Yoga can ease the transition through menopause and alleviate many of its uncomfortable symptoms. Yoga breathing through hot flashes settles the anxiety that can trigger or exacerbate them. Kapalabhati, rapid yoga breathing that relieves tension, and Alternate Nostril Breathing work wonders for hot flashes. Many other poses provide immediate relief and long-range health benefits for general fitness and disease prevention.
Dowager's Humps and Healthy Bones
As women age they lose bone density and the process accelerates with menopause. Keeping the joints flexible and adding weight-bearing poses to an exercise regimen helps to retain stronger bones and prevent falls and breaks. Seated postures like the Hero Pose and Wide Angle Pose keep the hip joints flexible. "Yoga Journal" reports that the Cobra Pose and Supported Bridge Pose will help a curving upper back, but the Camel Pose and Bow Pose should be approached with caution to avoid injury to a curved spine. Wide-legged Standing Forward Bend puts weight on the large leg and hip bones, encouraging flexibility and countering an unhealthy convex spine.
Yoga, Fitness and Quality of Life
Menopausal women who added yoga or walking to their daily routines in a Pennsylvania State University study increased cardiorespiratory fitness and decreased menopausal symptoms. In addition to minimizing night sweats, hot flashes and anxiety, the women reported that the exercise produced more stable moods and better overall quality of life. A control group who did no walking or yoga reported no changes in symptoms or emotional health.
Calm and Coping
Hormonal balance and emotional balance both benefit from specific poses. In an article in "Yoga Journal," a yoga instructor recommended Viparita Karani, lying down with legs braced against the wall, perpendicular to the floor, for grounding. She also suggested the Headstand, Shoulder Stand and Plow Pose to balance hormones, and several supported forward bends, like Seated Forward Bend, to restore optimism and serenity.
Weight Control
Weight loss is not the primary focus of yoga, but a tendency to menopausal weight gain can be slowed or reversed by the subtle and obvious benefits of a yoga practice. First, yoga gets the body's prana or life force moving, so a regular yoga routine increases energy levels. Second, many asanas are designed to correct such problems as poor digestion and posture, emotional imbalance and areas of muscle tension---all conditions that can have a negative impact on weight control. Last, some vigorous yoga systems like Ashtanga and Bikram provide an aerobic workout and practice conditions, like heated studios, that melt away pounds. Yoga poses alone won't make you skinny, but they can change your body and your attitude.
After Estrogen
During and after menopause, the body's production of the hormone estrogen diminishes and then stops. A hysterectomy can have the same effect, and women who have had hysterectomies or who are menopausal may choose to take hormone replacement therapy, HRT, to alleviate symptoms. HRT has serious side effects and can pose a heart risk. Women who choose to treat the loss of estrogen production with diet and exercise have used yoga postures successfully. Harvard University Medical School reports on one 2009 Indian study that tracked menopausal women using a yoga program to improve sexual function. Poses like Mountain and Tree Pose, Triangle Pose, the Snake and Half-Spinal Twist helped to alleviate hot flashes and vaginal dryness, increase energy, assist the reproductive system, reduce abdominal fat and benefit the spine, kidneys, liver, and adrenal glands.
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