Mind, Body, Menopause: 3 Yoga Poses to Navigate the Change with Ease

Menopause comes with fluctuating hormones that can mess up sleep cycles, give you belly fat, and make you irritable. However, there is yoga to help you. Doing yoga can reduce hot flushes by about 31%. Here are some poses you can practice.

1. Standing forward bend

How to:

• Stand straight and place your feet parallel to each other, hip-distance apart.
• Place your hands on your hips and reach your head toward the ceiling as you inhale.
• As you exhale, hinge at the hips and touch the feet or the floor. The torso needs to adhere to the legs.
• Shift your body weight slightly onto the balls of your feet.
• Come out of the pose slowly.
• Number of repetitions: Do this 5-10 times.
• How it helps: It reduces fatigue, anxiety and menopausal symptoms.

2. Easy pose

How to:

• Sit cross-legged on a mat.
• Keep the spine straight and close your eyes.
• Take 3 deep breaths.
• Begin to open the legs and then slowly stand up.
• Number of repetitions: Do this for 3 deep breaths.
• How it helps: It helps reduce anxiety and stress caused by menopause.

3. Side angle pose

How to:

• From your previous pose, you brought the right elbow down to the right knee.
• Extend your left arm inside the right shin as the chest is toward the floor.
• Bend the left elbow towards the chest and hold this position for 10 seconds. Breathe slowly while in the pose.
• Slowly, return to the position.
• End the pose by bringing the shoulders and legs together.
• Number of repetitions: Do 5-10 times holding the pose for 10 seconds.
• How it helps: It is good for stretching the spine and abdomen and also stimulates the abdominal organs.