RESTORATIVE YOGA TO SOOTHE YOUR MENOPAUSE SYMPTOMS

By Maria Hastings 

You may have read that Yoga can be a really effective practice for managing the physical and psychological symptoms you may experience during perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. 
 
“Menopause yoga”, designed specifically for menopause, uses specially adapted yoga practices, breathing techniques and mindful meditation exercises, to help manage menopausal symptoms, such as Hot flushes, Anxiety, Low Mood, Brain Fog, Difficulty Sleeping, Tiredness, Joint Pain, Muscle Aches, and much more. 

But with so many ways that yoga can support you during menopause, it can be hard to know where to start, especially if you’re new to Yoga. In this guide I will give you a place to begin, by introducing some restorative yoga postures and practices. 

Restorative Yoga: What is it and why is it Helpful During Menopause? 

A regular yoga practice, especially one that promotes rest, and includes restorative and supportive poses, can help ease many of the symptom of menopause. It does this by helping you manage and reduce stress. This is vital, as in menopause we’re more sensitive to stress and stress can make all menopause symptoms worse. 

Restorative yoga use props, such as blankets, pillows, blocks, to allow the body to feel supported and comforted, as you hold poses for some time, several minutes. As you remain in these postures, you can focus your attention on your breath, inhaling and exhaling through the nose, and taking longer exhales. This brings deeply therapeutic, muscular relaxation in the body and quietening busyness in the mind.  

With regular practice, restorative yoga can ease aches and pains, in joints and muscles, reduce fatigue, and quieten a busy mind. Restorative yoga can help you feel soothed and cared for. 

Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, credited with introducing Restorative Yoga to the west, describes a restorative yoga practice, that helps you “to feel calmer, less fatigued, and less battered by your perimenopausal experiences.” 

A restorative yoga practice encourages you to consciously slow down, and rest. It is gentle and nourishing, so even if you’re feeling exhausted, or just low in energy you can dip into a short practice, even 1 pose, and emerge feeling soothed and refreshed.  

Menopause is a time of immense change, and Restorative Yoga allows you time and space to process emotions as they arise, and tune in to how you feel and what you need as you navigate this transition. 

You can download my little guide to print off and try at home. It introduces some helpful restorative yoga poses and practices to support you throughout the menopause.  

My favourite is Legs Raised up the Wall!

Which one will you try? 💗 

For more Yoga guidance and demonstrations from Maria Hastings -  click the image below: