Yoga for Menopause : Why Menopausal Women Benefit From Yoga

Did you know menopause yoga is a a real form of yoga? Granted, it’s not a traditional form of yoga like ashtanga, vinyasa, or yin yoga are. But it incorporates authentic, traditional yoga poses that benefit menopausal women.

Menopause may be a touchy subject for some of you, but here at MyYogaTeacher, we believe in being open and honest about all parts of our humanity.

Discussing typically taboo topics like menopause helps women learn how to better manage their symptoms and lets them know they are not alone. 

During menopause, women often seek medical treatment for their physical and psychological symptoms. But yoga for menopause symptoms offers hope for a natural remedy for many of the symptoms that you may experience during this transitional time! 

At MyYogaTeacher, every member is a part of a supportive community of yogis. We have students from all ages, all walks of life and who are experiencing many different phases of the human life cycle, including menopause.

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Learn more below about why menopausal women benefit from a consistent yoga practice!

Restorative yoga poses alleviate hot flashes

No one really knows why women have hot flashes during (and even before) menopause. But this classic symptom is recognizable by an intense surge in body temperature and increased heart rate, making women feel flushed and hot.

Yoga for menopause shouldn’t be vigorous. Any tension in the body or tightening of the muscles can make hot flashes worse. Cooling, restorative poses such as reclining bound angle pose, child’s pose, reclining hero pose, and reclined butterfly pose are good ones to help alleviate hot flashes. 

Additionally, using bolsters, blankets, blocks, or other props to make your yoga practice more comfortable is encouraged!

Yoga for menopause helps manage decreased hormone symptoms

Traditionally, the allopathic route to resolving symptoms of decreased hormone production has been hormone replacement therapy. Doctors believe that to combat menopausal symptoms, replacing decreasing hormones such as estrogen was a solid solution.

Unfortunately, studies have shown that hormone replacement exposes women to serious health risks. Risks like dementia, stroke, heart attacks, as well as several types of cancer.

While yoga might not directly affect estrogen production, it has certainly shown to be effective at holistically managing the symptoms that occur due to the lack of estrogen that is produced during menopause.

Symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, fatigue, and lack of focus can all be managed with a consistent yoga practice.

Menopausal women are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease

In an article from the National Institute of Health, studies show the use of yoga therapy for menopausal women decreases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). During menopause, women become more insulin resistent and have increased metobolic and vascular changes, all of which strongly contribute to CVD.

Increasing evidence demonstrates that with proper guidance, yoga helps menopausal women reduce their risk of CVD, particularly in older adults who may have pre-existing medical conditions that make them especially prone to cardiovascular issues.

Yoga also provides mental, physical, and emotional health benefits to this population of women that will help them live a more comfortable, happy, healthy life during and after menopause!

Yoga poses for menopause

I guess you’re wondering what are some yoga poses you can do to help alleviate your menopausal symptoms! Let’s go over a few here to get you started.

Yoga poses for mood swings

1. Forward bend - Relaxes the mind, fights depression and anxiety, calms the nervous system
2. Bow pose - Opens up the chest, lifts mood, and stimulates digestive organs
3. Camel pose - Helps you feel safe and secure and aids in working through negative emotions
4. Downward facing dog - Increases circulation and wakes you up
5. Legs up a wall - Reduces fatigue and insomnia, calms the brain and relieves depression

Yoga poses for hot flashes

1. Child’s pose - Calms the heart rate, cools the body
2. Reclining hero pose - Relieves tight muscles that tense up when you’re uncomfortable
3. Bridge pose - Reduces pain in back and stretches the neck and spine, improves circulation
4. Reclining bound angle pose - Helps create hormonal balance from overtaxed adrenal glands
5. Wide leg forward bend - Lowers heart rate and blood pressure, cooling the body

Yoga poses for cramps and heavy bleeding

1. Supine twist pose - Massages reproductive organs, relieves tension in those areas
2. Child’s pose - Stretch lower back and allows lower abdominal muscles to relax
3. Bow pose - Stretches out abdominal muscles and opens up reproductive organs
4. Cobra pose - Stretches out abdominal muscles and puts gentle pressure on lower abdomen
5. Head to knees forward bend -  Relieves menstrual cramps, headache, and fatigue

Trying any or all of these poses each day you’re experiencing menopausal symptoms is sure to  get you feeling better quickly, but try practicing yoga therapy for menopause every day for consistent relief from the uncomfortable symptoms you may be experiencing during this transitional time in your life.

And if you need some more guidance on how to get through these transitions with more ease, grace, and comfort, I encourage you to check out the affordable 1-on-1 private online yoga classes at MyYogaTeacher! We help people just like you!

Not a MyYogaTeacher member? Whether you’re interested in teaching yoga, starting yoga, or growing in your yoga journey, MyYogaTeacher is a great place to do it!

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