Top Three Yoga Tips For Perimenopause

Each life transition gives us the opportunity to tailor our yoga practice to best support us. Here are my top 3 tips for how yoga can support you through perimenopause.

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As a woman I feel lucky to have gone through three big transformations in my life, periods, pregnancy and perimenopause, and I’m so grateful I’ve had my trusty yoga practice at my side throughout.

How I practice yoga has changed a lot over the years, but what exactly is perimenopause, how has reshaped my yoga practice and how can yoga support you in your perimenopause journey?

What is Perimenopause?

Perimenopause describes the years in which a woman's natural menstrual cycles come to an end, and is often experienced through a wide range of physical and emotional symptoms caused by fluctuating hormone levels. Menopause is classed as the day when you have gone 12 months without a period, but perimenopause can last between 3-7 years and for some women it can be quite the ride.

Mood changes, including depression, rage and feelings of anxiety can appear out of nowhere, stress levels can go through the roof and your usual Yoga Zen may disappear at the smallest of annoyances. Physically you may find your joints ache, you can’t “do” Asana (yoga postures) that you used to tackle with ease and some days you might be so tired you just want to stay in bed. But don’t worry, your yoga practice has got your back. Here’s my top three tips for coping with these changes.

Mantra’s of acceptance

I’d say this is the most important step in supporting yourself through your perimenopause journey. Acceptance. Accepting that you may need to adjust your yoga practice, accepting that your emotions may sometimes not feel like your own, accepting that your body and mind are changing and that you don’t know the path ahead. Yoga is wonderful for helping us accept change, rather than fight it and it will enable you to find a kinder path through this transformation. A great way to incorporate acceptance into your yoga practice is by practicing simple mantras like “I accept where I am today”, “I accept I am changing” and “I accept myself as I am”. Mantras repeated throughout your yoga practice and spoken from the heart, can help you acknowledge and make peace with the fact that you're changing.

Incorporate acceptance into your yoga practice.

Go slowly

Slow your practice down so that you can really listen to your body and soul. There’s great empowerment in choosing to leave an Asana out of your practice that just doesn't feel good in your body right now. If you're hit by exhaustion one day and you usually have a strong physical practice, accept that it is maybe not what you need, take the opportunity to reach for Yin yoga, or Yoga Nidra (guided relaxation meditation) instead.

With hormonal changes affecting your energy levels, making your joints achy and with your stress levels high, I’ve found it's best to avoid those Asana which increase cortisol (a stress hormone). For me that’s back bends, arm balances and any Asana that restricts my breathing.

Opt instead for rhymical movement of the joints, take a longer warm up before heading into the main section of your practice and adjust and support yourself in those bigger, more energising Asana’s if needs be. Keep Savasana (relaxation) long and nourishing and if you can, add in a daily practice of rest, Yoga Nidra is amazing for this.

Community

Big life transitions can be scary, you may feel isolated and alone, but trust me, there’s a whole community of women out there experiencing similar changes to you. They might be in your local yoga studio, class, or at a perimenopause yoga workshop. Now is the perfect opportunity for you to find perimenopause yoga classes in person or online that suit how you’re feeling on any given day. Reach out to other women, talk to them about the changes you're going through and you’ll soon find yourself laughing, crying and practicing yoga with a tribe of wonderful women who understand where you are and will love and support you through this incredible transition.

Yoga is wonderful at supporting us through each stage of our lives, helping us to lean into change and find deeper enjoyment in the everyday. I hope your yoga practice during perimenopause helps you find more happiness as you grow older and step into your wisdom, as it has done for me.