Yoga is a holistic approach to our well-being. It affects the body as a whole, meaning that every system of the body is positively affected at the same time.
We tend to think of yoga as just physical movements, but yoga is so much more than that. It's centred around breathing and focus. This combination affects all the systems of the body: the brain, the nervous system, the digestive system, and the immune system, to name a few. And they are all affected at once.
Meanwhile, women going through menopause usually experience several symptoms at the same time. To ease the symptoms simultaneously, what’s needed is a form of movement that affects every system of the body at the same time. Yoga can help with this.
Yoga for menopause
Around 60% of women suffer from mild menopause symptoms and 20% encounter severe symptoms. Symptoms can include hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, mood changes, brain fog, and genitourinary symptoms, amongst others. You can learn more about menopause symptoms in our [menopause guide].
While they can vary in severity and duration from one person to another, many women find menopause symptoms disruptive to their day-to-day lives and experience a decline in their overall well-being.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is often the recommended first line of treatment for menopause symptoms as it is safe and effective yet there are alternative or additional approaches that can improve your quality of life.
Reflexology for menopause, for example, can help improve mood, improve sleep and release tension. Cold water swimming during menopause can calm the parasympathetic nervous system, boost your energy and alleviate anxiety. Yoga is another therapeutic practice and its benefits on the mind, body and soul are well documented.
With regard to menopause, there is a wealth of research that indicates yoga significantly improves psychological, somatic and urogenital symptoms. In addition, yoga can help reduce the risk of other health issues that are associated with ageing such as osteoporosis, muscle loss and cardiovascular disease.
Types of yoga
There are over 100 different forms of yoga, although the most commonly performed yoga practices are postures (asana), controlled breathing (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana).
Understanding the differences between various yoga styles can help you find the best type for you in terms of your menopause symptoms and abilities.
Hatha yoga
Hatha yoga is a gentle, foundational style that focuses on physical postures and breath control. It's ideal for beginners, as it emphasises balance, alignment, and relaxation, helping to build strength and flexibility while calming the mind.
In a hatha yoga session. You typically move from one pose to another, holding each for several breaths and you can expect a mix of standing and seated poses.
Ashtanga yoga
Ashtanga yoga is a dynamic and structured practice involving a set sequence of postures linked by breath in a flowing, vigorous style. It is known for being physically demanding, promoting strength, endurance, and a disciplined approach to practice.
Power yoga
Power yoga is a fitness-focused, high-intensity version of traditional yoga, often inspired by Ashtanga but doesn’t involve set postures.
It emphasises strength-building, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility through a fast-paced flow of challenging postures, making it great for those looking for a more intense workout that still includes breath exercises.
Restorative and yin yoga
Restorative and yin yoga are slow-paced, deeply relaxing, floor-based practices that focus on passive stretching and holding poses for extended periods (between 3 and 10 minutes).
These styles focus on stillness, mindfulness, and release of tension, promoting deep physical and mental relaxation and flexibility in the connective tissues.
Bikram and hot yoga
Bikram yoga is a specific sequence of 26 postures and two breathing exercises practised in a heated room (around 40°C/104°F). Hot yoga is similar but less rigid in its sequence, combining various poses in a heated environment to increase sweat, build strength, and improve circulation.
They are considered intense and challenging forms of yoga, but the heated environment allows the body to open up and stretch beyond its usual flexibility.
Vinyasa yoga
Vinyasa yoga, also known as flow yoga, is a fluid, active form that links breath with movement in a continuous flow of poses. Known for its creative sequences and variety, Vinyasa builds strength, flexibility, and mindfulness, making it ideal for those who enjoy a rhythmic, dance-like style of yoga.
Iyengar yoga
Iyengar yoga centres around precise alignment, detail, and technique in each posture, often using props like blocks, straps, and bolsters to support proper form. Poses are usually a combination of seated and standing which are held for longer periods.
It's great for improving balance, flexibility, and body awareness, making it accessible to practitioners of all levels, including those with injuries or physical limitations.
Yoga Nidra
A type of yoga which is sometimes referred to in the scientific community as ‘Non Sleep Deep Relaxation’ NSDR. This is not a movement type of yoga and instead a meditative practice helping to calm the nervous system, good for rest, anxiety and sleep promotion.
How does yoga help symptoms of menopause?
Yoga can help with many of the physical and emotional symptoms of menopause. It does this by compelling your body to slow down, your mind to become calm, and you to become more in tune with yourself as you go through this transitional life stage.
Hot flushes and night sweats
Hot flushes and night sweats in menopause are common, affecting up to 75% of women. They involve a sudden wave of heat that spreads across the upper body, often causing redness, excessive sweating, and a chilled feeling afterwards. These can be uncomfortable and disruptive, especially when they occur at night.
Yoga can help regulate your body's stress response, which may reduce the frequency and intensity of hot flushes. Practices like restorative yoga, cooling breathwork, and gentle forward bends help calm the nervous system, lower cortisol levels, and promote relaxation, which can ease symptoms of hot flushes and night sweats.
A pilot study on the effects of yoga on menopausal hot flushes found that the frequency of the symptom declined significantly, with a decrease of approximately 66% after ten weeks.
Heart palpitations
Heart palpitations during menopause are often described as a racing, fluttering, or pounding heart. These can be unsettling but are usually linked to hormonal fluctuations, particularly changes in oestrogen levels, but can also be brought on by stress.
Yoga’s emphasis on deep breathing and relaxation can calm the heart rate and reduce anxiety. Specific yoga practices like gentle inversions (e.g. legs-up-the-wall poses) and slow, rhythmic breathing (like alternate nostril breathing) can help regulate the autonomic nervous system, which may alleviate heart palpitations.
Sleep issues
Many women experience sleep problems during menopause including insomnia, night waking, or poor-quality sleep and these can impact other aspects of your life. You may feel tired all the time or find your usual work tasks more difficult for instance.
Numerous studies have been conducted on yoga’s effect on sleep quality, with results indicating that it is highly beneficial for peri and postmenopausal women. Research that focused on older individuals undertaking yoga exercises found that those who regularly practised yoga:
- Had better overall sleep quality
- Had fewer instances of disturbed sleep
- Took less time to fall asleep
- Experienced less daytime dysfunction
- Used sleep medications less
- Felt more rested and energetic in the morning
Yoga promotes better sleep by reducing stress hormones, calming the mind, and activating the parasympathetic nervous system. Poses that promote relaxation, such as child’s pose and reclined butterfly, as well as bedtime yoga routines incorporating gentle stretches and breathwork, can enhance sleep quality and duration.
Low mood, anxiety and depression
Hormonal fluctuations during menopause can lead to mood swings, irritability, overwhelm, stress, anxiety, and even depression. These emotional symptoms can significantly impact daily life and how you feel about yourself.
Yoga has been shown to boost mood and reduce anxiety by increasing levels of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a neurotransmitter that promotes relaxation. Practices like Vinyasa or Hatha yoga, which combine movement and breath, can increase serotonin levels, while restorative and yin yoga can support emotional balance and reduce stress by reducing activity in the limbic system – the part of the brain dedicated to your emotions.
Headache and migraine
Menopause headaches and migraines are common symptoms influenced by hormones and can be worse when levels are fluctuating. Stress, poor sleep, and muscle tension can further exacerbate them.
In one study, regular yoga resulted in significant reductions in monthly headache frequency, average pain intensity and headache-related disability, with improvement in vagal tone (the activity of the vagus nerve which indicates vulnerability and reactivity to stress) along with reduced sympathetic activity (the body’s flight or fight response) observed.
Yoga can also reduce the frequency and intensity of headaches by promoting relaxation and relieving muscle tension. Gentle poses like child’s pose, cat-cow stretches, and seated forward bends can help release tension in the neck and shoulders, while breathwork and meditation can reduce stress-induced headaches.
Joint and muscle aches
Menopause often brings joint stiffness and muscle aches due to decreasing oestrogen levels, which can affect joint lubrication and muscle elasticity.
Yoga enhances flexibility, strength, and joint mobility, which can alleviate stiffness and discomfort. Poses like downward dog, gentle twists, and cat-cow can improve circulation, ease muscle tension, and promote better joint function, helping to relieve aches and pains.
Cognitive function
Many women experience ‘brain fog; during menopause, including forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, and mental fatigue as a direct result of declining oestrogen. However, cognitive function can also be affected by a lack of sleep, which is another common menopause symptom.
Yoga can boost cognitive function by improving blood flow to the brain and reducing stress levels. In addition, mindfulness practices, like meditation and breath-focused yoga, can enhance mental clarity, improve concentration, and support overall brain health.
Cardiovascular health
Menopause can increase the risk of cardiovascular issues, as declining oestrogen levels may impact blood vessel function, cholesterol levels, and heart health.
Research has revealed that yoga may help reduce the risk of heart disease as much as conventional exercise, such as brisk walking. Yoga supports cardiovascular health by reducing blood pressure, improving circulation, and lowering stress levels.
Dynamic styles like Vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga can offer a moderate cardio workout, while more restorative practices help reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing stress-related inflammation.
Osteoporosis
Menopause can increase the risk of osteoporosis, where your bones become brittle and more prone to breaks. This is because the decline in oestrogen can cause a rapid loss of bone density. In postmenopausal women, this can particularly affect the hips, spine and wrists.
Yoga can help improve bone mineral density and overall bone health by promoting weight-bearing exercises that stimulate bone growth. Standing poses like Warrior II, Tree Pose, and Triangle Pose build strength in the legs, hips, and spine, enhancing bone density and balance, which can help prevent falls and fractures. Additionally, yoga improves flexibility, posture, and muscle tone, supporting the skeletal system and reducing the risk of injury.
Yoga poses for menopause
There are 84 asanas within traditional yoga but with variations and contemporary yoga practices, there are now around 200 different poses, encompassing seated and standing poses and focusing on different areas of the body. As a whole, yoga is beneficial for alleviating the symptoms of menopause but there are some particular poses that you may find valuable:
Salamba Sarvangasana – Shoulder stand
Shoulderstand is a powerful inversion that stimulates the thyroid and parathyroid glands, helping to regulate metabolism and hormone levels, which can be beneficial during menopause.
This pose also improves blood circulation, calms the nervous system, and promotes relaxation, which can help reduce symptoms like hot flushes, anxiety, and insomnia. Additionally, it strengthens the shoulders, upper back, and core, supporting overall physical health.
Ardha Chandrasana - Half moon pose
This balancing pose strengthens the legs, hips, and core while opening the chest, promoting better posture and relieving tension. It helps improve balance and stability, which can be especially beneficial for bone health and reducing the risk of falls in menopausal women.
Upavistha Konasana - Seated wide-legged forward bend
A seated pose, Upavistha Konasana stretches the inner thighs, hips, and lower back, helping to release tension and improve flexibility. It calms the mind, reduces stress, and may alleviate anxiety and irritability often experienced during menopause.
Paschimottanasana - Seated forward bend
This forward fold deeply stretches the spine, hamstrings, and lower back, promoting relaxation and reducing stress. It helps soothe the nervous system, making it effective for managing mood swings, insomnia, and anxiety.
Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana - Supported backbend
This supported backbend opens the chest, shoulders, and heart area, boosting energy levels and reducing fatigue. It stimulates the adrenal glands, which can help balance hormones and combat menopausal symptoms like low mood and energy.
Supta Baddha Konasana - Reclining bound angle pose
This pose gently opens the hips, groin, and chest while encouraging deep relaxation. It helps relieve tension, promote hormonal balance, and reduce symptoms like hot flushes and mood swings, making it ideal for stress relief.
Adho Mukha Svanasana - Downward-facing dog
Downward-Facing Dog is a versatile pose that stretches the entire body, particularly the spine, hamstrings, calves, and shoulders, helping to relieve tension and improve flexibility. It enhances blood circulation and can help reduce hot flushes by promoting a cooling effect on the body.
Additionally, this pose calms the mind, alleviating stress, anxiety, and fatigue, which are common during menopause. Regular practice can also strengthen the upper body and support joint health, aiding in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Viparita Karani - Legs-up-the-wall pose
This restorative inversion relieves tired legs, reduces swelling, and promotes relaxation by enhancing blood circulation. It calms the mind, lowers stress levels, and can help with insomnia, hot flushes, and anxiety.
Prasarita Padottanasana – Fan posture
This wide-legged forward bend stretches the hamstrings, spine, and shoulders, helping to relieve tension and increase flexibility. It also promotes calmness, reduces fatigue, and can aid in cooling down the body during hot flushes.
Chakravakasana – Cat-cow stretch
This dynamic movement between arching and rounding the spine increases spinal flexibility, reduces stiffness, and stimulates circulation. It can ease joint and muscle aches, improve posture, and release tension in the back and shoulders.
Anjaneyasana – Lunge pose
The lunge pose stretches the hip flexors, strengthens the legs, and opens the chest, which can help improve flexibility and alleviate lower back pain while allowing deep breathing that can push out tension. It also promotes balance and grounding, reducing feelings of restlessness and anxiety.
Salamba Bhujangasana – Sphinx pose
This gentle backbend strengthens the lower back while opening the chest and improving spinal alignment. It helps stimulate the adrenal glands, which supports hormone balance and reduces fatigue, sluggishness, stress and depression.
Support from Menopause Care
At Menopause Care, we have a dedicated team composed of experienced menopause specialists across different areas of expertise. Whether you need some guidance on navigating [menopause and PMDD], would like advice on adopting a menopause diet or want evidence-based information on holistic therapies, such as yoga, that can help you manage your symptoms, we are here to help you. To get started, book a consultation with a menopause doctor.
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