Relax, Renew, Refresh
Smooth and soothe your way through menopause with these gentle yoga poses.
Taken from Pause Magazine
Perhaps you’ve heard your friends extolling the virtues of yoga as a gentle tonic for menopause. But you just couldn’t picture yourself standing on your head, or bending and stretching with the flexibility of a contortion artist. Or you worried that, since you have low bone mass or osteoporosis, yoga might not be safe for you. Maybe you simply couldn’t manage to sort through which of the many types of yoga classes available would be best for you.
If you’ve passed up yoga as something that is just not in the cards for you, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. Some of the best yoga exercises for menopausal women are the more passive, restorative poses—positions that are so simple you can practice them by yourself at home, so relaxing you may even find yourself drifting off to sleep as you do them!
“It’s a healthy form of exercise without the exhaustion,” says Suza Francina, 57, a certified Iyengar yoga instructor in Ojai, California, and author of Yoga and the Wisdom of Menopause. And for a variety of reasons, it’s a form of exercise that you may want to consider adding to your fitness routine. According to JJ Gormley, 47, founder and director of Sun and Moon Yoga Studios in Arlington, Virginia, and producer of Yoga for Every Body and other yoga DVDs, yoga offers numerous benefits to menopausal women: It can help increase your range of motion, tone muscles, and increase blood flow throughout the body. Even more importantly, yoga acts as a buffer against stress, calming frayed nerves and soothing tension. And though there’s scant scientific evidence that yoga reduces hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms, many women swear by it.
“It can help you sleep better,” says Francina, who has been practicing yoga for 32 years, and is now on the other side of the transition through menopause. “What I emphasize is that all symptoms—lack of sleep, tension, mood swings, and even hot flashes—are related. If you take time to relax and restore yourself, it helps you cope.”
Where to begin? Here’s a guide to get you started.
The Basics
Yoga combines deep breathing with a number of body positions and movements that help to stretch and flex your muscles. Yoga means “union” in Sanskrit, explains Gormley, and the practice of yoga is simply a way to find or restore balance in the body.
Still, not all forms of yoga are the same, and some styles may be better suited to your needs and capabilities than others. For beginners and women in midlife, who may have neither the flexibility nor the stamina for some of the more strenuous yoga forms, Iyengar yoga is often recommended. Iyengar yoga is a slower-paced yoga style that emphasizes proper alignment of the body in the various yoga positions.
With Iyengar yoga, it’s not about the amount of stress and strain you feel while you’re exercising. Comfort is key, says Gormley. Props and supports—folded blankets, pillows, chairs, straps, and yoga blocks—are often used to help support the body so you can comfortably stay in the position for extended periods of time. As you are holding each pose, take slow, deep breaths.
How long should you spend in each position? Although Francina and Gormley hesitate to set time limits for holding each of the yoga poses shown here, both agree that the minimum amount of time you should spend in each pose, with the exception of weight-bearing poses like Downward Facing Dog, is five minutes. Ideally, once you are comfortable in the pose, you should allow yourself 10 to 15 minutes to deeply relax.
“Don’t be in a hurry,” says Francina. “It is far better to do a few poses in a peaceful, leisurely way than to rush through too many.” Keep in mind, however, that the more time you spend practicing yoga, the more likely you will be to reap its many rewards.
Is yoga safe even for women with osteoporosis? “If you have a history of sever osteoporosis or fractures of the spine, always check with your health care provider before engaging in any new form of exercise, including yoga,” advises Cynthia A. Stuenkel, MD, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Diego. Some of the yoga poses here may not be comfortable for women with a history of spinal fractures. “If it hurts, don’t do it—at least not until you can distinguish between pain related to your spinal fractures and the pain of stiff muscles that haven’t been stretched in a while,” Stuenkel says.
Getting Started
If you’re new to yoga, there are plenty of things you can do for symptomatic relief. Two restorative poses that are ideally suited for menopausal women are the Supported Lying Down (Reclining) Bound Angle (also known as Reclining Butterfly) and Legs up the Wall. Francina refers to these poses as “the great rejuvenators.”
“If I could do just one or two poses a day, I’d pick these two,” she says. The Supported Lying Down Bound Angle Pose involves sitting in front of a bolster placed lengthwise behind you (or two or three firm blankets folded lengthwise) with the soles of your feet together. “It totally opens up the pelvis,” says Francina. “It’s the same pose you would do if you were having a period with bad cramps.”
Legs Up the Wall Pose involves lying on the floor with your bottom comfortably situated near a wall with your legs resting perpendicular to you against the wall. This pose brings your heart below the level of the legs in what’s called an inverted yoga position, which, Francina says, “has a wonderful restorative effect on your energy reserves.” After you become familiar with simply relaxing with your legs on the wall, you can practice the classic supported variation of the pose by placing one or two folded blankets or a yoga bolster under your bottom. If you don’t have time to do both poses on the same day, try practicing the Supported Bound Angle Pose on one day and Legs Up the Wall the next.
“What I remember so clearly when I was going through menopause is the word ‘pause,’” sums up Francina. “Yoga gives you that much needed time to pause and be quiet, and that’s what I think your body needs when you’re going through a big change.”
So light a candle, play some soothing music, and settle into a relaxing, rejuvenating daily yoga routine.
Supported Child’s Pose (ADHO MUKHA VIRASANA)
Sit on your heels with your knees on the floor about hip-width apart. Place a bolster or two folded blankets lengthwise in front of you. Lean forward until your torso and head are completely supported. Turn your head to one side. Remember to breathe deeply and slowly. Give yourself about three to five minutes to relax, turning your head the opposite direction about midway, before sitting up.
Supported Downward Facing Dog Pose (ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA)
From Child’s Pose, come up to your hands and knees. Place your hands on either side of the front edge of a bolster or folded blankets. Position your feet hip-width apart, curl your toes under, press your hands firmly into the mat and, on an exhalation, straighten your legs so that your body forms the shape of a dog stretching, with the top of your forehead resting on the bolster. (If you feel strain, increase the height of the support under your head). Hold the pose as long as your arms feel strong (about a minute for beginners), breathing slowly and deeply. When you come down, separate your knees and return to the Supported Child’s Pose.
Legs Up the Wall Pose (VIPARITA KARANI)
Sit sideways on the floor so your right hip and side are touching the wall. Lower yourself back, using your elbows and forearms for support, and swing your legs up so that they are up the wall and your body forms an L shape. Breathe softly, without strain, while in this position, and, if you feel comfortable, remain in the pose for ten minutes or longer. If your back does not feel comfortable, try moving a few inches away from the wall or placing a folded blanket under your bottom. For even greater benefit, add support: Place a bolster or two folded blankets about two inches away from the wall. Sit sideways on the bolster so your right hip and side are touching the wall. With your bolster under your bottom, lower yourself back using your elbows and forearms for support. Swivel around and place your legs up on the wall.
Supported Lying Down Bound Angle Pose (SUPTA BADDHA KONASANA)
Sit with the soles of your feet together in front of a bolster (or folded blankets) placed lengthwise behind you. Place a folded blanket at the top of the bolster to create a comfortable support for your head and neck. Place a folded blanket (or yoga block) under your outer thighs so that your legs feel comfortable. Place an eye bag or folded wash cloth over your eyes to help quiet the movement of your eyes and help the mind to relax. Extend your arms evenly away from the midline of your body. The pose should feel very supportive and comfortable, says Gormley. A yoga teacher can show you how to use straps, blankets, bolsters and other yoga props to support your body in a way that is truly comfortable for you. To come out of the pose, place your hands under your thighs and bring your legs back together. Straighten your legs, allowing them to fall evenly away from the midline. When you feel ready, bend your knees, roll to one side, and use your hands to slowly sit up.
