Discover the best kept secret: yoga for menopause

Doctors don’t prescribe it. Celebrities don’t promote it. Yoga studios rarely include it. So, why is yoga for menopause the best kept secret?

During all my visits to a doctor to discuss my menopause symptoms, I was offered anti-depressants for anxiety and HRT for everything else. Yoga was never once mentioned.

That was over 10 years ago and little has changed since. Whilst natural solutions for menopause continue to take a back seat to HRT, yoga for menopause has remained the best kept secret - until now.

What’s the big deal about yoga for menopause?

Yoga is a totally natural holistic solution that’s been practiced for thousands of years. Every time you step on a yoga mat, you detoxify your mind and body and stimulate all your key organs. More importantly, yoga is effective at alleviating many key menopause symptoms too.

There are 34 official symptoms of perimenopause – the period prior to menopause that can start around the age of 40, if not before. Hot flashes, anxiety, brain fog, poor sleep, joint pain, lack of confidence, digestive disorders, overwhelm and fatigue, are just some of the not-so-fabulous delights that it brings.

What is yoga for menopause?

Menopause yoga is a specialist genre of yoga that’s designed to support women through the transition into menopause and beyond and it combines a variety of yoga styles to address a wide array of symptoms. These can involve movement or passive styles where you simply sit and hold a pose, whilst others involve complete surrender. By practicing this genre of yoga, women can effectively alleviate a wide range of their physical, mental, and emotional symptoms.

Is yoga for menopause a natural alternative to HRT?

Not every woman can take HRT, whilst some simply prefer a natural solution to menopause. In these cases, yoga for menopause is the perfect solution. However, for those women who already HRT, yoga can still be of immense benefit by providing relief for those symptoms that may not be covered by HRT and by helping create a healthy lifestyle.

Compared to taking HRT and other medications, yoga for menopause offers several benefits:

• Prescription-free
• Requires no supplements, lotions or potions
• Contains no toxins
• No adverse reactions
• Requires no fancy equipment
• Can be practiced anywhere
• Can be enjoyed at any stage of menopause

How does yoga for menopause help physical symptoms?

Joint pain: say goodbye to joint pain as yoga for menopause works EVERY joint in the body from shoulders and hips to knees and even wrists and toes!

We lose estrogen in the tissues that surround the joints, but by moving them through targeted poses, yoga can bring fresh blood supply to improve the health and flexibility of the joint. But you don’t have to sweat it out on the mat for hours on end. Significant improvements to joint pain can be enjoyed by practicing just 10 minute stretches 3 times per week.

Poor sleep: yoga helps calm your nervous system and releases physical tension from the body which in turn promotes better sleep. Yoga Nidra in particular is a meditative yoga style that gives the equivalent of 3 hours deep sleep by simply listening to a guided meditation for 45 minutes. It’s a great way to combat sleep problems in menopause. 

Digestive issues & bloating: the loss of estrogen in menopause can wreak havoc on your digestive and elimination systems. Thanks to a wide range of yoga for menopause poses that include forward folds and twists, you can go from sluggish to regular without any medication. As a consequence, the bloating and infamous ‘meno belly’ can become a thing of the past as your body begins to work optimally.

How does yoga for menopause help mental symptoms?

Brain Fog: that horrible feeling of being spaced out, not being able to think clearly, and unable to remember things strikes most women in menopause. It’s almost like your head is filled with cotton wool and you’re losing your mind.

Cue yoga for menopause. In many yoga poses, you drop the head lower than the heart, and in doing so it sends a rush of fresh blood and oxygen to the brain which triggers your parasympathetic nervous system to help clear brain fog, bring mental calm and clarity, and improved memory.

Anxiety: if menopausal anxiety has got the better of you, make yoga for menopause your new best friend. From excessive worrying, feeling on edge, and easily irritated, to physical symptoms such as heart palpitations shortness of breath and headaches, anxiety can show up in countless ways.

Yoga for menopause works wonders by combining physicals movement, controlled breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques. This powerful combination activates your body's relaxation response, counteracting the stress response associated with anxiety. By triggering your parasympathetic nervous system, yoga reduces the production of stress hormones like cortisol, helping you to stay cool, calm, and collected, even when the world seems to be spinning out of control. 

How does yoga for menopause help emotional symptoms?

Low mood: Yoga helps to release endorphins, those wonderful mood-boosting chemicals that counteract the low moods that can strike without warning. In yoga, it's believed that the body is made up of energy and simply by moving the negative energy around, you can release those low moods before they build up and become much worse.

Lack of confidence: sadly, menopause can completely erode your confidence as your body shape changes, you lack energy, and no longer recognise the person you’re becoming.

However, thanks to regular sessions on the yoga mat, you can begin to feel much more like you used to, and become more accepting of all the changes. Feeling more energised with improved moods and better sleep means you can begin to rediscover that lost spark. 

Where can you practice yoga for menopause?

It can be hard to find menopause yoga specialists – there are only 700 certified menopause yoga teachers* worldwide and I’m one of them. That's why I developed my own online membership, My Menopause Yoga Journey, so that women can practice yoga for menopause from the peace and comfort of their own home.

Suitable for all levels including complete beginners, my membership comes with its own App that boasts 400+ videos, all designed to alleviate menopause symptoms.Thankfully, as the word spreads, more and more women are turning to yoga for menopause as a natural solution to help alleviate their symptoms.

But if you’re already thinking…."I can’t do yoga, I’ve never done yoga”….I created a 7-stage Guided Practice that will help you every step of the way. Just like myself, most of my members found themselves stepping on a yoga for the very first time in menopause, so you’ll be in good company.

Why not start your yoga for menopause journey today and enjoy this gentle morning sequence? It could turn out to be the best 10-minutes you’ve ever spent.

Are you a beginner and want to start a home menopause yoga practice? If so, download our FREE guide: Yoga for beginners at home 

* When searching for menopause yoga classes and workshops in your locality, it’s imporatnt to check they are being taught by an accredited menopause yoga teacher.

About Julie Ann Garrido:

After menopause symptoms disrupted her life, Julie Ann Garrido turned to yoga and found a natural solution that restored her energy, confidence, and wellbeing - a solution that she'd been searching for over many years.

Determined to help other women, she created My Menopause Yoga Journey, an online yoga for menopause membership that brings affordable, beginner-friendly yoga for menopause directly to their home.

Julie's mission is clear: to help women navigate menopause with yoga and other natural solutions.

To learn just how much yoga changed Julie’s life, watch this short video: