5 Most Effective Yoga Postures For Menopause

Menopause means “end of monthly cycles” in women which occurs around her midlife. In other words, it is permanent cessation of primary function of ovaries. Menopause sets in with symptoms like hot/cold flashes, night sweats, irregular periods, loss of libido, mood swings, fatigue and many other physical and mental problems.

A regular yoga practice can improvise menopausal experience of women, so that she can comfortably confront and manage the trouble arising out of menopause. Following proper yoga postures with relevant and good diet can also prevent chronic problems arising during menopause. These are a few proven yoga postures meant to heal menopausal problems:

Yoga Postures For Menopause

Standing Mountain Pose/(Tadasana)

Stand straight with joined feet and lock your fingers. Slowly raise the locked fingers above your head, while inhaling. Straighten the hands and keep the elbows stretched. Stand on the tip of your toes and look straight. Hold this position for a few seconds and breathe normally.

Slowly bring down your hands and come down on your feet, with a slow exhalation breath. This Yoga Pose promotes the experience of stillness, strength, relaxed power, stability associated with mountains. Tadasana is therapeutic in anxiety, stress and osteoporosis related to menopause.

Paschimottanasana/Seated Forward Bend

While sitting, stretch your legs in front and keep them joined. With a long deep breath in, stretch your hands over your head and bring them down bending your back, to hold your big toes. Hook your finger on big toes. If you find it difficult reaching the toes, then bend at your back stretching your hands to your maximum capability.

Hold this position for a few seconds while breathing normally. Then slowly bring your hands over the head while exhaling, and bring your hand down, to come back to initial position. Paschimottanasana is helpful in alleviating stress and mild depression. This pose can also combat fatigue and insomnia.

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Shashankasana/Child Pose

Sit with legs folded backwards, keeping the knees and toes together. Adjust your heels between the hips. Inhale and slowly raise your hands above head. Exhale and start bending forward, stretch the arms forward while pressing your abdomen against thighs. Bring the forehead down to touch the floor/mat. Breathe normally, relax and maintain the position for a few seconds.

Inhale and return to the upright position. This is an excellent calming posture, very capable of removing stress and relaxing nerves and thereby, normalizing the functional disturbances of adrenal glands during menopause. It helps reduce blood pressure and gets a great feeling of relaxation in the spine.

Setubandha Asana/Bridge Pose

Lie down on your back, like in a Shavsana. Bend the knees bringing them near hips and keep them one foot apart. While inhaling, raise your hips up with the help of your palms and hands. Breathe normally and hold the posture for a few seconds. While exhaling, bring your hips down.

Relax and repeat 2-3 times. The effect of dropping the belly, uterus and ovaries in the pelvic bowl helps to balance the hormonal secretions and thus helps ease the hormonal fluctuations of menopause. Practicing this pose can also stretch the back, reduce fatigue and insomnia, and ease anxiety and headaches, all of which are common menopausal symptoms.

Viparita Karini/ Legs-Up-The-Wall-Pose

Lie down in a supine position, with legs stretched against wall. Slowly lift your legs against the wall and pull your body with the help of your elbows towards the wall. If you want, you can put a bolster underneath your lower back. Put your hands away from the hips facing up. Form a ‘V’ with your legs and keep breathing normally.

Hold this position for a few seconds. To come out of the position, hug your knees and roll to one side. Repeat this 4-5 times. Gradually after a few days, you can stop taking the support of a wall to lift your legs up. Remember to inhale while lifting your legs up and exhale deeply while bringing your legs slowly down. Viparita Karini can effectively replenish adrenal hormone secretions.