Menopause Awareness Month
My teacher, Petra, founder of Menopause Yoga has made it on to the cover of this month’s OM Yoga Magazine - woo hoo!
Commenting on becoming a cover star at the age of 59, Petra says ‘Don't Let Anyone tell you: 'you are too old, you are not enough and don't mention menopause.' We can be whatever we choose to be - this OUR life.’
Her words are a powerful reminder that menopause isn’t an end, it can be a beginning and the article itself shines a light on how yoga can help create hormonal and emotional balance as we move through this season of our lives.
Although yoga isn’t a magic pill, the article says that ‘Medical professionals recommend yoga for the menopause because it can help to reduce stress, which is a trigger for many other symptoms and side effects, including inflammation, insomnia and fatigue, hot flushes, headaches, joint and muscle pain, mood swings and problems with digestion …’
Ahead of my Yoga for Menopause class this Saturday (World Menopause Day), here are 3 reasons why I choose a daily yoga practice* as a 51 year old perimenopausal woman…
This is a biggie - in a world where stress is the norm, yoga helps me to balance my stress levels. This matters because stress is known to be a trigger for many common menopausal symptoms, e.g. joint and muscle pain, digestive issues, irritability, burn out and hot flushes.
Yoga is a holistic mind-body practice. Getting on my mat every day gives me time to pause so that I can listen to what my body needs. This might be more movement, more rest, more quiet and so on. The main point here is that this gives me time just for me every day - *whether that’s a quick 10 minutes practice or a longer session (the time doesn’t matter, it’s more about the every day consistency).
The ancient wisdom of yoga encourages us to embrace acceptance and compassion towards ourselves and others. These are vital qualities for us to cultivate as we enter this stage of life when we’re required to let go of the past and embrace a new beginning as we enter our Second Spring (a concept from traditional Chinese Medicine that frames menopause as a positive new phase of life).
If you’re curious about what benefits yoga might offer you on your path towards and / or through menopause, I’d love to hear from you.
