Menopause: From a Holistic Perspective

During menopause, a woman’s hormones adjust, and her body changes gradually. From a holistic perspective, menopause is a time when a woman questions herself again.

Dealing With Menopause From a Holistic Perspective

By Stefanie Arend

 

 

During menopause, a woman’s hormones adjust, and her body changes gradually. Most women notice these changes between the ages of forty and fifty-five. They are often accompanied by unpleasant symptoms such as hot flushes, irritability, aggression, lethargy, feeling faint, gaining weight, or hair loss. The inner attitude of the woman also has a major effect on how the menopause progresses. If she is positive about this phase of life, the typical menopause complaints are much less severe or may not even be perceived as such. You can see this in cultures that celebrate this transition instead of meeting it critically.

Many women question themselves and their own lives intensively during this period, and may also concentrate more on themselves again, as they have reached a very stable phase of life and no longer have to—or want to—subject themselves to the pressures of society as they might have in the past. Mothers, in particular, will have done an amazing and brilliant job for many years (and given a considerable amount of themselves, through pregnancy and the raising of children), and they should really enjoy having more time to themselves once their children are independent. In this phase, plans and wishes that women have kept on the back burner for some time should now be implemented and enjoyed before possible physical limitations might start to become apparent and these opportunities would no longer be possible.

As the Yin energy should be nurtured during menopause, Yin Yoga is naturally ideal here. It also has a cooling effect, which can have a very favorable influence on hot flushes. Many women intuitively gravitate to calmer styles of yoga in these years, as they no longer have the strength or willingness for active types of yoga. However, many use it consciously as a form of balance to neutralize the excessive Yang, which has often built up in the first half of life.

From a holistic perspective, menopause is a time when a woman questions herself again. She is starting the second half of her life and losing her fertility at a physical level, which can also give her new freedom. Although it is frequently devalued in the West, the midlife crisis, which men may also experience, should not be viewed negatively. This upheaval should really be a welcome opportunity to set new objectives or venture into a change of direction—to be able to look back on a fulfilled life and to have no regrets about not having lived life to the fullest.

Vegetarians and vegans usually have fewer menopausal complaints than omnivores. If you suffer badly from hot flushes, etc., then you should avoid animal products as far as possible for a while. Some women are also helped by phytoestrogens, secondary plant substances with a hormonal effect. The best-known representative of this is isoflavone, which is found in red clover and soy in particular. Asians seem to benefit from this more (and Europeans a little less, probably because they have different intestinal flora and metabolize soy differently). The lignans contained especially in flaxseed, legumes, vegetables, whole grains, and fruit (particularly in pomegranates) may also have a balancing effect. I would not recommend taking highly concentrated phytoestrogens supplements, however, as they can have unwanted side effects.

On the other hand, women going through menopause should pay particular attention to their bone health and make sure they intake a sufficient supply of calcium and vitamin D, as a lack of estrogen can also lead to osteoporosis. Good supplies of calcium include seaweed, dandelion, cabbage, fennel, nuts, almonds, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds. Unfortunately, the vitamin D requirement is not just covered by nutrition, as it is mainly formed in the skin via UV-B radiation. Moderate sunbathing is fantastic to increase vitamin D levels. However, if there is a proven lack in vitamin D sufficiency (there is a blood test for this), a supplement is recommended. During the fall and winter months, I take a supplement myself because the sun is not high enough in the European countries to give us sufficient vitamin D.

Possible questions for reflection are: Have I sufficiently accepted my femininity? How can I live out my intellectual and spiritual sides more? Am I ready to move on to new topics and tasks?

In TCM, there are two conflicting notions. One assumes that with menopause, there is a lack of Yin, which allows the Yang to increase excessively, and the other presumes that the Chi dynamic is out of control. In modern China, the “School of Yin nourishment” dominates, so that it is treated as follows:

• For hot flushes worsened by stress: kidney, liver, and large intestine; if sleep disturbances also occur, the heart and liver as well • For hot flushes with heavy sweats: kidney • For restlessness, sleep disturbances, and palpitations: heart, liver, and kidney; if there is also faintness, then liver, spleen, and stomach as well

Yoga Practices for Menopause

Sitting Twisted Roots (Jathara Parivartanasana)

This position gently massages and mobilizes the spine.

Effect – Sitting Twisted Roots works on the meridians of the bladder and gallbladder.

Practicing the exercise

Place a yoga bolster or a rolled-up blanket lengthways on the mat, and sit left of it on the floor. If you would like to integrate a little more opening of the hips, bend your legs comfortably to the left, at 90 degrees to the ankle if you wish. Place your fingers on the floor and press them in to create length in the spine. Now rotate your upper body to the right and lie relaxed on the bolster. Bend the arms and place your head in such a way that you are looking to the left. If this is too intense for your cervical spine, then keep the head in the middle or look to the right. Direct your breath gently towards the abdomen.

Hold the position for three to five minutes, push yourself up again, and change sides. Then place the props to the side and relax into the position where you are lying on your stomach or go into Relaxed Supine Position.

 

Butterfly (Baddha Konasana)

The position stretches the entire back and the insides of the legs. It is particularly good for women during menstruation and is also a suitable yoga position in pregnancy.

Effect – Butterfly works on the meridians of the liver, kidneys, spleen, and bladder. The side bend and rotation also stimulate the gallbladder meridian and, in the side bend, the small intestine, large intestine, and triple warmer meridian.

Practicing the exercise

1. Sit on the mat, place the soles of your feet together, and pull the feet towards the pelvis. Let the knees drop gently outwards, or support the outsides of the legs with two blocks if this stretch is too intense for you. You can also sit on a blanket or a cushion. Relax the back, let your upper body sink forward passively, and place your arms where it is comfortable for you.

2. If you want to try more variations, straighten up again and come into a side bend. Place the left hand next to the left knee and lean leftwards with your upper body. Leave the right arm behind your back or take it above the head for more stretch. Then change sides and perform the side bend to the right.

3. You can also combine Butterfly with an active rotation. To do this, grip your right knee with your left hand, place your right hand behind the pelvis, and turn rightwards with a straight spine. Then change sides and carry out the rotation to the left.

4. In addition to the stretch, you can also activate the bubbling spring acupressure point with your fingers; this is the kidney point on the sole of the foot, which is located centrally directly underneath the ball of the foot. It counteracts anxiety and exhaustion, clears and calms the mind, and has a grounding effect.

Remain in Butterfly for three to five minutes, including the rotation and the side bend. Alternatively, you can also stay in the forward bend only. Press the acupressure point gently as long as it feels good. Then come back to the center and extend both legs again. Relax into Supine Position.

 

Dragon (Anjaneyasana)

Dragon is one of the more intense positions, as the Yang element can clearly be felt here. This is absolutely okay, as there is always some Yang in all Yin, and vice versa. But try to reduce the Yang element as much as you can by allowing yourself to go into the pose in the best way possible, or by using props.

Effect – With Dragon, the focus is on the meridians of the stomach, spleen, liver, kidneys, gallbladder, and bladder, depending on the version you practice. It intensively stretches the groin, the fronts of the thighs, and the bridge of the feet, and (depending on the variation) the upper body, buttocks, and hip area as well. Dragon is also very good preparation for Saddle (see page 90).

Practicing the exercise

1 and 2. Come onto all fours, and place a blanket under the knees if you are sensitive to pressure here. Then take your right leg from between your hands and place your left knee on the floor. If you want the position to be gentler, then pull the left knee forward slightly; for more intensity, take it further back. The right knee can be placed in front of, above, or behind the ankle, but this should not cause any pain in the knee. Let the pelvis sink towards the floor very passively. Now place the hands either left or right next to the foot, or both on the inside. The position becomes more intense if you support yourself on your forearms, and it is slightly easier if you use props—for example, blocks or a yoga bolster.

3. If you want to intensify the backbend, you can put your hands on the front of your thigh for support.

4. For the version that includes rotation, place your right hand on the right knee and turn your upper body to the right while looking upwards.

As Dragon is a rather intense exercise, I recommend trying different variations. Remain on the right side for three to five minutes, including the backbend and rotation versions, and then repeat the sequence with the left leg forward. To release or to change sides, you can move slowly into a Resting Pose.

 

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About the Author

Stefanie Arend is a renowned Yin Yoga instructor, holistic health coach, nutritionist, and energy worker. As the first German author to focus exclusively on Yin Yoga, she is the author of six books, including the classic bestseller, Yin Yoga: The Gentle Path to the Inner Center (2011) and Surya Namaskar: The Sun Salutation (2014), both of which were named Best Yoga Book of the Year in German-speaking countries. Be Healthy with Yin Yoga is her first English language book. For more information about Stefanie or to watch her videos, website and YouTube channel.

Excerpted from Be Healthy with Yin Yoga: The Gentle Way to Free Your Body of Everyday Ailments and Emotional Stress by Stefanie Arend (She Writes Press, August 2019). For more information, visit: https://www.yinyoga.de/en