| Yoga is not a 'remedy' for menopause - not least | | | | teachers who used yoga for themselves when going |
| because menopause represents a stage of life, rather | | | | through menopause found that an over-reliance on |
| than an illness. A woman's experience during | | | | restorative postures made some menopausal |
| menopause is completely individual, and yoga is not | | | | symptoms worse. This included mood swings and |
| specific like the drugs of modern medicine. There is no | | | | weight gain. They found that sometimes, more activity |
| one set series of postures that thus make up a | | | | was better. |
| 'remedy' for the symptoms of perimenopause. | | | | Given that quite active physical exercise had been |
| Yoga is, instead, an adaptive discipline that can support | | | | found to help with menopause, this observation is no |
| the body through the myriad of biological changes it is | | | | real surprise. Ultimately, it depends on what is going on |
| making. Importantly, it can also support our minds and | | | | for each woman, and this can vary over time anyway. |
| emotions, and allow us to come to a perspective on | | | | If you're feeling really tired all the time, restorative |
| the inner processes that are happening. Many | | | | poses may be best for that period. However, if you've |
| perimenopausal women have found both the physical | | | | got more energy, there are a number of other asanas |
| and less tangible benefits of yoga helpful at this time. | | | | that can really help. |
| If you haven't done any yoga before, it would be best | | | | For example, inversion yoga poses can be great for |
| to go to a class to learn. No DVD or book can quite | | | | the hormonal systems of the body. Inversions include |
| replace watching a teacher demonstrate a posture, | | | | headstand, shoulder stand, standing forward bends, |
| taking you through the different breathing practices, | | | | and others. With inversion poses, especially shoulder |
| and offering insight into how your body is coping with | | | | stand and headstand, it's important to do the |
| the poses. It also helps to have a practical grounding | | | | preparatory and counter postures. And if you have a |
| like this if you're reading yoga books, where they will | | | | particularly tense neck, it may be better to do a |
| present a number of different poses and variations. | | | | standing forward bend than downward dog (and |
| Learning yoga first by practicing it in class, gives you | | | | certainly not shoulder stand or headstand), as the angle |
| the experience to adapt what you read in books to | | | | of the shoulders, combined with the weight on them, |
| your own needs. | | | | can cause tension in the neck. |
| There are some general points about asanas (poses), | | | | Other good postures for menopause can be the |
| however. Back bends can be great for improving | | | | standing postures - including triangle pose, half moon, |
| one's mood and lifting energy levels, and forward | | | | and the extended side angle pose. These open up the |
| bends are good for anxiety and stress. | | | | front of the body, and the hips - which can be an area |
| There are a huge number of forward and back bends | | | | of stiffness for many women anyway! |
| in yoga however! And different asanas require | | | | Whatever poses you incorporate into your daily life |
| different preparatory poses, and what are called | | | | during menopause, remember to be flexible. The needs |
| counter postures. Counter postures are an important | | | | of our bodies change, areas of stiffness change, |
| follow-up to doing certain asanas. They can help | | | | symptoms change. Learning to respond to this, like the |
| prevent injury, just as the preparatory postures do. | | | | challenges that life can send our way, is the best way |
| There is somewhat contradictory advice given to | | | | to tailor a practice to suit your needs. |
| women going through menopause who want to | | | | References: |
| practice yoga. Many books encourage gentle, nurturing | | | | 1. Australian Yoga Life, Nov 2006 - Mar 2007 |
| poses - restorative poses. But some female yoga | | | | 2. |