Perimenopause · Menopause · Yoga
Yoga for Menopause: Gentle Poses for Stress, Sleep and Mood
Yoga won’t fix your hormones, and anyone who promises it will is overselling. What it can do is give a stressed nervous system somewhere to land, help you sleep, and reconnect you with a body that may feel unfamiliar right now. Here is an honest look at what yoga can and can’t do in perimenopause and menopause, plus a simple practice to start with.
Quick answerYoga can be a helpful part of managing perimenopause and menopause. Studies suggest it may help with stress, mood, sleep and overall quality of life, while the evidence for hot flashes is mixed. Gentle, restorative styles and slow breathing are a good place to start. Yoga works best alongside medical care, not instead of it.
Why Yoga
How Yoga Can Help in Perimenopause
- Calms the stress response. Slow movement and long exhales help shift your nervous system out of fight-or-flight. See cortisol and menopause.
- Supports sleep. A short evening practice can ease the transition into rest, especially if your mind races at night. See perimenopause insomnia.
- Steadies mood. Mindful movement builds the pause between feeling and reacting that helps with mood swings and rage.
- Keeps you strong and mobile. Muscle and joint health matter more in midlife, and many poses build strength and balance.
- Reconnects you with your body at a time when it may feel like it is working against you.
A Simple Practice
Yoga Poses for Menopause: A 15-Minute Wind-Down
Move slowly, breathe through your nose if you can, and never push into pain. Props like cushions, blankets and a wall make every pose more restful.
1. Cat-cow (2 minutes)
On hands and knees, gently arch and round your spine with your breath. It loosens the back and brings your attention into your body.
2. Child’s pose (2 minutes)
Knees wide, big toes together, fold forward over a cushion or bolster. Let your forehead rest and lengthen your exhale.
3. Supported bridge (2 minutes)
Lie on your back with knees bent and a block or firm cushion under your sacrum. A gentle, supported opening for the front of the body.
4. Reclined bound angle (3 minutes)
Lying back, soles of the feet together and knees falling open, with cushions under each knee. Place one hand on your belly and one on your heart.
5. Legs up the wall (3 minutes)
Lie close to a wall and rest your legs up it. Many people find this one of the most calming poses before bed.
6. Rest with a long exhale (3 minutes)
Lie comfortably, breathe in for a count of four and out for a count of six. Or follow one of Rosie’s guided meditations.
During a hot flash: skip heating, fast-paced flows. Slow, cooling breath can help you ride the wave. Rosie’s breathing exercises include simple options.
Yoga Nidra
Yoga Nidra for Menopause Sleep and Stress
Yoga nidra, sometimes called yogic sleep, is a guided practice done lying down. There are no poses: you are led through body awareness, breath and visualization into deep rest. It is especially useful when you are too tired or sore for movement, or awake at 3am with a busy mind. Rosie is a certified yoga nidra teacher and has studied the practice with Rod Stryker.
An Honest Note
When Yoga Isn’t Enough
Rosie is a 500-hour registered yoga teacher, and practice alone wasn’t enough to get her through her own transition. It took years of searching for answers, including medical care. Practice and medicine aren’t rivals. In Why Yoga and Meditation Aren’t Enough for Perimenopause, Jain monks and BALANCE filmmakers Siddhali Shree and Anubhuti talk about discovering that spiritual practice alone couldn’t carry them through it.
Practice Safely
Safety Notes
Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise practice if you have osteoporosis or low bone density, as some deep forward folds and twists may need to be modified, or if you have heart, joint or blood pressure concerns. Stop any pose that causes pain, dizziness or shortness of breath. Talk to your doctor about perimenopause symptoms that are affecting your daily life.
Support
Practice With Support
Rosie Acosta is a mindfulness teacher at Headspace, a 500-hour registered yoga teacher and a mental health coach who works with women navigating the emotional side of perimenopause and menopause. Coaching can help you build a practice that fits your life and your energy right now, alongside the medical care you need.
Explore Menopause CoachingFrequently Asked Questions
Yoga for Menopause FAQ
Is yoga good for menopause?
Yoga can be a helpful part of managing perimenopause and menopause. Studies suggest it may help with stress, mood, sleep and quality of life, and it supports strength and mobility.
Can yoga help with hot flashes?
The evidence for hot flashes is mixed. Some women find slow, cooling breath helps them ride out a hot flash, but yoga is not a proven treatment for them. Talk to your doctor about options if hot flashes are disruptive.
What type of yoga is best for menopause?
Gentle, restorative and slow-flow styles are a good place to start, along with yoga nidra for rest and sleep. Choose what leaves you feeling calmer rather than depleted.
What are the best yoga poses for menopause?
Supported, calming poses such as child’s pose, supported bridge, reclined bound angle and legs up the wall are popular, combined with slow breathing and a few minutes of rest.
Is yoga enough to manage perimenopause symptoms?
For many women it isn’t, and that is not a failure. Yoga works best alongside medical care. Talk to your doctor about symptoms that are affecting your life.