(Or Yoga for the time in your life where keeping your underwear in the freezer is seen as normal!)
Menopause has been a bit of a dirty word for decades, spoken about in hushed tones in case it was something that you might catch. Nudges, nods of heads, jokes and whispers of 'she's at that age' have pushed older women to feel useless, cast aside and forgotten, having no further use beyond their reproductive years. And life in the age of social media and nips and tucks has become increasingly more difficult for a woman as she ages. Women are living longer but have greater pressure to try and hold back the hands of time
For a woman approaching menopause, it's too easy to lose sight of who you are and your place in society. It's not surprising that a woman's mental health at this time suffers. The rapid drop in estrogen can cause depression, anxiety and other mental health issues and the long list of physical symptoms just serve to magnify the effects on a woman's emotional and physical wellbeing.
There will be some who sail through this intense period of change with grace and minimal disruption, while for others, menopause will hit them like a ten ton truck! There are approximately 34 generally accepted symptoms of menopause, and most women will start to show symptoms at some point during the ages of 45-55, with only 20% having no symptoms at all. Unfortunately, I'm not able to count myself in the lucky 20%. Having a surgical menopause after my operation last year left me with an aching body and a sense of loss of who I was.
While yoga can't promise to turn back time, it can help support women and help manage some of those symptoms.
Tip #1 - Strike a pose- well not strictly one pose!
Vinyasa yoga is a great total body workout, yet more gentle on the body than hiit workouts. Keeping up with an exercise routine helps with vasomotor symptoms such as high blood pressure, heart palpitations and hot flushes. Yoga can help keep the joints supple and mobile as the drop in estrogen causes inflammation in the joints. Using body weight to gently maintain muscle mass and bone density while helping to combat the slowdown of the metabolism.
Learning to relax by taking a yin or restorative yoga class can release tension in the muscles caused by anxiety. Yoga allows a woman to explore and help come to terms with her changing body. Synovial fluid and cartilage changes allow more wear on bones, tissues dry up and as a result our become brittle, not unlike a sponge. We want to stress the fibroblasts that live in the joints to secrete collagen fibres and proteins to hydrate our tissues through Yin Yoga’s gentle, static holds.
Tip #2 - Baddha Konasana
Baddha Konasana or Cobbler Pose (and all it's variants) is a great pose for opening the hips and releasing tension. Hormonal changes during menopause can cause lower back and hip pain, as well as holding tension in the muscles. Hormonal changes can have an affect on the tendons and women have a high chance of developing gluten tendinopathy which is a serious hip pain where the outer or the lateral side of the hip is effected. Baddha Konasana also activates the core and lower back when seated.
Tip #3 - Meditation and Breath Work
Scientific studies show that a practice of silence, like meditation, can bring relief from common menopause symptoms. These symptoms range from annoying brain fog (what did I come into the kitchen for?) to really unpleasant hot flushes.
Meditation can help you switch off from negative thoughts and help you to learn to shift your focus making you more able to deal with your symptoms. Meditation doesn't need to be seated. There's a wide range of techniques such as moving meditation that help with controlling physical and mental symptoms of menopause.
Breathwork goes hand in hand with meditation, from simply observing the breath to breathing exercises. Some women may experience anxiety or panic attacks for the first time during perimenopause and menopause. These can be debilitating for the sufferer, but can be eased by breathing techniques such as triangle breathing where the exhalation is gradually increased with each breath out.
Tip #4 - Bridge pose
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana or bridge pose gently stretches the font of the torso while strengthening the muscles in the upper and mid back, butt and thighs. It also works those all important pelvic floor muscles! The important thing to remember here is to gently curl up the spine starting with a small rock of the pelvis upwards while pressing down with the feet. Avoid this pose if you have any neck or back injuries.
Tip #5 - Sitali cooling breath
The single most common symptom of menopause that is reported by women is the dreaded hot flush! Caused by the depletion of estrogen and its affects on the body's regulatory systems, the hot flush will affect 75% of women who are symptomatic.
Sitali or Cooling Breath is a pranayama technique that allows the breath to be cooled on the tongue on the inhale. Practiced seated the tongue is stuck out and curled into an O shape. The breath is inhaled deeply like a straw and the mouth is then closed, exhaling out through the nose. This is repeated for a few breaths before returning to your normal breathing. Not everyone is able to curl their tongue and for those who can't the same effect can be achieved by Sitkari pranayama. Here, instead of sticking the tongue out, gently press your lower and upper teeth together and separate your lips as much as you comfortably can, so your teeth are exposed to the air? Breathing in through the gaps in the teeth before sealing the mouth to exhale.
And finally..
A regular yoga class can provide much needed social interaction as well as the physical benefits. Connecting with others can bring a sense of normality back to a seemingly chaotic time.
Remember that each and every woman's experience will be unique. We are all individual and that's what makes us amazing! Menopause is a temporary state and it will pass.
Link to the shop where you can buy some amazing herbal tea to help support with symptoms
Always seek advice from your doctor if you have any health concerns. The above advice is to be used as complimentary to any medical treatment.