelling.


If you want to solve the problem you have with adrenal fatigue, you mustn’t lie awake in bed for more than fifteen minutes. If you can’t fall asleep, get up and have some soothing activities until you’re ready to try to fall asleep again. Do not practice demanding yoga postures, especially those that activate and put more strain on the back, because they can stimulate the work of the adrenal glands.

With adrenal fatigue syndrome, follow a simple diet and proper nutrition. Do not consume carbonated drinks, coffee, strong tea, or alcohol. Remove or reduce sugar, sweets, and baked goods. Do not add refined oils, margarine, or fats to food. Eat more fresh fruit and honey. Increase your intake of sea fish, seafood, and algae. Take nuts and fresh vegetables for a snack. Eat lots of salads of cabbage, spinach, and avocado, and add flax or sesame seeds.

To improve the work of the adrenal glands, take multivitamins that contain zinc, magnesium, ascorbic acid, and B vitamins.

Restore emotional balance, prevent nervous exhaustion and reduce the effects of stress.

Sleep at least eight hours a day. Rest during the day if you feel the need. Practice yoga, and go for a massage.

Another way to solve the problem of adrenal fatigue is the so-called yoga detox by using the yoga techniques of shatkarma.


The essence of these techniques is in the elimination of accumulated products of metabolism and related toxins from the body, which leads to the awakening of energy flows of prana, life energy in us. The end result and goal of shatkarma are inner awakenings and the manifestation of subtle and creative aspects of our personality.


Cleansing the body from the inside is just as important as cleansing the body from the outside.
Shatkarmas are relatively simple, but at the same time, they are very powerful techniques that are best learned with the help of an experienced yoga teacher.

  1. Tongue cleansing – This technique removes toxic deposits that accumulate between the papillae on the surface of the tongue and reduces the vitality and resistance of the organism.
  2. Nasal lavage – Purification of the nasal cavity is a technique by which we wash away excess secretions and impurities from the nose and sinuses, refresh the nasal mucosa and stimulate numerous nerve and immune responses in the organs of this region, with far-reaching positive preventive and therapeutic effects.
  3. Gastric lavage – This technique removes excess stomach acid and strongly strengthens the power of digestion.
  4. Bowel lavage – By cleaning the digestive tract, we remove the remaining and incompletely digested and potentially toxic contents from the intestine and naturally stimulate peristalsis and bowel emptying.

There are certain conditions and diseases that require these techniques to be adapted and modified. In conclusion when we talk about solving the fatigue of the adrenal glands: more sleep, above all to be long and undisturbed, less stress and less intake of toxic substances in the body (if you can’t get rid of them completely), and yoga practice should be, of course, very easy and relaxing with at least 10 to 15 minutes of shavasana at the conclusion of the poses.

About the author

Urosh Martinovic

Urosh Martinovic is a yoga and mindfulness teacher. He has experience in more than 7,000 guided classes. His work includes 1 on 1 online classes and workshops. Uros is a founder of holistic portal for Balkan Moja Solja Joge (My cup of yoga).