Yoga Helps Women Cope with Menopausal Symptoms
Yoga is one useful tool women can use to deal with disorders and diseases. One of these is Menopause. This is a natural process of women’s biological make-up that begins to make itself felt when women hit their 40s and lasts until their 60s. In this situation, women undergo hormonal, physical and mental upheavals. The visible symptoms do not manifest in all women though.
Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, changes in sex drive, backaches, these are among the most felt and seen symptoms of menopause. From 55 to 65% of women undergoing menopause experience these symptoms.
During menopause, the ovaries' production of estrogen and progesterone is decreased. The shrinkage in production is immediately sensed by the pituitary gland which causes it to produce more. An imbalance in the body then results. The fluctuating production of hormones begins 6 years before menstrual periods end and goes on until a year after the last stage. After that, there is a stabilized decrease in the production of hormones.
Yoga can assist these menopausal women and relieve their pain and other symptoms.It is not common knowledge but Yoga and menopause are linked closely. The mental imbalance caused by menopause can be normalized through Yoga. Blood circulation is enhanced by the stretch and relaxation of the muscles by the different poses and this causes a rise in the cells' oxygen levels.
One of the early symptoms of menopause is insomnia, which Yoga can manage. There are postures that effectively result in a state of rest.
For fatigue and body aches, Yoga supported back bends can give relief. These poses open the chest and heart.Yoga can also effectively handle mood swings and depressions. When blood circulation and respiration are restored and enhanced, the poses expand the chest and result in easing these problems.
Yoga also addresses the physical issues of menopause and mid-life like cardiovascular health, bone strength and density, etc.. Yoga’s long-touted stress relief powers come very handy to women at this stage. Mental and physical balance are restored.
The mental/emotional and physical burdens are coped with by the women when the discipline they acquire from yoga endows them with control over their mind and body, thus enabling them to control their actions.
In this condition, having power over their minds/actions gives women consciousness of their emotions and keeps them from words or actions caused by the lack of equilibrium during menopause. The rise and fall of hormonal levels and its consequences are controllable through Yoga postures, at the same time giving women rest and serenity.
Several Yoga poses that are beneficial to menopausal women are:
- Goddess pose or Supta Baddha Konasana, which grants recharging of the needed energy
- Adho Mukha Virasana, for emotional control, to soothe mind and nerves and bring down blood pressure
- Adho Mukha Svanasana, one of the most effective positions for menopause for its effect on enhancing the course of blood to the brain and serving to neutralize faltering memory
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, equalizes blood pressure and the body's hormonal discharge, which results in a calmed heart, mind and nervous system, and efficient management of mood swings, hot flashes and headaches
These are just among the many Yoga positions that would benefit menopausal women. As you can see above, Yoga’s link with menopause is its effect on the biological condition and the emergence of other symptoms in this condition.
Check out Yoga Boot Camp for more yoga info.
Another highly recommended article is Yoga Practice Gives A Sharper Edge To Runners
Hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings, changes in sex drive, backaches, these are among the most felt and seen symptoms of menopause. From 55 to 65% of women undergoing menopause experience these symptoms.
During menopause, the ovaries' production of estrogen and progesterone is decreased. The shrinkage in production is immediately sensed by the pituitary gland which causes it to produce more. An imbalance in the body then results. The fluctuating production of hormones begins 6 years before menstrual periods end and goes on until a year after the last stage. After that, there is a stabilized decrease in the production of hormones.
Yoga can assist these menopausal women and relieve their pain and other symptoms.It is not common knowledge but Yoga and menopause are linked closely. The mental imbalance caused by menopause can be normalized through Yoga. Blood circulation is enhanced by the stretch and relaxation of the muscles by the different poses and this causes a rise in the cells' oxygen levels.
One of the early symptoms of menopause is insomnia, which Yoga can manage. There are postures that effectively result in a state of rest.
For fatigue and body aches, Yoga supported back bends can give relief. These poses open the chest and heart.Yoga can also effectively handle mood swings and depressions. When blood circulation and respiration are restored and enhanced, the poses expand the chest and result in easing these problems.
Yoga also addresses the physical issues of menopause and mid-life like cardiovascular health, bone strength and density, etc.. Yoga’s long-touted stress relief powers come very handy to women at this stage. Mental and physical balance are restored.
The mental/emotional and physical burdens are coped with by the women when the discipline they acquire from yoga endows them with control over their mind and body, thus enabling them to control their actions.
In this condition, having power over their minds/actions gives women consciousness of their emotions and keeps them from words or actions caused by the lack of equilibrium during menopause. The rise and fall of hormonal levels and its consequences are controllable through Yoga postures, at the same time giving women rest and serenity.
Several Yoga poses that are beneficial to menopausal women are:
- Goddess pose or Supta Baddha Konasana, which grants recharging of the needed energy
- Adho Mukha Virasana, for emotional control, to soothe mind and nerves and bring down blood pressure
- Adho Mukha Svanasana, one of the most effective positions for menopause for its effect on enhancing the course of blood to the brain and serving to neutralize faltering memory
- Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, equalizes blood pressure and the body's hormonal discharge, which results in a calmed heart, mind and nervous system, and efficient management of mood swings, hot flashes and headaches
These are just among the many Yoga positions that would benefit menopausal women. As you can see above, Yoga’s link with menopause is its effect on the biological condition and the emergence of other symptoms in this condition.
Check out Yoga Boot Camp for more yoga info.
Another highly recommended article is Yoga Practice Gives A Sharper Edge To Runners
