Menopause – the word strikes fear into women approaching their 50’s. Women have been conditioned to fear, resent, resist and struggle through a naturally powerful event in their lives. The controversy around hormone replacement therapy (HRT), spurred by the landmark 2002 National Institutes of Health-sponsored Women’s Health Initiative study that revealed the link of HRT with increased risk of heart attack, stroke or breast cancer, raised more questions than answers. Women are now looking for natural alternatives to reduce symptoms and navigate these years with grace and ease.

What little is understood about menopause can be attributed to at least two factors: physiological changes and mental/emotional attitudes. In the endocrine system, the glands that produce hormones which regulate the subtle biochemistry of life, the ovaries, adrenals and thyroid play important roles in the physical symptoms. In the ovaries the production of estrogen, progesterone and androgens, begins to slow down. A woman’s body is capable of adjusting to the hormonal changes that occur when these hormone levels shift. While ovaries decrease their production of androgenic hormones (sexual responsiveness and well-being) during menopause, the pineal and adrenal glands increase their hormonal output. Because the adrenal glands can partially take over for the ovaries and now produce the small amount of estrogen the body needs to keep functioning properly, healthy adrenal glands are crucial for negotiating the menopausal transition.

Many women enter menopause with their adrenals already exhausted from years of juggling the responsibility of family and work in or outside the home. Stress is one of the foremost contributors to compromised health, including uncomfortable menopause symptoms. Common symptoms of adrenal exhaustion from stress include fatigue, low stamina, depression, mood swings and addiction to coffee and sugar.

Finally, thyroid hormones are related to estrogen and progesterone. Common menopausal symptoms related to thyroid imbalance are mood swings (depression, irritability) low energy level, weight gain, mental confusion and sleep disturbances.

On the mental/emotional front, the reason women experience the symptoms so profoundly may be because of the decades-long lifestyle of serving other people in their lives before themselves. A shift in attitudes toward menopause is the first step in creating well-being through this change. It is, simply, a time to redirect your energies inward.

Creating a personal yoga practice during the perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause years assures solitude, replenishes energy reserves and provides physical, emotional and spiritual support to heal, grow, let go and move on to the “Wise Woman” stage of life. Yoga’s relaxing, rejuvenating inverted postures and other restorative poses can break the cycle of adrenal exhaustion and stress related symptoms. Half-shoulder stand, Fish and Bridge poses help support thyroid function. Supported Lying Down Bound Angle, Supported Legs Up the Wall, Supported Bridge and Supported Deep Relaxation “Corpse” Pose all promote vitality and well-being by:
• balancing hormones
• replenishing adrenal reserves
• relieving anxiety, irritability and depression
• calming the mind and central nervous system
• supporting pelvic health

In her book, The Wisdom of Menopause, Christiane Northrup, M.D., notes, “Women are cyclic beings whose lives are deeply affected by the ebb and flow of their hormones. The feminine path to self-realization unfolds when a woman reclaims her own authority over her body and her life. She learns to honor her own needs and rhythms and to trust her body’s innate wisdom.” By developing understanding, acceptance and tools to help ease the inevitable physical changes, women can nurture and nourish themselves into the next stage of their lives.

Living Yoga in Vero Beach presents Wellness Workshops including, “Yoga and Menopause.” This workshop includes a sequence of balancing and restorative postures and relaxation techniques to help ease menopausal symptoms. Call 772-978-1099 for more information.