Menopause Yoga

Did you know that we now offer Online Menopause Yoga Classes?

Check out our current Online Class Schedule Here.

What is Menopause Yoga?

Sunflower Yoga Menopause Yoga Classes blend Western science with Eastern well-being in a holistic way to help support you through each stage of menopause, from early perimenopause to Post-Menopause. 

Menopause Yoga is based on hatha yoga, but it also includes elements of vinyasa flow movement, restorative yoga, yoga nidra, and yin yoga. 

Menopause Yoga is all about choices and honouring where your body is at, it’s about finding your level of practice, finding the position that is going to bring your body comfort and ease, exploring ways to move that feel pleasurable for your body, and we’ll also have a bit fun as well. It can all feel a bit heavy sometimes, and laughter can be a real ally in helping to lift our mood.

I like to add fun brain games and a bit of extra challenge to some of our moves. During menopause, our body needs a variety of movements, our minds need fresh challenges, and our bones need surprises, so expect a bit of this in each class. 

Class Themes include:

  • Anxiety & Overwhelm
  • Hot Flushes & Night Sweats
  • Meno-rage and Irritability
  • Brain Fog
  • Strength & Empowerment
  • Insomnia & Fatigue

Much of what you learn and practice in each class can then be taken off the mat and used in your everyday life. For example, I will teach breathing practices to help you manage the sensation of hot flushes, soothe irritability, and reduce stress and fatigue. All of these practices can be taken away and used when you need them.

Journaling is also an important part of these classes. Journaling can be a real ally during Menopause. It can help you process how you feel about your own experience of Menopause and record your symptoms, the good and the bad, and the things that are helping you along the way. 

What is the evidence that these classes work?

I cannot guarantee results as everybody is different, but several studies have been conducted regarding the effectiveness of yoga in managing Menopause symptoms.

To summarise, the results of many of these studies have been encouraging so far and show that for some people, practicing yoga regularly can help to reduce menopausal symptoms.  (I have included links to several studies at the foot of this article).

For example, in a recent study reported by the International Menopause Society, the author concluded that 60 minutes of yoga two days a week for 10 weeks may help to reduce the psychological, somatic, and urogenital symptoms experienced in menopause. 

My Story

These classes have been bubbling away in the background since I completed my first Menopause Yoga Training with the wonderful Niamh Daly from Yinstinct Yoga last summer. Then, I topped up this training even more by taking Petra Coveney’s Menopause Yoga course earlier this year. I believe I am only one of around five teachers who have taken these in-depth pieces of training. 

I’m very much looking forward to weaving this learning together with my personal experiences of this life stage and teaching others who are navigating this path as well. 

I am 45 years old, and I am in perimenopause. I have been noticing changes in my menstrual cycle and my body over the last couple of years or so now and probably longer. 

Yoga has been a huge support for my own symptoms and hopefully, it can help to bring some comfort and ease to your symptoms as well and provide you with some extra tools to help you process the natural changes that come with menopause more positively. 

Research Links

Effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms and sleep quality across menopause statuses: A randomized controlled trial

The Effect of Yoga on Menopause Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Yoga for menopausal symptoms-A systematic review and meta-analysis

The Effect of Yoga on Menopausal Symptoms Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial

Yoga for improving health-related quality of life, mental health and cancer-related symptoms in women diagnosed with breast cancer