Yoga is my go-to when I need stillness. Yoga is my friend when I have anxiety and mood swings. Yoga helps me get on my feet during my “low energy” menopause days.
Yoga can be challenging, but it’s one of the best exercises for menopausal women! The light and gentle movements in yoga gives me a sense of synergy and balance.
You don’t have to be flexible to do yoga. All of us can do it regardless of ability – and don’t worry, flexibility will improve with yoga!
More and more women in their 50s are doing yoga for its many health benefits. It can help you age gracefully and relieve a lot of menopause symptoms. Yoga strengthens your bones, improves posture and aligns the spine.
In this article, I’m sharing my love for yoga and give you tips to get started!
YOGA IS NOT ABOUT TOUCHING TOES, IT IS WHAT YOU LEARN ON THE WAY DOWN – JIGAR GORClick To TweetAmazing Health Benefits of Yoga during Menopause!
Before we go straight to the benefits of yoga, it’s good to know what it really is.
Yoga is an ancient Indian practice that unites mind, body and spirit. It combines postures, breathing techniques and meditation to promote balance and enhance our well-being. If you want to know the history of yoga and its types, check them out in our FACT BOX below!
As we enter our menopause years, our brain and body go through many changes. Body functions become sluggish and imbalances become common. Our mobility also decreases with age, so movement can become painful.
Our job is to support and take extra good care of ourselves during this time. Yoga is one way to push our body to move during menopause!
Yoga connects and streamlines every corner of our body. With its gentle and light movements, yoga relaxes the central nervous system (CNS). This system controls all parts of the body, from hormones to blood vessels to tissues.
A relaxed CNS lowers our stress hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine. As a result, we will manage stress better.
When the body is relaxed, it stimulates the production of serotonin, dopamine and endorphins. These mood hormones help us stay calmer and happier! Melatonin, the sleep hormone, also increases, resulting in better sleep. Our blood vessels widens, and as a result, hot flashes are rare and blood pressure remains normal.
Yoga also increases blood flow to the brain, enhancing our concentration and memory.
Besides all these, yoga keeps us fit and strong during midlife. It strengthens our bones and muscles, improves our balance and enhances our posture.
In yoga, we heighten our senses and awareness. We reach and surrender to peace. We let go of emotional and physical pain. With continuous practice of yoga, we will submerge to feelings of gratitude, empathy and forgiveness.
Top Resources to Start Your Yoga Practice!
I didn’t begin yoga in studios, but in the comforts of my home, using yoga resources on the Internet. Below are some favorites!
I like this site because they have tons of easy-to-do videos and programs for beginners. “Do Yoga With Me” is all about body positivity, making you feel better, boosting with energy and living with joy! Love that all their yoga videos are free too!
“Yoga Journal” is the leading yoga authority, so they have a lot of good stuff! It’s the number one resource for yoga poses, sequences and meditation. They have different types of yoga videos, health tips and even lifestyle tools.
I like this yoga for beginners’ video for stress relief and mind relaxation, watch the video here [16:53]:
I’m a big fan of Adrienne! Her yoga videos are well-crafted for women our age, and her routines make me feel really good. My energy is just up on a ceiling after doing her yoga videos. Whether you want to work up a sweat or calm your body, Adrienne has everything for you.
Adrienne recently made a gentle 20-minute yoga session for anxiety. Good for menopausal women with this symptom [20:14]:
If you have menopausal brain fog, this yoga routine can give you an instance cognitive boost [11:45]:
Beyond the yoga poses, “KinoYoga” helps you live a life of inner peace. Whether you are new to yoga or an advanced yoga student, KinoYoga has a full library of yoga routines, diet and tips on how to be a positive person on and off your mat.
She has a helpful 30-day “Yoga for Beginners” playlist that you can follow. All the videos from Day 1 to 30 are in her channel, go check it out!
Breathing right is important in yoga, watch this video and learn how to do it [3:50]:
I connected with Fightmaster Yoga because of Lesley Fightmaster, the woman behind it. Just like me, she wasn’t flexible enough when started yoga! She couldn’t bend over and touch her toes!
Her videos are for those who have done some yoga, but are looking to deepen their practice. For only 10 minutes a day, her yoga videos will help you lose the extra pounds, overcome stress and relieve depression.
This 10-minute yoga for energy is the perfect way to wake up. It’s even better than coffee [10:02]:
Juliana and Mark are a wife-husband team who manages Boho Beautiful. I love Juliana, she has a calm and relaxing vibe in her. Her videos make you feel the same way! Boho Beautiful has plenty of free yoga and Pilates’ classes, guides, tips and support.
This quick cardio workout class is a surefire way to boost metabolism, stimulate fat loss and tone muscles. By the way, this was shot in the beautiful Turks and Caicos. Watch the video now [12:09]:
Jessica Valant is a great source of the best yoga, Pilates and fitness workouts! She is also a licensed physical therapist. Jessica integrates the principles of her practice to her workouts. If you have aches and pains, limited mobility – Jessica’s videos can help!
I like how Jessica mix and matches her workouts. Just like this Yogalates (yoga + Pilates) fusion for strengthening and toning the upper body [10:52]:
Power Up Your Yoga Practice!
Yoga works well with aromatherapy. Essential oils have calming and healing properties that can make your yoga practice better. Lavender is a good essential oil for yoga, because it relaxes your nerves and muscles.
Have this 100% pure lavender from Plant Therapy in your next practice. Blended aromatherapy roll-ons for yoga are also available.
Your yoga mat is a constant companion when you do your practice. Be sure to invest in a quality mat – thicker is better, to prevent pain or injuries.
If you’re travelling, carry this Clever Yoga Yoga Mat Strap Sling. It’s so convenient!
Socks are important in Yoga, Pilates and Barre. Buy non-slip socks with grips and straps to prevent accidents when you’re moving. This sock from Ozaiic are made from natural cotton, super comfy.
Having a nice pair of leggings is a must! Choose comfortable and stretchy leggings, like this one from Ndoobiy Women’s Leggings. Love the prints too!
Adding a foam roller to your yoga routine can help with many aches and pains. I use this TriggerPoint GRID Foam Roller. It’s easy to use and it comes with a free instructional video for optimum benefits!
Yin Yoga is a type of yoga practice that I personally like doing. I have a beautiful book about it, Serenity Yin Yoga: Rest Yourself to a Calm Mind and Healthy Body by Magdalena Mecweld. This book will help you become agile or energetic and at the same time calm. It’s nice to browse around the book and jump to a section depending on what you’re after.
FACT BOX
History of Yoga
In Sanskrit, yoga means “to join or union”. It aims for unity and balance. Yoga has no known founder, but it has a yogic philosophy written in “Yoga Sutras”, a 2,000-year-old treatise by the Indian sage, Patanjali.
The Yoga Sutra guides us on how to master our mind, regulate emotions and expand spirituality. This book is the earliest written record of yoga and one of the oldest. Modern yoga follows the principles of the Yoga Sutra.
Today’s yoga has many postures or poses, but in the Yoga Sutra, they were not part of the original yoga tradition. Fitness was not the end goal; instead, they focus on spiritual energy, breathing and mental focus. Yoga became popular in western countries in the 19th century.
Every yogi beginner wonders about the necessity of chanting “om” and concluding each class with “Namaste”.
Namaste is composed of two words Nama and te. Nama means bow (meaning I), and te means you. The Namaste word as a whole means, “I bow to you”. It represents the belief that each of us has a divine spark located at the heart chakra.
Chanting “Om” is commonly heard in yoga classes. From the practice of Hinduism, the mantra is said to hold a high spiritual and creative power.
Types of Yoga
There are many styles of yoga that you can choose from. Each type can fulfill different needs. Below are some of them!
- Hatha (Slow and Gentle Meditative Yoga)
Hatha is a gentle and slow meditation covering the introduction and basics of yoga postures. Practicing Hatha would less likely make you sweat, but it would reduce stress and improve breathing.
- Vinyasa (Fluid, Intensive Movements)
Vinyasa is the Sanskrit term for “flow”. This practice involves fluid and intensive movements. It builds lean muscles, connects movement to breathing and improves flexibility. Vinyasa reduces the risk of heart problems, high blood pressure and diabetes.
- Ashtanga (Power, Fast-Paced Yoga)
Ashtanga is a form of power yoga that is fast-paced. It involves push-ups and lunges. Its purpose is to relieve stress, improve coordination and make you lose weight. Ashtanga is physically demanding, perfect for people who desire to improve strength and stamina.
- Iyengar (Body Alignment and Balance Yoga)
Iyengar focuses on body alignments. It uses props like straps, blocks and blankets to strengthen the body. Iyengar is more on standing poses. It’s perfect for beginners who want to align their spine and improve balance. It will also help you recover fast from injury and heal chronic conditions like arthritis.
- Bikram (Hot Sweaty Yoga)
Also called “hot yoga”, Bikram should be executed in rooms with warm temperature. Bikram eliminates body toxins and stretches the muscles.
- Kundalini (Philosophical, Spiritual Yoga)
Kundalini is the style of yoga that focuses more on philosophy and spirituality. It is done with deep meditations, breathing techniques and chanting.
- Anusara (The light to Inner Goodness Yoga)
Anusara is the youngest practice in the yoga world. John Friend, an American yogi, developed it in 1997. It’s based on a view about the human’s intrinsic goodness. Its physical practice challenges the mind and opens the heart to discover grace and inner goodness.
I do mix my exercises every now and then so it’s more fun!
Before, I thought the rigorous exercise was the only “good” exercise for the body. That intense training was the best way to sweat out. Over-exercising isn’t always the best during menopause because it gives stress to the body.
Nowadays, I mix yoga, Pilates, qigong, HIIT, strength training, all in the comfort of my home. Great way to start the day!
I always say life is a happy chaos, it’s up to us to cope. Yoga helped me find peace of mind, and everything in my life just followed.
Interested in good menopause exercises?
We have a lot on our help and self-help page!
Don’t know how to handle menopause?
Our homepage has everything!
Love yoga like me? How did you start? Would be so happy to know, let’s chat in the comment box below! Get this out on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram!
Gita is the founder of My Menopause Journey. Since 2014, she has been supporting midlife women by sharing hard-earned learnings from her own experience. To advance her knowledge, Gita puts a lot of her time and effort into understanding the broad spectrum of women’s health. She immerses in extensive research about the physical, mental and emotional aspects of menopause. Gita believes in the life-changing power of healthy, holistic living — this is where she anchors her message to all women. Learn more about her marvelous mission in About us - My Menopause Journey.