Why Yoga?

Why Yoga for women's wellness, perimeno and menopause?

Yoga is more than 5000 years old. Some refer to it as tradition, a way of life but really it is a science and it has a lot to live up to and answer for. It has made so much fame in all parts of the world and not just that, it has made a name in style. We have the crem de la crem of Hollywood, Bollywood, dancers, chefs, doctors, physiotherapists, body contortionists all proclaiming to be yoga experts, proficient practitioners and teachers. I mean it's the yoga boom in 2023!

But I am here telling you, forget about all of them, the glamour and the bikini bod in a dolphin pose! Yoga can help those of us who are going through perimenopause and menopause.

So why yoga?

Simply put, (because I am here to keep yoga simple), yoga transforms us! Yoga has the ability to change the way our body/mind works. You're thinking.. "Here she goes again with her woohoo stuff"

Yogis in the mountains many thousands of years ago, practiced yoga with one goal in mind.. Enlightenment! Nirvana. Samadhi. Reaching a higher state of consciousness. Call it what you want.

So why, should a modern day woman who is tearing her hair out with hormonal symptoms (secretly wanting worse for people who are constantly annoying her) care about Enlightenment or higher states of consciousness?

It is because Yoga and its modalities, especially Kriya yoga is a pathway to bringing the body into Homeostasis that is critical to reach that higher state of consciousness. Homeostasis definition: a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.

Yoga has various techniques that keep our hormonal balance in check. Breathing efficiently during movement and as a result of good posture, squeezing organs of the body at the right time, releasing at the right time, being mindful of thoughts and body feedback, using the right breathing technique to calm the mind or soothe the nervous system when its going into freeze mode, all play a significant part in bringing us into a state of homeostasis. Even a 20 min practice if done with complete immersion in breath and mind choosing the "correct and most effective yogic practices" will make you feel ALIVE.

Regular practice of yoga can affect all the aspects that make us who we are. Imagine a rose bud and all its layered petals. We too have layers known as "koshas" in yoga. We have the outer physical layer, our physical (gross body), then breath, then our mind, then we have our intellect and then our true inner self.

But at this stage let's just focus on our outer most layer. The physical body (the first of the koshas: Annamaya kosha). The body that we can feel and touch. Because it is this body that we feel is letting us down and causing so much anguish when we go through hormonal irregularities (ages 21-40), perimenopause (40-50) and menopause (50+).

Our body slows down the generation of hormones because it does not want us from reproducing (thank goodness for that). Hormones are crucial chemicals we need and they play a massive role in our general wellbeing. These help coordinate our body's functions, from metabolism to growth and development, emotions, mood, sexual function and even sleep.

Along with the lack of sleep and upheaval of emotions, at the time when we are older and our nest is starting to become empty, with kids moving home, we might feel anxious, worthless, unloved.

I for one know that women who are going through changes in their hormones need to feel alive. They need to break away from the debilitating feeling of helplessness, acute symptoms, sleepless nights and the urge to erupt like a volcano at the smallest of triggers.

Yoga has the ability bring a union to all levels of one's self. The yoga we practice has to be an integrated one. It needs to include, postures (asana), breath expansion (pranayama), and meditation (dhyana). When practiced together the body comes back into alignment and balance and along with it comes self-esteem, self-worth, deep awareness and connection to who you truly are. For generations, yoga has been utilized as a therapeutic tool to achieve positive health and control and cure diseases.

I am now in my third year of menopause and have not had the chronic symptoms that I hear my friends and acquaintances talking about. I have not had to use HRT (so far) or any other medical help and I put that down to my regular yoga practice. This does not mean that I am not open to resort to other forms of medical relief if I need them in the future. I take supplements and modify my food and alcohol intake and I practice yoga every day.

Research shows that regular yoga and meditation practitioners are known to have a balanced endocrine system which manages hormonal balance and promotes better sleep. Yoga also helps cognitive function, focus, concentration, mental balance that we lose as we get older (yeah, brain fog is also a very real symptom) It helps with mobility, joint health and strength building.

When we are going through perimenopause and menopause, fluctuating hormones and in particular reduction of the female hormone Estrogen, can cause the body to produce more Cortisol. Cortisol is not totally bad for the body but high levels of it can cause the body to go into stress mode, the fight and flight response. It becomes important that we manage these Cortisol levels as much as we can by countering the stress in our body. Doing high intensity workouts, running long distances, stress at work can add to the already high levels. When practicing Yoga on the other hand, you are synchronising mindful breathing with movement and training the nervous system to cope with stress.

The more you practice, the more you start to truly understand your body and your mind. You start to develop this inner intelligence about yourself. You also start to become acquainted with your inner quiet voice/mind urging you gently to make better life choices.

All in all, there isn't one reason to take up Yoga! There are many. But look at it this way, do you know anyone who has been to a yoga class and said that they felt 'terrible' after?

If you are thinking, I'm not nimble and flexible to do yoga. Or maybe you are thinking, oh I'm over it, my body has already fallen apart and nothing can help. Or maybe, you are fit and sporty but still have issues because of hormones or lack thereof.

Yoga is for you. Yoga is for you if look at the rubberbandy shaped figures on social media and get put off. It is for you if you are so very busy in your life and feel like your world is coming crashing down and you cannot do anything about it.

The Yoga we need to do so that our women's bits work efficiently IS SIMPLE.

The Yoga we need for our women's bits to gradually stop working and not heckle and barge into our lives whenever it feels like IS SIMPLE.

Yoga IS SIMPLE.

Give it a chance.

I am on a mission! My goal is just one:

for you to practice yoga every day. In a simple and easy way. Even if it is just for 10-20mins.

Yoga everyday, so that you benefit from this ancient science and take control of your life.

I am here to help! Keep an eye out for my knowledge shares, musings, posts, offerings, here and on instagram (follow me).

Change is inevitable in our women's wellness journey, and it is up to us to make it a transformative one.

One of the most simple and effective yoga modality that I practice is Yoga Nidra. Nidra is yogic sleep and has many many benefits. For now, instead of telling you the benefits I want you to experience it first hand. I've shared a free Yoga Nidra recording. This 20min yogic sleep routine will most definitely bring your body out of stress. It does happen though sometimes that when focus is put on being still, the thoughts can get amplified. If that happens, please stay with my instruction. It is a simple guided practice and you can use it anywhere as long as you are in a safe comfortable spot and have access to a device.

Click here to access. If you do enjoy it, I request you to please get in touch with me and let me know how you liked it. I would really appreciate that.

with gratitude,

Purnima