Why Yoga is the Perfect Exercise to Reduce Menopause Symptoms
- Julie Jarvis
- Apr 30
- 4 min read
I didn't discover yoga until I was in my 40s, and if I'm honest, I started going to classes at my local gym to try and manage stress from my corporate job. And it worked!
Thus started an absolute love of yoga, which I started practicing almost daily either at home, at a studio, or at the gym. I started going to workshops and retreats, and managed to get both of my daughters practicing too. Eventually I decided to become a certified instructor at the ripe old age of 52! (I have a firm belief that you're never too old and it's never too late) And joy of joy, one of my first teaching experiences was while on holiday in Jamaica, an absolute dream!
And then it suddenly dawned on me. Here I am at 52, a newly qualified yoga instructor, and I've gone through menopause almost without noticing. Compared to my friends and many stories in the media, I seemed to be doing quite well. I checked in with my doctor to make sure that periods were consigned to history for me, and she did her absolute best to try and convince me to take HRT. I declined because the reality was, I just didn't need it, my symptoms weren't that bad.
I say this not to gloat, but more to question 'Why?'
One of the yoga schools I had done some training with, was offering a Yoga for Menopause course. I thought this would be good knowledge to have given my age, and signed up immediately.
The training was a real eye opener. When you consider some of the most common menopause symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, increased stress & anxiety, hot flushes, brain fog, low mood etc, yoga, meditation and breathwork can genuinely help reduce these. Honestly, it works!
Is it possible that all the yoga I had been doing through my 40s and into my early 50s had actually carried me through the menopause and kept symptoms at bay?
Let's look at how yoga can help with menopause symptoms.
Trouble Sleeping
A relaxing evening yoga practice helps to reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, in the body, which then enables melatonin, the sleep hormone, to be produced. Many relaxing asanas and postures allow the mind and body to relax, making it easier to fall asleep. If you practice in reduced lighting, or use candles, you will further encourage melatonin to be produced, and allow your mind to relax.
Recommended asana: Legs up the Wall pose.
Reducing Stress & Anxiety
Stress during menopause can reek havoc with your symptoms as cortisol, the fight or flight hormone, is produced. Prolonged stress can cause damage to the body, and so it is important to manage your stress levels as far as possible. Yoga manages stress by enabling the nervous system to switch from sympathetic, your fight or flight reaction, to para-sympathetic, your rest and digest state, through a combination of relaxing poses and breathwork.
Recommended asana: Child's Pose
Managing Hot Sweats
Hot sweats are the most common symptom of menopause, and can be very unpleasant. That creeping-heat sensation that starts somewhere at the base of your neck and slowly rises to give you the reddest of faces can be embarrassing and inconvenient, especially if you're in a work setting. But the simple act of walking on the ground in bare feet, known as grounding, could be a free, natural solution. Yoga is always done in bare feet, and we tend to stay bare footed whenever possible as it feels more natural. Walking bare foot outside has long been thought to have many natural healing properties, and recent researched has proven this is the case (I LOVE it when modern research confirms ancient wisdom). Grounding allows the earth's electrons to enter the body through the souls of our feet, which helps to reduce inflammation and regulate our internal body temperature, thereby reducing the intensity of hot sweats.
Recommended: kick your shoes off and walk on grass or sand
Brain Fog
Possibly one of the more worrying symptoms of the menopause, rain fog can make your mind go completely blank, or forget the simplest of words. Many women (including me) start to wonder if it's early onset dementia. It is thought to happen because the neuro-pathways in the brain get interrupted by the drop in oestrogen (we have oestrogen receptors absolutely everywhere), Meditating can help to restore those neuro-pathways, whilst decluttering the brain of facts, figures, toxins and memories at the same time. Meditating is like doing the brain's filing. In yoga, poses that require the mind to fully focus can have the same effect, such as balancing poses like Tree Pose.
Recommended: gift yourself the daily habit of meditation.
Supporting Bone Health
According to Age UK, 1 in 2 women in their fifties will break a bone! What a frightening statistic. The reality is that bone health starts to decline in our thirties, but declines more rapidly once we hit menopause. As well as supporting bone health with the right nutrients, such as Vitamin D, Calcium, Magnesium, etc, we can also strengthen our bones by practicing yoga asanas that are weight bearing, such as the Warrior poses, or handstands. Some yoga classes also include hand weights now, which can also support stronger bones.
Recommended asanas: Warriors 1, 2 and 3
I will never know for sure if all the yoga I was doing in my 40s helped me to have an easier time through menopause, but from what I now know about how yoga for menopause can help, I wouldn't be at all surprised. I know all those hours spent on the mat were worth it.
Interested in practicing Yoga for Menopause?
Get in touch: rediscoveryourinnerglow@gmail.com
Jules xx