Research in clinical trials has found that simple breathing techniques, meditation and yoga can help women reduce the frequency and intensity of their menopause symptoms. But how exactly can breathwork help to ease the symptoms of menopause?
Reduces stress
Breathing techniques can be very nurturing as we give ourselves time to rest and sit quietly, reducing our stress levels. This can lead to better hormonal balance and therefore reduced menopause symptoms.
Cooling for the mind and body
There are several breathing techniques (see below) that can be very cooling for the body and for the mind. This can be a great tool in moments of hot flushes or menopausal rage!
Relieves an anxious mind
With all the changes we go through in menopause it is normal to experience some fear and anxiety. This could be over the future, your health or the physical changes you are going through. Sitting and doing short breathing techniques can be very soothing for an anxious mind.
Presence and mindfulness
Breathwork can ease the feeling of overwhelm. It also is an opportunity to practice presence with your body, sensation and connecting to what you need in any given moment.
Stillness
Breath work offers an opportunity to come into balance and learn tools to be still, at a time where changes can feel quite unsettling.
Three breathing practices to help ease menopause symptoms
The Hot Flush Wave
Start laying on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor, rest your hands on your belly button and allow the abdomen to soften so that you can take deeper longer breaths. As you inhale, allow the belly to gently rise into the palms of your hands and exhale out of the mouth, making a soothing sighing sound that calms the mind and releases heat.
Now, rest one hand on your ribs and one hand on your belly button. Deepen the inhalation with three-part breath. Allow your belly to rise, then feel the ribs expand out to the sides, and fill the lungs all the way up to the chest. Exhale slowly out of your mouth releasing heat and stress. The soft sighing sound helps to calm your mind.
Repeat this for 8-10 rounds of breath, slowing down your exhalation, which calms your nervous system. Imagine this wave of breath was the wave of a hot flush that rises in your belly and into the chest. You can visualise the hot flush as a colour, or a heat or a light. Instead of panicking and tensing the body, instead allow the heat to flow over and pass through you. Repeat 8-10 rounds of breath.
By practicing the Hot Flush Breath every day, when you come to have a hot flush, it will feel automatic to flow calmly through the flush, rather than resisting it.
Straw breath
As you inhale, purse your lips and suck the air gently in as if you were sipping a drink through a straw. Pause at the top of your breath, close your mouth and slowly breath out through your nose. When you pause at the top of the inhalation, try swallowing the air before you breathe out. The swallowing action activates the vagus nerve which can have a relaxing effect.
Brahmari pranayama (Bumble Bee Breath)
This breath brings in sound and by stimulating the vocal cords we can stimulate the vagus nerve and bring a sense of ease and calm to the body. Inhale softly and gently through the nostrils, pause at the top of the breath and on the exhale keep your mouth closed and make a humming sound like a bumble bee. At the end of the exhale pause and reset before continuing the next round. At the end sit and notice the effect of the humming on your body.
On the Menopause for Modern Life course, you have the opportunity to try out several different styles of breath work, yoga and movement, and you can figure out what works best for you on different days.
Free class from Movement for Modern Life
A simple exercise to help to manage hot flushes often associated with the menopause. This short yoga class is one simple pose, breathing deeply whilst lying in a constructive rest position. You can do this any time when experiencing uncomfortable feelings of heat. If you practice this daily to reduce stress, you will also develop the simple skills for managing hot flushes, as you learn to allow the heat to flow calmly through you, rather than resisting it. You can find the class here.
