YOGA FOR MENOPAUSE

Been there, seen it and got the t-shirt!  Welcome to the menopause.  Please don’t panic, all is not lost.  I am now 61 and embracing it!  I admit it hasn’t always been easy, it’s been a journey, emotionally and psychologically.  But it is what it is, and I can’t change the number that I am, but I know I do have a choice.  I can either give up and get depressed, or I can do something about it.  And do something I have as I now have acceptance and a peace about it.  Yoga has absolutely helped me, and it can help you too!

Yes, it’s the end of an era, but the start of a brand-new exciting era.  Yes, you may be feeling lost, sad, depressed and maybe even in mourning as it is a transitional time.  But please be patient as you will get there!  As sure as the sun will shine after a storm you will get through this - here is how yoga can help.  

Yoga can help not just physically.  Yes, it will help to keep your body strong and flexible, which in turn will tone and stimulate your internal organs keeping them healthy.  It will also keep your spine strong (for we won’t look very young and fabulous if our spine is hunched over).  But we can also use the poses to help balance out our moods.  Did you know for example a forward bend helps to calm our nervous system down and backbends can help energise us.  Shoulder-stand is said to stimulate the thyroid balancing out hormones and metabolism.  How amazing we can use yoga as a therapy to help ourselves.

But to me, what makes yoga even more powerful, is the aspect that yoga can help us to choose our thoughts.  Do you remember the childhood chant of ‘Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will never harm us’.  Well, it’s not true, bones will heal but words are the most damaging of all!  And the most debilitating are the words/thoughts we tell ourselves - for it all starts with a thought.  Our thoughts become our words, our words become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become who we are.  

I’m now very good at shutting off negative thoughts - but I never used to be.  I was very cruel to myself with my negative mind chatter of ‘I’m not good enough, I’m not clever enough, I’m not pretty enough, I’m not fit enough blah blah blah’.  My mind was my monster - but I’m happy to say, it’s now a very good supportive friend.  So, if I can do it, anyone can - as the most successful, confident people in life are not necessarily the very best.  They just believe they are!

Simply Yoga

For empowerment & Fun!