Menopause symptoms can hit even when the change itself is as many as six years down the road, according to Yoga Journal. Yoga can give you some relief from your physical symptoms, such as cramps, hot flashes and sweating, and it can help alleviate the mood swings that often accompany menopause.
Physical Pain and Discomfort
Restorative yoga poses can bring relief from physical cramps and pains that hit when menopause does, Yoga Journal says. These include reclining bound angle pose, in which you lie on your back with your legs bent and feet together; reclining hero pose, in which you lie on your back with your knees bent and lower legs angled on either side of your thighs; and head to knee pose, in which you sit with one leg bent and one leg extended, with your head resting on the knee of your extended leg. Support your head, back or legs with a rolled blanket or bolsters if you need to increase your comfort level in any of the poses.
Hot Flashes and Sweating
Inversion poses can help stave off and lessen the intensity of hot flashes and excessive nighttime sweating, Yoga.com says. The headstand and handstand are two options to try, as is the shoulderstand, in which you place your shoulders and neck on the mat while supporting your lower back and legs in the air on bent elbows. Downward facing dog and legs up the wall pose can also help alleviate the intensity of night sweats and hot flashes. Add blanket or bolster support when you need it.
Hormone Production
A number of poses help stimulate hormone production, Yoga.com says, which can subsequently bring your further relief. These include standing forward bend, child's pose and bridge pose. Child's pose stretches your upper body facedown on the mat between your bent legs while bridge pose lifts your pelvis and lower back with your shoulders and feet on the floor. Support your lower body with a wall if necessary during the standing forward bend and with a blanket or bolster for child's pose and bridge pose.
Considerations
Crankiness, mood swings and depression can often accompany menopause, and a soft, gentle yoga practice of any sort can help calm, soothe and relieve anxiety. Keeping up your regular yoga practice, or even having a regular practice before menopause hits, can give you a head start at relief from menopausal symptoms, according to Yoga Journal. Even if you cannot practice with the same level of intensity you are used to, softening or modifying your routine will serve you better than abandoning it.
