Women’s Wellness:Yoga for Menopause

As a practitioner of yoga for more than 25 years, my yoga practice has helped to keep me anchored in the face of change as I have moved through different stages and phases throughout my life: puberty, pregnancy, motherhood and now as I move into my mid-forties - perimenopause!

Perimenopause is the transitional period before menopause and has characteristics that are similar to the beginning of puberty, such as changing bodies, fluctuating moods, and even pimples! And so while my body is in the middle of this life transition - which I’ll admit can be challenging with some of the physical changes, but through my yoga practice, I am reminded that like everything in life, this period is a transient and I can accept the changes with grace and wisdom.

Thanks to hormones and hot flushes, yoga for menopause is all about staying cool, calm, and connected. Keeping our nervous system balanced and using the practices of yoga to maintain strength without overheating the body. So it’s best to stay away from practices such as hot yoga or Bikram and instead lean into slow flow or hatha yoga classes which help to build muscle mass and increase bone density. However, even in menopause, yoga is not a one size fits all! Restorative or yin yoga is ideal for women experiencing anxiety, mood swings or fatigue.

Here are some of my favourite asanas for menopause - many of the postures here are restorative as that’s the focus of my personal practice at the moment:

• Restorative Spinal Twist

• Supported Bridge Pose

• Legs Up the Wall

• Goddess

Pranayama also provides relief from the mental fog and moodiness that accompany this life transition. My favourite is Nadi Shodhana or Alternate Nostril Breathing for calming and grounding.

Discover a wealth of wisdom through yoga, with yoga classes, courses + workshops especially for women and menopause taught by a qualified Yoga Therapist and Senior Yoga Teacher, Sara Evans at our beautiful Kingsley yoga room, Bloom Yoga.

Restorative Spinal Twist

Supine restorative twists help to calm our nervous systems, gently stretch the spine and belly.

Setu Bandhasana ~ Restorative Bridge

This restorative asana helps restore energy, calms the mind while relieving back pain and hot flushes during menopause. Also works therapeutically by gently placing pressure on the thyroid glands in the throat.

Viparita Karani ~ Legs up the wall

A restorative inversion that improves circulation, helps with inflammation, hormonal balance, bloating, mood swings, sleep, and anxiety. Ideal for restoring energy.

Utkatakatasana ~ Goddess Pose

A blend of strength, stretching and mental resilience; utkatakatasana is a grounding pose to strengthen the pelvic floor and lower body.

Nadi Shodhana Pranayama ~ Alternate Nostril Breath

Nadi Shodhana brings relief from the fog and moodiness that can sometimes accompany menopause. A great breathing technique for calming, grounding and bringing balance!