Throughout our lifetime, a woman goes through many physiological changes in her life. Menopause is one of them. This is a natural phase in woman’s life that signals the end of her reproductive years. Today, let’s find out more about menopause and how to effectively manage it with the help of yoga. See, on an average, menopause typically occurs between the age of 45 to 55.
While menopause can bring about various changes at physical and mental level, it is essential to understand its causes, symptoms, and find out how to empower yourself to manage this condition naturally. Menopause primarily is caused by age. As a woman grows older, her ovaries gradually reduce, producing less estrogen and progesterone. Then comes a phase when menstrual period stops completely. Other factors like genetics, surgical procedures, or cancer treatment can also determine when menopause occurs.
Menopause can bring various physical and emotional changes. Common symptoms include hot flushes, irregular menstrual cycles, vaginal dryness, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and weight gain. So, how can yoga help you to manage menopausal symptoms? As usual, yoga offers a holistic approach. This involves harmonizing your body and mind through the four pillars of aahar or diet, vihar, that is rest and recreation, aachar or right routines, and vichar, that is thoughts.
Aahar, that is Food
To maintain a balanced and sattvic diet, focus on aahar. To eat diet, focus on eating fruits, vegetables, wheat, whole grains, and calcium-rich food into your meals. Yes, don’t forget the importance of vitamin D for calcium absorption. Try to get half an hour of sunlight exposure daily. If you are feeling sluggish, consider adding pulses like chickpeas and some spices into your diet to transition from a tamasic dull state to a more active or rajasic state. Foods like soya, flaxseeds, and legumes can be good as they contain phytoestrogens, which can help regulate hormonal level. However, be cautious with spicy food, especially in the evening, as they can cause hot flushes.
Read more about Health on, https://beinghealthyyy.com/
Vihar
Always pay attention to what your body is telling you, and rest whenever you feel the need. It’s important to take short breaks and find some ways to relax. During these breaks, practice techniques like shavasana, makarasana, nishpanthama, etc. Regular walk can also help relieve your discomfort. If you find that getting sleep is difficult, try a soothing glass of warm milk before bedtime. And include calming practices like pranayama 4 and relaxing asanas like dradhasana, shavasana right in your bed. And if you find yourself with extra time in your hand, picking up a new hobby or engaging in some creative activity can boost your confidence. Remember, self-care is very important during this phase.
Achar, that is, Daily Routine
Making a disciplined lifestyle is best for keeping anxiety and tension away. During your menopause time, try including pranayama techniques like rechak, anulom vilom, and ujjayi in your routine. Whenever you have hot flushes, practice 20 rounds of inhaling from left through the chandranari and exhaling through the right or suryanari. For strong bones, try static weight-bearing asanas like talasana, utkatasana, and standing asana, padangushtasana.
Include abdomen and lying-down asanas like yastikasana, haspadagushtasana, pujangasana, pavanmuktasana, naukasana, dhanurasana, shalavasana, suptavakrasana, and viparitkarani to strengthen your core. Don’t forget about your pelvic floor. Try asvinibhudra, suptabhadrasana, pariyankasana, and batsyasana to help with urinary incontinence. But remember, menopause may bring other health challenges like heart disease, diabetes, thyroid issues, or obesity. So always consider any existing condition when choosing your ujjayi asanas. Your health is a priority, so take care of yourself.
Read more about Menopause on, https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause