By Corina D. Parkmond, M.S., C-IAYT, 500hr RYT, RPYT
What Is Menopause?
Oftentimes we hear women whisper about the dreaded “change” that marks the end of womanhood. This outlook on the phase known as menopause is defined by some women as the ending of femininity, while others see it as an added boost to femininity. This article looks at how yoga therapy for menopause can offer grounded, individualized support through this season of life, both for the difficult parts and for the surprising gifts that come with it.
Menopause is understood differently across many cultures. But for the sake of biology, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) defines menopause as “…the natural, permanent end of menstruation and fertility… having gone twelve consecutive months without a period…” (NIA, 2024).
Generally speaking, the experience of this major hormonal shift typically comes with hot sweats, mood swings, vaginal dryness, sexual discomfort, and other uncomfortable sensations. These symptoms are not, in any way, the end of womanhood. In fact, many women see menopause as the enhancement or enactment of full womanhood.
Menopause Is an Experience, Not Just a Set of Symptoms
Typically, those assigned female at birth begin to experience menopause in their 40s and 50s through various physiological and psycho-emotional symptoms. Some say it feels as though they have a major loss of control, given how dramatically the symptoms express themselves, all while sensing that this is a phase of life where one can begin to redefine individual femininity (Parker-Rhodes, 2021). The initial testimonies from women of the menopausal experience often sound like this:
- “I started hot flashes when I was 52, but I did not know it was menopause. I thought my heater was broken.”
- “…I feel like I flipped my hormones upside down and I don’t know how to get them back again.”
- “Very rapidly my periods get heavier and heavier … This can’t be normal.”
- “Concentration levels got worse. My mood got worse. I felt really down. I felt really fat, really huge. You didn’t have to eat a lot. You just take a breath and you’re swollen and bloated.”
- “I started to forget things. I couldn’t remember anything and it was really disconcerting because I had quite a job where I had to remember a lot of things. So I would start to get anxiety attacks where I would get shortness of breath and burst into tears.”
Eventually, as one moves through the journey of menopause, there is much to be discovered on the positive side. There is the managing of hot flashes, the finding of various tricks for emotional wellness, and a new level of self-acceptance being measured not on a scale but on the basis of self-autonomy. The testimonies begin to change:
- “I think a part of the change is we want to stay the same as we were, and we need to embrace where we’re going. It’s not a bad thing.”
- “It’s not that we’re losing [sexual energy]. It’s changing, it’s shifting into something else.”
- “All through your fertile years, at times you question … ‘who am I? I seem to be all over the place.’ That all kind of disappears. It’s a wonderful relief.”
- “I feel kind of like I did when I was 11, 12, 10 years old, before I started getting the hormone changes of puberty, where I just felt like this is me…”
Though the experience of menopause varies from woman to woman, there is a general wave of experience as one enters the phase and as one exits. Having the knowledge and tools to brave the unpleasant parts of menopause and embrace the pleasant parts is what most tend to forget. Culturally, however, the conversation on “the change” is a closely kept secret that most women do not publicly discuss, even within their own families. Lack of conversation is optimal ground for a lack of preparedness for menopause.
What Does Yoga Therapy for Menopause Focus On?
A yoga therapy session for menopause meets the whole person, not one symptom at a time. It might focus on cultivating a sense of body autonomy and self-identity, gently guiding the redefining of self, while also managing and decreasing stress with basic lifestyle changes and daily tools such as meditation, journaling, and breathing practices. Broadly, the work tends to move across four areas: the physical body, sleep, the mind, and the spirit. Because menopause is individualized, so is the plan, and each of these areas gets the attention it needs.
Yoga Therapy for the Physical Symptoms of Menopause
During menopause, the physical body goes through a series of shifts, and pelvic floor discomfort, muscle weakness, and bone health are easy targets for menopausal discomfort. Thankfully, there are many yogic modalities used in yoga for menopause that improve symptomatic discomfort at the core.
Restorative postures such as constructive rest, reclined butterfly, or a side-lying position allow the body to completely release muscular tension, melting into whatever supports or props are needed. It should be understood, however, that muscles that are generally “tight” can be guarding or even limiting mobility, and allowing the tension to first relax before stretching is the most ideal therapeutic intervention (Sullivan & Robertson, 2020). For example, blankets used in constructive rest may provide a safe place to land while active blood flow reversal takes place, blocks during reclined butterfly offer needed support for strained inner thighs, and bolsters used within side-lying positions bring a sense of definite grounding to the overall practice.
Maintaining muscle mass matters throughout perimenopause and menopause too. Bringing a sense of strength to the body can come by way of core-stimulating breathing practices, a series of supine bridges, or core stabilizers such as navasana (boat pose) or utthita chaturanga dandasana (plank). With each breath we take, we use a set of muscles directly related to the process of breathing, called respiratory muscles. Like any other muscle in the body, respiratory muscles can also become inhibited. Using the right breathwork, with good concentration, can bring strength back into these small but crucial spaces through a series of contractions and expansions. Isometric postures such as plank, boat, and bridge engage the core, allowing deep core muscles to, over time, meet the demand put upon them. Because menopause also affects bone density, weight-bearing and strengthening work has a role here as well. Again, the tools used in yoga therapy for menopause are very individualized, much like the experience of menopause itself, so each modality varies.
Yoga Nidra for Menopause Insomnia and Poor Sleep
Yoga nidra and restorative yoga practices are best for tight and sore muscles, and they are also some of the most useful tools for the sleep disruption that menopause can bring. Yoga nidra gently guides the mind into a very relaxed state, turning on the parasympathetic nervous system and removing mental stressors that manifest into the physiological. Yoga nidra is also a great way to form a nighttime routine, signaling the body that it is time to wind down for the day. This essentially increases the quality of sleep and ultimately helps combat conditions such as insomnia (Stanley, 2021).
Yoga Therapy for the Mental and Emotional Side of Menopause
For most people experiencing menopause, this phase can involve empty nest syndrome, where the children who once called on mom for everything are now off living their own lives as young adults, outside of the home. The silence can become unbearable and definitely lonely. Having stillness finally entering a house that was buzzing for 18+ years can bring the mind into a state of unsteadiness. In this stillness, some women have reported that all of the things that had to be pushed to the back burner during motherhood are now at the front of the mind, demanding attention. Often, during menopause, the ongoing mind stuff feels like life in general is out of control. Yoga philosophy brings attention to the fluctuations of the mind (vritti) by teaching how to gradually gain control of these fluctuations (Yoga Sutras 1:2).
Working with a certified yoga therapist when life, or the mind, feels as if things are whipping us around can bring a sense of solace. Large waves of worry, anxiety, and fear can overtake the mind, and to pile menopause on top of this mixture can be daunting. The act of acknowledging obstacles in our lives clears the way for a decluttered mind while also developing tools that help to minimize these obstacles (Yoga Sutras 2:2). These tools can be gratitude meditation, chanting, Japa yoga practice, Kriya yoga practice, or formulating a firm affirmation that brings about the felt sense of groundedness during moments of anxiety. There are many resources used in yoga that can be applied to daily life with menopause. Hope is never lost.
Yoga Therapy for the Spiritual Shift of Menopause
For matters on our deepest layers, we find ourselves to be complete and whole. The Yoga Sutras teach about the Atman (the Supreme Self) and the journey to get there. In Yoga Sutras 1:47-49, we find an explanation of how right concentration and involvement allow for the Supreme Self to rise to the surface and shine through, and how the knowledge of this Self is understood in a different capacity than our former selves. The right kind of concentration and involvement can come by way of mindful acts.
In the field of neuroscience, we see how women in menopause can benefit from mindful journaling. Journaling down thoughts and life events can prove to be more than just another task. When journaling, pen to paper, one can learn to understand the Self by learning why they wrote what they wrote, processing thoughts and events rather than reacting or performing. This then stimulates your brain’s ability to mind map (neuroplasticity). The brain does this “… by creating neural maps, or circuitry, that redirect ‘traffic’ toward the dominant thought, emotion, belief, or experience” (Adams & Ross, 2016). During menopause, the brain doesn’t lose this ability. Some can argue that it enhances. Doing the simple work of daily mindful journaling trains the brain to get right to the point of a situation, removing doubt and embracing the shifts and changes that may come along. A certified yoga therapist addresses this in session through individualized, client-centered journal prompts.
When Should You Start Yoga Therapy for Menopause?
Any point during the journey of menopause is a good time for yoga therapy for menopause to begin. It is never too late to begin reconnecting through new philosophy and getting grounded in one’s new form.
Finding a certified yoga therapist who specializes in women’s health is ideal for those experiencing menopause. In order to receive client-centered care for this phase of life, looking into the background of the certified yoga therapist would permit a more specialized home plan of care backed by relevant, evidence-informed modalities and practices. This home plan of care can be built to bring attention to unbearable hot flashes, nonstop mind chatter, muscle discomfort, emotional imbalances, and more.
Menopause Is Not the End
The great part about “the great change” is that those experiencing menopause are the ones who get to define this journey. Symptoms, hot flashes, doctors’ visits, insecurities, and other cons of menopause can make a woman feel disconnected from her ultimate best self. On the other side of this coin, there are great and wonderful experiences, such as learning to lean into the new self that arises out of menopause, that can and should be embraced. The experiences vary, but we embrace them nonetheless. Having the proper guidance of a certified yoga therapist just may be the extra support one needs to maneuver through menopause.
Corina Parkmond, MS, C-IAYT is a yoga therapist specializing in women’s health. She sees clients in Watertown. Learn more about Corina or book an intake with her.
References
Adams, K., & Ross, D. (2016). Your brain on ink: A workbook on neuroplasticity and the journal ladder. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
National Institute on Aging. (2024). What is menopause? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/menopause/what-menopause
Parker-Rhodes, B. (2021, February 18). What menopause feels like | Op-Docs. The New York Times Opinion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRSH-UM5EE0
Satchidananda, S. S. (2012). The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (translation and commentary). Integral Yoga Publications.
Stanley, T. (2021). Radiant rest: Yoga nidra for deep relaxation & awakened clarity. Shambhala.
Sullivan, M. B., & Robertson, L. C. H. (2020). Understanding yoga therapy: Applied philosophy and science for health and well-being. Routledge.
