5 Poses for Transferring via Menopause – Weblog

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

For cooling sizzling flushes/ flashes.

Advantages:

This pose might relieve belly muscle cramps brought on by menstruation and should really feel cooling and calming for decent flushes. It additionally encourages a way of bodily and emotional opening, an perspective of enjoyable and letting go, which is vital in perimenopause. Please keep in mind, although, that it is a supported leisure pose and not a yin stretch. The intention of a restorative pose is to not obtain a deep muscle stretch; the intention is to assist your physique able 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 so on.) as you will have obtainable. Pay particular consideration to supporting your head and neck with a folded blanket. This ‘head nest’ stops it from rolling to the aspect so you may totally chill out.

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

Props:

1–2 bolsters or 2 agency pillows; 1–2 yoga bricks, 2–4 yoga blocks or cushions; 2–4 blankets. Optionally available: 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 alter to a snug top.
2. Fold one blanket right into a rectangle form and lay it alongside the bolster,both aspect of your mat to assist your knees, hips and forearms. Relying on the thickness of your bolster and the curve in your decrease again (lumber backbone) chances are 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 assist 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 assist your hips.
3. Relaxation your forearms on the props, along with your fingers increased than your elbows so there is no such thing as a discomfort in your shoulders, particularly when you 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 put a watch bag or masks over your eyes or brow to melt the sunshine and permit your eyes to relaxation.

Tip: In case your thoughts is energetic and you discover it tough to settle, take heed to considered one of my yoga nidra recordings. In case you are having sizzling flushes within the pose, repeat my ‘sizzling flush wave’ affirmation in your thoughts as you practise ocean breath.

Affirmation:

The is only a sizzling flush,

It is not going to final,

I let it move via me,

It should move.

Modification for menstrual bleeding:

If this vast knee pose feels susceptible, you may both scale back the ‘hip opening’ by including extra props to assist 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 fingers to help your legs up and permit your knees to the touch, separating the toes vast. This can be a mild counterpose for the hips.
2. After just a few breaths, sway your knees aspect to aspect gently in windshield wiper twist pose (supta parivrtta sucirandhrasana), and roll over on to 1 aspect 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 stress and cortisols brought on by elevated stress. The intention is to channel this vitality as a substitute of permitting it to blow up, which can hurt others) or implode which may very well be dangerous to you. By harnessing our goddess vitality at this stage of life, we learn to step into our energy and use it in a extra directed and calm method. Menopause is an awakening and alternative to step into our management position in life.

1. Stand with the toes vast, toes turned out, heels turned in.
2. Bend your knees  so your kneecaps monitor above your 2nd toe. Test 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 stress.

Modification:

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

Thoughts Meets the Breath

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

1. Sit comfortably along with your backbone upright and your stomach relaxed so to breathe simply. Sitting in opposition to a wall or a straight-backed chair can assist your again.
2. Steadiness a cork brick on the crown of your head (a wood 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. This can be a marma level and the mild stress can really feel calming.
3. Relaxation your fingers in your legs with palms down, which feels grounding. Shut your eyes if you happen to really feel snug doing so.
4. Focus in your breath, respiratory slowly and steadily in order that your inhalation and exhalation are of equal size. The intention is to sluggish 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 increase one hand in the direction of your head, shifting in sluggish movement – quick motion will disturb your nervous system. Contact the brick or eye bag and carry it off your head, pausing for just a few breaths to watch how this feels. Then slowly decrease the brick or eye bag out of your head, maintaining your eyes closed, and relaxation it on the bottom, making no sound because it touches the ground.

Popping out:

1. Relaxation each fingers in your legs and sit quietly for a couple of minutes. Discover if the psychological exercise in your thoughts has slowed down or if you happen to really feel calmer and extra at peace. This pose prepares us for a deeper meditation prac- tice, so chances are you’ll select to remain longer.
2. While you come out of this pose, slowly flutter your eyes open, maintaining your gaze delicate and low so that you just slowly obtain the sunshine and sight of the surface world.

Modifications and Contraindications:

Contraindicated when you have migraine complications or sizzling flushes and osteoporosis. As an alternative weighted eye pillow as a substitute of a brick. Sit on a chair for knee consolation. You can too observe this with out the load in your head and possibly 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, might ease digestive points. You may keep longer on this pose as a result of it’s much less prone to trigger leg numbing or discomfort.

Props: 1 blanket or pillow.

4. Carry your mat to a chair. (You can too 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. Ensure 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 fingers in your stomach, out to the aspect or wrap your fingers with the additional blanket for heat. Choice to put a weighted eye bag in your brow or eyes, or a shawl if you happen to 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 aspect and relaxation for a minute earlier than sitting up.

Modification if you happen to really feel agitated or too sizzling: 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 tissue. 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 the direction of your ribs,
   stand upright and squeeze your glutes.
5. Repeat 3 rounds of 10 chair squats.

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