Endocrine System: An Ayurvedic Perspective
Subdoshas, Shukravaha Srotas and Thyroid Hormones
If you obsess over whether you are making the right decision, you are basically assuming that the universe will reward you for one thing and punish you for another.
The universe has no fixed agenda. Once you make any decision, it works around that decision. There is no right or wrong, only a series of possibilities that shift with each thought, feeling, and action that you experience.
If this sounds too mystical, refer again to the body. Every significant vital sign- body temperature, heart rate, oxygen consumption, hormone level, brain activity, and so on- alters the moment you decide to do anything… decisions are signals telling your body, mind, and environment to move in a certain direction.
― Deepak Chopra
My client has been diagnosed with an endocrine disorder, so I would expect to find in the pulse’s subdosha level Prana, Udana and Vyana Vata. I expect Prana because the endocrine system is correlated with the mind, and prana controls thoughts, senses and consciousness. These are all active in the hypothalamic and pituitary hormones. Udana would likely be felt because it controls speech, memory recollection and expression (think throat chakra here, where the thyroid is). Vyana is related to the endocrine system because it controls circulation and movement, and looking specifically at nutrient circulation, the entire system is activated when stress is involved.
A subdosha specifically responsible for governing Shukravaha Srotas that I expect to find would be Apana Vata. Here, sexual function, menstruation and hormonal imbalance are influenced, tying directly to Shukra. The functions of the Shukravaha Srotas include courage, pleasure, strength and embryo production. Shukra is in every cell because it contains DNA, thus responsible for passing DNA to children. Shukra also can produce ojas, which leads to bliss.
A client comes to me who often feels cold. The endocrine includes the hypothalamus registering blood temperature and signaling to the thyroid to influence agni to warm up the body. The hypothalamus releases the hormone thyrotropin while the pituitary gland’s hormone TSH is secreted by thyroid-releasing hormone when in the blood via the hypothalamic neurons (Bowen, 2018). This feedback loop affects the thyroid circulating in the blood, affecting metabolism. I personally am always cold. My agni is weak, and I have PCOS, so my body doesn’t always do its job to increase my agni to warm my body when cold. My Vaidya is helping me, though!
The endocrine system is correlated with Manas Prakriti because the goal of this system is to maintain homeostasis. The hypothalamus plays a large role in the endocrine system, so thoughts and emotions therefore greatly affect physiology when it comes to stress, trauma, metabolism, energy, and overall mindbody balance. The endocrine system is also coordinating with the nervous system, which involves the mind. Thoughts control body and hormones and vice versa.
Tying in the endocrine system’s subdoshas, shukravaha srotas and hormones affecting the thyroid, it is best to look at the mindbody connection. Prana controls inner intelligence, expression and consciousness. Shukra is found in every single cell, including those of the mind, even leading to ojas. Ojas can be correlated with homeostasis and ultimate balance. The hormones that affect the thyroid are in the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, unveiling just how connected the mindbody truly are. Vata dominates the endocrine system. The entire body is a loop of self-referral, striving to maintain balance within its own container. The more one transcends into higher states of consciousness, the easier it is for homeostasis to be maintained. It starts with the cells, influencing mind and body. Essentially, the level of consciousness determines the balance of the hypothalamus, and expression of Self is determined by the pituitary gland. Everything is interconnected.
References
Bowen, R. (2018). Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland. Retrieved from VIVO Pathophysiology: https://vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/hypopit/tsh.html
