As I’ve mentioned in other posts, it was peri menopause plunging me into a constant cycle of silent migraine that changed my on-off yoga practice into a permanent fixture in my life and led to me training as a yoga teacher.

The hormonal changes that occur as we go through the stages of menopause affect our bodies in so many ways. Bone density lowers, collagen levels diminish (which affects the elasticity not just of our skin but of our tendons as well), our skin all over our body becomes drier (including in those delicate, intimate areas), fatigue increases, sleep is more disturbed, hot flushes and night sweats can kick in, not to mention the dreaded brain fog!

As you know, I’ve found a regular yoga practice essential to my overall wellbeing and am a huge advocate of it as a powerful support during this life change. It’s not the cure-all for menopause symptoms but it is a great tool to help us navigate this rocky road.

The steady movement of yoga, particularly when combined with breath work, connects us more closely to our bodies, helping us to engage our parasympathetic nervous system (the ‘rest and digest’ part) more easily, helping to lower stress levels and bring equanimity to our mind and body.

Plus, when we bring a sustainable, strength building approach to our yoga practice, we can support our bones and joints, including our connective tissues, helping to protect these vital body parts into menopause and beyond.

It can often feel as though this transition has taken the pleasure out of our lives. Yoga can help restore balance and bring that pleasure back, during our practice and beyond.

Learning to take care of and making time for ourselves is vital during the stages of menopause. Bringing ourselves pleasure and improving strength and mobility needs to be a priority. Hell, we need to be a priority!

I’m so looking forward to my next Yoga for Menopause workshop and helping another wonderful group of humans support themselves through this change.