8 Simple Yoga Poses for PeriMenopause
Yoga stimulate circulation, massages and tone the organs and inner muscles, and helps to keep the body limber. It supports endocrine balance which can smooth hormonal changes experienced at any age. It’s not uncommon to find yoga teachers in their 60s and 70s, nor is it unusual to see participants in their 80’s! s in their 80s.
Think Yoga is all about contorting into difficult shapes and poses? Think again! Not all yoga poses are complicated. Here are eight that are simple and effective for the perimenopausal body. To master them, please take the time to find a yoga teacher who can demonstrate how to perform these moves safely.
Legs-Up-the-Wall
Lie on your back with your buttocks close to a wall and your legs raised and resting on the wall. Stay in this position for 5 or 10 minutes, taking long, even breaths and keeping your eyes closed.
2 Forward Bends
Forward bends are soothing and calming both to the nervous system and the mind. They gently stretch the spine, promote relaxation, ease mood swings and calm anxiety. Examples include the Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsasana) and the Standing Forward Bend Pose (Uttanasana). The gentle pressure placed on the abdominal area (including the uterus and ovaries) during these poses gently squeezes and promoting circulation. As you release the pose and straighten up, freshly oxygenated blood bathes these organs.
2 Twists
As your hormones shift, the adrenals and kidneys can become taxed. Yoga poses that twist the body can help support these organs. Half Fish Pose is a gentle twist which can be done on the floor or sitting in a chair. You twist the torso until you are looking over your shoulder.
A slightly more challenging twist is Bow Pose (Dhanurasana), in which you lay on your belly, bend your knees, reach for your ankles and grip them for a count of 5 to 10 breaths. If Bow Pose seems out of reach right now, check with a yoga instructor for beginner modifications that can make it easier.
2 Weight-Bearing Poses
Just as weight bearing exercises help strengthen your bones, so too do weight bearing yoga poses. Half Dog Pose and the Downward-Facing Dog Pose (Adho Mukha Svanasana) achieve this.
Half Dog can be done by placing the palms of the hands against the wall, fingers leading upward at chest height. You then step back until your torso is parallel to the floor and your legs are at right angles to the floor. Your body, the wall, and the floor together form a square. In Full Dog, you bend over with your buttocks raised and form a triangle with the floor.
Poses like this help builds muscle and balance, which can help prevent falls and bone fractures.
On the Floor
Savasana, or Corpse Pose is a beautiful way to relaxing, release aches and pains, reduce fatigue, and improve quality of sleep. Lie on your back and close your eyes. Relax your neck muscles and look for any other tension throughout your body. Allow tension to release into the floor beneath you. Quiet your breathing and your thoughts. Focus on the ebb and flow of your breath. Stay in this pose for 10 minutes. When you are finished, gently roll your body to one side to slowly sit up.
Tell me… do you enjoy yoga or are you curious to try it?
