Tantra Yoga: The Adrenals and the Ego

Tantra yoga exercises and lifestyle help us release our addictions to actions and substances that stimulate the adrenal glands to produce excessive hormones, and subsequently, restore harmony within our egos. The adrenals, grape-sized endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys, allow our bodies to deal with stress of all types through the fight or flight response, and keep as much homeostasis as possible. Anti-inflammatory hormones such as cortisol also help sustain energy. However, too much stress causes cortisol to break down the body tissues, adding fat, and causing organ and muscle weakness. The adrenals are unable to produce enough DHEA, the precursor to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Adrenals produce around 50 hormones, so we need to treat them kindly.

The modern lifestyle of chasing stimulation for recreation such as all night computer games such as World of Warcraft, use of cocaine and other drugs, cigarettes, caffeine, drama, sugar, horror movies, thrill seeking risky activities and a sexual overdrive give the adrenals a jolt. But they quickly become depleted and need another jolt to regain their stasis, or fatigue, depression, confusion, and aches ensue and we get a hankering for more of what caused the excess adrenalin production and subsequent depletion to begin with.

Very quickly, we become addicted to that yoyo syndrome unless we take time to rest and let the adrenals recover, giving them plenty of nutritional support such as licorice root, royal jelly, and herbal combinations easily found at health food stores. Most often, we are too impatient with the renewing process, feel we can't take time out, or don't want to tolerate the low energy level, or we feel we need to perform at our peak to meet deadlines. Often we will even wait until the night before a deadline, saying we work best under pressure, as that stimulates the panic response of the adrenals.

Soon, we have lost time, energy, well-being, and focus for our entire future because of not taking a few days to recuperate. Sometimes this happens so early in our lives, we hardly have a chance. We see it as our personality to be driven, to need more and more big wins, excitement, ego boosting, and can even find ourselves drawn into situations involving arrest or STDs because the thrill of the moment seems more important than the poise of reason. We can beat ourselves up, thinking it's our personality, when that pattern may have been artificially created by some event in the past that we may not have even had any control over, such as being overworked in school, staying up late to write papers, drinking coffee. Our very desire to succeed may have thrown us into the pit of failure.

The addiction to the ups and downs of the adrenalin glands may cause a downward spiral of increasingly dangerous, excessive behaviors. Some people may rationalize the thrill of stealing from chain stores as activism, or riding their motorcycles too fast as being a rebel. People may see their need to go out at 3 in the morning and do cocaine and cruise for prostitutes as being a natural human need. They may attract people who treat them terribly in order to bring out rage, which gets the adrenals going big time.

Some may start using more substances, such as sugar, or alcohol, which add to the addiction by promoting overgrowth of Candida in the system. Candida, a yeast/fungus triggers the desire for more sugar and fermented foods to feed itself, compounding the adrenal's issues, making the blood sugar go wild.

Eventually, adrenal fatigue occurs, causing muscle weakness and shaking, sleep disorders, low blood pressure and blood sugar, allergies, immune system insufficiency, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, hypothyroidism, Fibromyalgia, bloating, irritation, and the inability to keep a job or even get out of bed.

This stage certainly makes doing Tantric exercises difficult, as the body feels the need to conserve energy. Doing the exercises before the adrenals become exhausted is highly recommended. The exercises can aid in keeping the adrenals from becoming depleted, and can turn everything around to an upswing of health and consistent, generally positive moods, fitness, and renewal of spiritual peace.

Tantric exercises are dramatic, moving energy through the body, creating a sense of bliss and euphoria. People seeking something to lift them out of the blues can find a new expanded perspective through the exercises and get the jolt of pleasure they are looking for in a more wholesome and ultimately gratifying way. Rather than keeping the cycle of craving going, it actually satisfies it. Doing Tantric exercises is a natural high, even more than other forms of yoga. Though Tantra has become associated with sex through sensationalism recently, the exercises don't need to be related to sex. Tantric exercises can be done any time, and don't need a partner, or arousal, or privacy. Even just sitting on a bus, or walking down the street, a person can be silently doing some simple exercises.

Relating with others at the expanded level, or doing creative projects while keeping the cosmic theta-brain wave frequency going allows the experience to continue and not just be a momentary thing. This is what I call Lucid Play. Learning to have a continuity of consciousness, remaining aware of the real Self beyond just the brevity of meditation allows integration of all the brain wave levels, from the ordinary, to the deepest, and it can become a lifestyle. People with adrenal issues need something that can allow them to stay excited enough about life all the time, and this is an excellent way to do that.

The Tantric lifestyle includes a great diet that promotes a steady energy level, with plenty of nourishment from fresh, vegetables, nuts, and other simple foods, and can be adjusted to body type with specific spices recommended in the Ayurvedic guidelines. Avoiding chemicals in household and personal products, getting fresh air and sunshine, having time away from electromagnetic pollution, being grateful to everything around you, and meditating on a regular schedule are all helpful.

The exercises include breathwork (pranayama), mantras (toning), movements and poses (asanas), ethical good deeds (yama and niyama) and more. These sorts of activities help pull the body out of the modern lifestyle of sympathetic nervous system dominance, and moves it into experiencing the parasympathetic nervous system dominance at appropriate times. The perspective of that dominance is associated with the astral pathway on the left side of the spine, called the Ida, which related to meditation, intuition, a sense of oneness with the continuum, and lower brain wave frequencies such as Alpha. If we don't give ourselves enough parasympathetic nervous system dominance time, we can plummet into a perpetual state of stress, causing adrenal burn out which can only be remedied by several years of highly expensive supplements and treatments administered by naturopaths monitoring every nutrient that is out of balance.

The body/mind needs that expanded perspective of the lower brain wave frequencies rather than always staying in the Beta brainwave of the sympathetic nervous system dominance, with its perspective of separateness, competition, linearity, action, and the need for ego stroking, which is more related to the Pingala nadi, the astral pathway found on the right side of the spine. We need to be a mix between the individual and the universal, to have strong boundaries, a sense of self preservation and identity, yet also realize that our selves flow into everything else.

If we don't do things like Tantric exercises or Chi Gong, which take us into parasympathetic dominance times, our bodies are forced into artificial parasympathetic dominance, which is seen in Chinese medicine as deficient Kidney Yang. This depletes the sexual energies, the jing, and the adrenals are partly considered to be part of the Kidney meridian. Tantric and Taoist exercises are promoted to keep the Kidney Yang strong and balanced, and that is part of the reason for the avoidance of ejaculation during orgasms.

Tantric exercises allow that merging and communication between the individual magnetic pole at the base of the pelvis, at the root chakra, with the crown chakra, which is associated with the higher self, which forms a portal into the universal. The crown chakra is a gateway to experiencing the causal level of the aura, which is always aware of being part of the whole, of being wise and powerful and eternal. The levels of the aura can be inhabited more fully if we aren't slaves to adrenalin, being addicted to eating meat, for example, with adrenalin embedded in it from the surge from the slaughter. If we are continuously distracted by addictions, to shopping, webcams, extreme gossip, cheating on spouses, or whatever, we keep our focus on the levels of the aura closest to the body, more related to the ego, which can feel intense separation from the larger levels of the aura, leading to a sense of alienation and despair. Life can become superficial, as we lose the ability to be present.

The ego, nestled within the sense of identity, then has an agenda because of being separated from the causal body. Remembering and loving our individuality is extremely important. We need to keep our boundaries protected, keep the individual pole of the self magnetically charged as it keeps the flow with the universal pole electric.

It actually loses its charge if it is over emphasized (or underemphasized.) If we meditate regularly by doing some practice like Tantra, we can feel the universal energy flowing through the body and back again. We become the energy. It's an intense pulsation, a pleasurable vibration and being one with the urge to create this world, the cosmic light of consciousness, and it is blissful. We know it comes from truth rather than from a fleeting gratification. The adrenals are nourished by this, as the ego can relax while it is being honored, while being merged with the source of its pleasure.

If we try to kill the ego, it rebels, draws more and more attention to itself, using adrenalin based methods. We feel more encased in addictions, unresolved to our behavior, not fully in the moment. Helping the lower self, associated with the root chakra, the ego, and the Shakti (manifest world) pole of our being, communicate with the source of its energy, the Shiva (non manifest world) pole at the crown, the higher self, allows it to feel secure. It can then open up again and celebrate itself, through the arts, play, loving relationships, business genius, and so on.

Exercises that do this can be accessed through the DVD set, Tantric Lucidity, including titles such as Tantra with the World. The book, Tantric Metaportals, takes the reader into those states immediately through concepts, exercises, and art. Many ancient Tantric manuscripts are available as well, and Tantra teachers around the world can be helpful, though finding instructors who understand the whole range of what Tantra is can be challenging these days.

Doing the exercises regularly creates the ability to call in a change of consciousness that is dramatic and exciting and glorious without having to resort to temporary fixes. We can leave those behind to free ourselves to be able to relax into enjoying the present. Taking supplements for our adrenals at the same time makes the transition MUCH easier. We don't need to fight our craving and impulses so much.

Licorice candy isn't helpful, but the root itself can be chewed, or made into a tea, or the extract can be bought. Licorice ingredients resemble the adrenal hormones, and inactivates cortisol in the kidneys so it stays active longer. Avoid if you have high blood pressure. Licorice and sarparilla tea is excellent, as both are roots so can be boiled together for 20 minutes, and both feed the adrenals in different ways. Another root, ginger, can be added to the mix, as it also nourishes the adrenals. Royal jelly is a natural way to get pantothenic acid, which is similar to adrenal hormones, and it restores what is lost in the adrenals. Vitamin C from food sources also helps restore adrenal function. These kinds of natural additions to the diet are very helpful, but once a person hits adrenal exhaustion, he must go an expert for a complete work-up and track regularly every up and down of sodium, potassium, etc. to see exactly what he needs to do to try to repair some of the damage to begin to live again.

So, be kind to your ego, your body, your soul, and do Tantric exercises or some other form of parasympathetic nervous system dominance creator, like Chi Gong, or Tai Chi, and take good herbs for your adrenals, so you can release any habits you may have that keep the ego in charge. Rather than keeping your boundaries at the level of the ego, reach out and explore the wider levels of the aura and play in them!