5 Poses for Shifting via Menopause – Weblog

Restorative Queen Reclined Supported Cobbler Pose (Rani Supta Baddha Konasana)

For cooling scorching flushes/ flashes.

Advantages:

This pose could relieve stomach muscle cramps brought on by menstruation and should really feel cooling and calming for warm flushes. It additionally encourages a way of bodily and emotional opening, an perspective of enjoyable and letting go, which is essential in perimenopause. Please keep in mind, although, that this can be a supported rest pose and not a yin stretch. The goal of a restorative pose is to not obtain a deep muscle stretch; the goal is to help your physique ready of ease (sattva).

Irritation in menopause can have an effect on your joints and connective tissues (together with frozen shoulder, hips, lumber backbone, sacroiliac joint and knees). Deal with your self like a queen utilizing as many props (cushions, pillows, bolsters, and many others.) as you could have out there. Pay particular consideration to supporting your head and neck with a folded blanket. This ‘head nest’ stops it from rolling to the facet so you possibly can totally calm down.

Earlier than you compromise into this pose, set a timer for 15-20 minutes in order that your thoughts just isn’t worrying in regards to the time. (It takes a minimal of 10 minutes to completely calm down your nervous system.)

Props:

1–2 bolsters or 2 agency pillows; 1–2 yoga bricks, 2–4 yoga blocks or cushions; 2–4 blankets. Non-compulsory: eye bag or masks, blanket to fold over physique.

1. Place the bolster(s) or 2 agency pillows lengthways in your mat (or mattress). 2. Elevate the highest finish with a yoga block, bricks or cushion beneath and regulate to a snug peak.
2. Fold one blanket right into a rectangle form and lay it alongside the bolster,both facet of your mat to help your knees, hips and forearms. Relying on the thickness of your bolster and the curve in your decrease again (lumber backbone) it’s possible you’ll want so as to add one other rolled up blanket or towel on the finish of the bolster. Fold a blanket on the prime of your bolster to help your neck and head.

Coming in:

1. Sit your tailbone on the decrease a part of the blanket, after which lay your backbone alongside the bolster.
2. Open your knees with the soles of your toes touching one another. Squish the props beneath your thighs to help your hips.
3. Relaxation your forearms on the props, along with your arms increased than your elbows so there isn’t any discomfort in your shoulders, particularly you probably have frozen shoulder and irritation.
4. Fold the blanket below your neck and head in order that your brow is increased than your chin.
5. Choice to position an eye fixed bag or masks over your eyes or brow to melt the sunshine and permit your eyes to relaxation.

Tip: In case your thoughts is lively and you discover it troublesome to settle, take heed to one in all my yoga nidra recordings. If you’re having scorching flushes within the pose, repeat my ‘scorching flush wave’ affirmation in your thoughts as you practise ocean breath.

Affirmation:

The is only a scorching flush,

It won’t final,

I let it move via me,

It’ll cross.

Modification for menstrual bleeding:

If this large knee pose feels weak, you possibly can both scale back the ‘hip opening’ by including extra props to help below your legs, or swap for a restorative side-lying pose (savasana).

Modification for trauma and vulnerability: Place a rectangular-folded blanket alongside the centre of your physique and pelvis and canopy your toes. The blanket weight can really feel calming and comforting.

Popping out:

1. Use your arms to help your legs up and permit your knees to the touch, separating the toes large. It is a mild counterpose for the hips.
2. After a number of breaths, sway your knees facet to facet gently in windshield wiper twist pose (supta parivrtta sucirandhrasana), and roll over on to 1 facet of your physique to slowly come as much as a seated place.

Goddess Excessive Squat Pose (Utkata Konasana)

This pose is a part of a yang-yin yoga sequence designed to launch emotional rigidity and cortisols brought on by elevated stress. The goal is to channel this power as an alternative of permitting it to blow up, which can hurt others) or implode which may very well be dangerous to you. By harnessing our goddess power at this stage of life, we learn to step into our energy and use it in a extra directed and calm means. Menopause is an awakening and alternative to step into our management function in life.

1. Stand with the toes large, toes turned out, heels turned in.
2. Bend your knees  so your kneecaps monitor above your 2nd toe. Examine your arches are lifted and never collapsing.
3. Inhale, straighten your legs and lift your arms.
4. Exhale, bend your knees right into a squat once more and bend your elbows.

Choice: Add lion’s breath (simhasana pranayama) to launch anger or emotional rigidity.

Modification:

Sit on the sting of a chair for extra hip and knee help.

Thoughts Meets the Breath

This seated meditation with breathwork can calm an anxious thoughts and really feel grounding in simply 3-5 minutes. Attempt it with a cork brick or a weighted eye bag. I don’t advise you utilize a picket brick and anybody with osteoporosis ought to keep away from a heavy weight which will compress the backbone.

1. Sit comfortably along with your backbone upright and your stomach relaxed in an effort to breathe simply. Sitting in opposition to a wall or a straight-backed chair can help your again.
2. Stability a cork brick on the crown of your head (a picket brick is simply too heavy and should slip; a foam block is simply too gentle). Alternatively, place a low- weight eye bag on the crown of your head. It is a marma level and the mild stress can really feel calming.
3. Relaxation your arms in your legs with palms down, which feels grounding. Shut your eyes should you really feel comfy doing so.
4. Focus in your breath, respiration slowly and steadily in order that your inhalation and exhalation are of equal size. The goal is to gradual your breath down however with out holding your breath. This isn’t a breath retention (khumbaka) train. Keep right here for 3–5 minutes and depend what number of rounds of breath you took on this time.
5. To come back out of the pose, slowly elevate one hand in direction of your head, transferring in gradual movement – quick motion will disturb your nervous system. Contact the brick or eye bag and elevate it off your head, pausing for a number of breaths to look at how this feels. Then slowly decrease the brick or eye bag out of your head, preserving your eyes closed, and relaxation it on the bottom, making no sound because it touches the ground.

Popping out:

1. Relaxation each arms in your legs and sit quietly for a couple of minutes. Discover if the psychological exercise in your thoughts has slowed down or should you really feel calmer and extra at peace. This pose prepares us for a deeper meditation prac- tice, so it’s possible you’ll select to remain longer.
2. If you come out of this pose, slowly flutter your eyes open, preserving your gaze comfortable and low so that you just slowly obtain the sunshine and sight of the skin world.

Modifications and Contraindications:

Contraindicated you probably have migraine complications or scorching flushes and osteoporosis. As a substitute weighted eye pillow as an alternative of a brick. Sit on a chair for knee consolation. You can even observe this with out the burden in your head and perhaps only a flannel. The impact wont be as dramatic however the mild contact on the crown chakra/ acupressure and marma level should still be efficient.

Restorative Raised Legs on Chair (Modified Viparita Karani)

Advantages: Refreshes fatigue, reduces stress, could ease digestive points. You may keep longer on this pose as a result of it’s much less more likely to trigger leg numbing or discomfort.

Props: 1 blanket or pillow.

4. Deliver your mat to a chair. (You can even practise this pose in your mattress along with your legs supported by pillows.)
5. Absolutely open out a blanket on the mat in order that it’s flat and has no wrinkles. That is for heat and decrease again consolation.
6. Decrease your self sideways to the mat in order that your pelvis is near the chair. Choice to relaxation your pelvis on a cushion.
7. Relaxation your legs onto a chair (couch or mattress) along with your knees bent. Be sure that the backs of your knees are supported by folding a blanket over the sting for consolation.
8. Fold one other blanket below your head and neck.Place your arms in your stomach, out to the facet or wrap your arms with the additional blanket for heat. Choice to position a weighted eye bag in your brow or eyes, or a shawl should you put on contact lenses.
9. Keep within the pose for 15–20 minutes

Popping out:

1. Watch out to not rush. Bend your knees.
2. Roll to 1 facet and relaxation for a minute earlier than sitting up.

Modification should you really feel agitated or too scorching: The sense withdrawal model of this pose includes the blanket tucked round your head and into your shoulders to chop out exterior sounds and stimulation. Take away the blanket, however keep within the pose with legs raised.

Meno-Warrior Chair Pose Aquats (Modified Utkatasana), with a brick

1. Stand along with your toes hip distance aside and place a brick between your mid thighs.
2. Bendyourkneesasifsittingbackintoachair.Squeezetheblockto interact your leg muscle mass. This additionally prevents your knees from dropping inwards and takes stress away from the decrease again.
3. Attain your arms ahead in your inhalation.
4. As you exhale,bend your elbows and draw them again in direction of your ribs,
   stand upright and squeeze your glutes.
5. Repeat 3 rounds of 10 chair squats.

Inexperienced persons: Sit on the sting of a chair and get up 10 instances with out utilizing your arms to elevate you.