You might have noticed your stress levels rising, finding it more difficult to switch off, beginning to feel more anxious, and noticing more aches and pains in the body during menopause. The good news is that there is a lot you can do to ease these symptoms.
Recent scientific studies have found that regular yoga practice has the benefit of significantly reducing cortisol levels and inflammation in the body. Stress and aging causes inflammation linked to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis and Alzheimer's disease to name but a few. Yoga helps rest the nervous system, making that switch from a fight or flight response to rest and digest improving mood and reducing anxiety. It brings the body and mind back into balance. As we become less resilient to stress and more prone to inflammation in menopause it's never been more important to create the space, time and investment in a regular yoga practice. Your future self will thank you for it.
Why not start today with 3 simple poses too reduce stress & inflammation:
Left and right nostril breathing
Sit comfortably making sure your spine is long
Rest your left palm comfortably into your lap. With your right hand, bring your first finger and middle finger to rest between your eyebrows, lightly using them as an anchor.
Close your eyes and take a deep breath in and out through your nose.
Close your right nostril with your right thumb. Inhale through the left nostril slowly and steadily.
Close the left nostril with your ring finger so both nostrils are held closed; retain your breath at the top of the inhale for a brief pause.
Open your right nostril and release the breath slowly through the right side; pause briefly at the bottom of the exhale.
Inhale through the right side slowly.
Hold both nostrils closed (with ring finger and thumb).
Open your left nostril and release breath slowly through the left side. Pause briefly at the bottom.
Repeat 5-10 cycles, allowing your mind to follow your inhales and exhales.
Ragdoll
Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Bend your knees and fold forward from your hips. Let the crown of your head hang toward the ground and be heavy. Bend your elbows and grasp each elbow with the opposite hand. Hold here for 10 seconds to a minute, going deeper into the pose with each exhalation.
Stress and anxiety tends to be concentrated in their lower back, neck, or shoulders, By doing this pose, you let go of that weight in the upper body. Be careful if you have a herniated disk or high blood pressure avoid this pose.
Windscreen wipers
Start lying flat on your back. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor roughly as wide as your yoga mat. Extend your arms out wide into a T-shape and soften the weight of your shoulders toward the floor. Take a full deep inhale and feel your lower back release toward the mat.
As you exhale, slowly release both of your knees toward your left. You may wish to place yoga props underneath them for extra support. Pause and hold for as long as you’d like with your legs relaxing toward the ground.
On an inhale, bring your legs back up to their starting position. On an exhale, release your knees in the opposite direction.
Take the first step towards a regular, personal yoga practice to stay calm and reduce inflammation. Get in touch with me today for a free consultation.
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