Yoga’s healing powers don’t stop there; it can also aid with dreaded menopausal symptoms including increased anxiety, lack of concentration, sadness, and others. All of these are symptoms of hormonal fluctuations that occur when a woman’s body enters
, and yoga may be the key to overcoming them.
Menopause and all of its symptoms are an inescapable aspect of women’s aging. As a woman approaches menopause, her body produces fewer hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone, which causes all of the unpleasant symptoms. While yoga will not replace the lost hormones, it may help you feel better.
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According to a study published in Nursing & Health Sciences (via PubMed), practicing yoga for 20 weeks improved women with menopausal symptoms, particularly in the interval before and after menopause. Aside from that, the practice improved their overall health. If you want to relieve some of your menopausal symptoms naturally, including certain yoga methods in your daily routine might be beneficial.
Benefits of Yoga for Menopausal Women and Why Starting Early is Advantageous
However, menopausal symptoms vary from woman to woman. Furthermore, not everyone possesses the physical agility and level of fitness required to perform more difficult yoga poses. If you are in the pre-menopause stage, you should begin practicing yoga as soon as possible. “If you practice yoga before menopause, then all of the poses that are especially useful for coping with uncomfortable symptoms are already familiar, and you can reach for them like an old friend,” Suza Francina, author of “Yoga & The Wisdom Of Menopause: A Guide to Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Health at Midlife and Beyond,” told Yoga Journal.
Yoga Postures to Help Cope with Menopausal Symptoms
Even if you’ve already reached menopause and are suffering symptoms, yoga can assist. Hot flushes are a typical irritation, so yoga instructor Patricia Walden recommends cooling practices like the downward-facing dog (as reported by Yoga Journal). This stance can also aid in memory and attention issues.
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According to Walden, forward bend poses can help with anxiety and insomnia, while backbends can help with mood swings. “[Backbends] stimulate and massage the adrenals into action.” “The heart and lungs also open and take in more oxygen,” she told Yoga Journal. If you suffer from depression, inversion positions such as the shoulder stand and the plow can be beneficial. “By turning everything upside down, inversions influence your emotional being positively,” Walden explained.
If you’ve never done yoga before, do it slowly at first because none of the positions are designed to be painful. Also, don’t give up if certain poses don’t work for you the way they did for someone else. Experiment with different stances until you find the ones that work best for you and your needs.
Source: Medindia
