The endocrine system is the link between the physical body and our subtle bodies. If we are to remain healthy and vibrant it is necessary to have an efficiently working endocrine system. To have an endocrine system that is working in balance we must keep all our energetic bodies in harmony. All the Great Masters kept all bodies in balance.
It’s not that our health comes and goes it’s our awareness of the endocrine system and its associated systems that change. When we become aware of something we cannot keep acting unresourcefully or in contradiction to it. Keeping all our energetic bodies in balance is the key to having a properly functioning endocrine system. Achieving this we then have a corresponding balance of hormones.
All health and well being is associated with at least a minimum awareness of the endocrine system. Below this minimum problems will occur leading to pain and disease. Keeping homeostatic balance in the body is key to health and well being. This is particularly important in the endocrine system. Any imbalances in our spiritual, mental or emotional bodies will ‘solidify’ in the endocrine system. This will cause an imbalance and associated disorders.
Of all the bodies systems and processes the endocrine system is the one that is most susceptible to daily stresses. Especially thoughts, emotions, nutrition and environmental influences such as pollution and electromagnetic influences. Depression, mood swings, weight and sleep issues, lethargy, low self-esteem and so on are very often the result of an out of balance endocrine system. Remember holistic treatments are about bringing the body back into balance because disease cannot function in a body that is in balance. This is why it is so important to do some form of daily discipline such as yoga and meditation.
Endocrine System Glands
The endocrine glands are: “the invisible guardians or the controllers and guardians of life who determine the equilibrium of spiritual and physical forces in mankind” The Rosicrucions
Hormones are chemicals released from the endocrine glands which sustain life. The rate of production of hormones is regulated by the optimum functioning of the glands associated with the endocrine system. It is not just that hormones are out of balance in the average person but the actual amount produced is way short of optimal.
The Endocrine System Glands are:
- The Hypothalamus – some would consider this not to be an endocrine gland, however, its function to regulate homeostasis is important enough for a brief description. It is situated in the brain beneath the thalamus and consists of an accumulation of many nerve cells. It controls a variety of autonomic functions aimed at maintaining homeostasis;
- The Pineal – is about the size of a pea and lies immediately beneath the hypothalamus in a tiny recess at the centre of the brain. One of its primary functions is to regulate the body’s circadian rhythms;
- Pituitary Gland – Often mistakenly referred to as the third eye, (the third eye is in the etheric body) it is thought of as the master gland because it produces hormones that control several other endocrine glands. It is located in a small bony cavity behind the root of the nose. It is linked to the hypothalamus via a small stalk at the base of the brain;
- The Thyroid – is the biggest gland in the neck situated near the front below the muscle layers. It has two ‘wings’ which wrap around the trachea. Its primary function is to regulate the body’s metabolism.
- The Parathyroid – Unrelated to the thyroid apart from the fact that this gland is also part of the endocrine system. Its primary function is to regulate the calcium levels in the blood. This ensures optimum function of the muscular and nervous systems.
- The Thymus – lies underneath the top of the breastbone. It is the controller of energy flow to the body and it monitors and re-balances our life energy. The thymus plays a huge role in the correct functioning of our immune system. It is also involved with the strength of muscular contraction. Muscle weakness can be a symptom of an under active thymus.
- The Pancreas – its primary function is to regulate blood sugar levels by producing insulin and glucagon. It also produces pancreatic digestive enzymes.
- The Adrenals – respond quickly to rage, anger and fear regulating the four primary stress hormones: DHEA, adrenaline, cortisol and norepinephrine. They are situated at the top of both kidneys and are triangular in shape about the size of Brazil nuts.
- The Gonads -are a mixed gland. In the male, these are the testes. In the female the ovaries. Their primary function is the creation of the sex hormones.
Beyond The Endocrine System
We are of course more than just our physical bodies. It is absolutely essential that we take into account the metaphysical (beyond the physical) if we are to remain in balance and disease free. All disease comes from physiological stress which manifests as a lack of oxygen at a cellular level.
The main factors are our mental and emotional patterns causing stress in the body. This is compounded by living in a polluted internal and external environment including the food we eat. Stress itself is a symptom. The stress we can feel on a daily basis because of our lack of Self Mastery can trigger the fight or flight response. This response is quite often not turned off which results in overactive adrenal glands.
We then look for other ‘distractions’ to help us relax, for example, drugs, alcohol, overeating and so on and we end up in a constant ‘declining’ state. Our ‘growth’ state where all our bodies move into homeostasis is never reached. Dehydration, acidosis and a lack of oxygen at a cellular level follow which leads to disease and if we don’t do anything about it eventual death. A fantastic way to help and even reverse this process is to re-learn diaphragmatic breathing.
Our body, mind and soul or subconscious, conscious and superconscious need to work in a cooperative manner. As an operating system integral to sustainable health, the endocrine system performs this function via an output and input flow of breath or chi, an ever-present, ever flowing exchange of energy. This flow moves from the subtle bodies to the endocrine system and then ‘deeper’ into other systems of the physical body and back again. An interruption of this flow, for example, a negative belief system, creates an imbalance in the subtle bodies/physical body unit. It is therefore crucial that we all learn how to breathe again.
