Ladies of a certain age, this one is for you: however, ask your man to read it too as it helps knowing you are both on the same page. First of all, menopause is an inevitable fact of life. Yes, it sucks, but it can’t be halted. Same too with perimenopause - the warning before the avalanche. Your body is in the middle of a huge transition, but like everything else in life, it will pass.
However, what’s most frustrating is that for many of us, we were just reaching that stage of life when things were beginning to get easier. The kids are grown, some have even flown the nest, we have more confidence in ourselves, our careers are well established, and finances are less of a worry. However, instead of kicking back and having fun, we find ourselves deprived of sleep, drenched in night sweats, battling mood swings, weight gain and hot flashes. None of it’s pretty, so what’s to be done?
Well we could lie down in a dark room and wait several years until it’s passed, or we could turn it into a positive experience - after all, menopause is the gateway to our wisdom years. So, let’s view it as a transformative experience and hitch a ride on the truck load of opportunities that await. The chances are your creative energy has been put on hold for years, so why not explore doing something you enjoy or have promised yourself that you will always do? It’s a fragile time, so choose an activity that doesn’t drain you but enables you to lose yourself in the creative process. It could be dancing lessons, painting, learning a language, or yoga. If you don’t do these things now, when will you ever do them?
Yoga is a great choice
As well as being therapeutic for your nervous system, yoga helps alleviate some of the physical symptoms caused by hormone shifts. One research study shows that practising yoga can cut hot flushes by around a third, and another shows it boosts libido and mood swings. Certain poses also bring specific benefits such as inversions (poses where the head is lower than the heart and legs) that balance output from the glands related to our reproductive system and help reduce brain fog. Other poses can help with stomach cramps, insomnia, restless legs, hot flashes, and exhaustion.
Above all, yoga helps us stay cool, calm, and collected and helps ignite our parasympathetic nervous system through controlled breathing. More importantly, it brings stillness when the rest of the world is spinning. If you’re worried about joining a class, you could try dvds, or better still, learn the foundations and how to practice safely with the help of a private instructor in the privacy of your own home.
Don’t’ let menopause beat you…..you beat it!
If you want to boost your self-worth and add more positivity to your life, you are welcome to join our Facebook group Yoga for Peri/Menopause and enjoy free tips, advice, yoga sequences, and classes for a happier, healthier and more positive lifestyle.
You can also click here to obtain a copy of my FREE e-book. This demonstrates a selection of yummy Restorative yoga poses that bring relief to menopausal symptoms including anxiety, overwhelm, brain fog, fatigue and stress.
If you're ready to give yoga a go, join one of our online memberships, where you can enjoy a range of tutorials, short sequences, classes and meditations, all categorised by menopause symptoms. Plus, enjoy a 7-Day FREE trial when you sign up today by clicking here.
Photo by Cheron James on Unsplash