Finding Calm Within: How Somatic Yoga Supports Stress Relief During Menopause

Menopause is a powerful rite of passage in a woman’s life, but it can also be a very challenging time. For many, it can bring waves of stress, overwhelm, and discomfort. Hot flushes, sleep disruptions, mood swings, and anxiety are just a few of the ways menopause can affect our everyday lives. While these changes are normal, they can be deeply unsettling if we don’t have the tools to navigate them.

One profoundly healing practice that can be use for menopause support is somatic yoga.

Somatic yoga is a gentle, body-based approach to movement and mindfulness. Rather than focusing on achieving perfect poses, it invites you to slow down, turn inward, and explore subtle sensations from the inside out. In this way, somatic yoga becomes less about “doing” and more about “feeling”—reconnecting with your body as a source of wisdom and comfort.

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I am in this Menopause transition myself and I am finding great comfort in connecting with a style of yoga that feels comfortable and achievable for my own changing body and needs. It is helping me connect back to myself amidst the chaos of mid-life.

I have created this practice over on my YouTube Channel Sunflower Yoga for you to try. Leave me a comment on the video and let me know what you think. Remember as well to Subscribe to my channel as I post regular videos about Menopause Yoga, Menstrual Cycle Yoga and Moon Cycle Yoga & Meditation.

READ HERE about our NEW Self-Paced Flow into Second Spring Menopause Yoga Classes

Why Somatic Yoga?

The stress of menopause is often felt not just in the mind, but in the body: tight shoulders, shallow breathing, clenched jaws, fatigue, and a sense of disconnection. These are all signs that the nervous system is in a state of overdrive. Can you relate to any of these symptons?

Somatic yoga works directly with the nervous system to calm the body, release chronic tension, and restore a sense of ease. Through slow, mindful movement and breath awareness, it helps shift the body from a fight-or-flight state into a rest-and-digest state.

The Benefits of Somatic Yoga for Menopause

🌿 Nervous System Regulation
Somatic yoga gently activates the parasympathetic nervous system, reducing cortisol levels and supporting more restful sleep, balanced emotions, and deeper relaxation.

🌿 Body Awareness & Compassion
By tuning into the body’s subtle cues, we learn to move with kindness and curiosity. This is especially healing during menopause, when many feel betrayed or disconnected from their bodies.

🌿 Emotional Release
The body holds onto emotion, especially during times of transition. Somatic yoga provides a safe and grounded way to gently release what we’ve been carrying—grief, anger, uncertainty—and make space for acceptance and self-love.

Affirmations for Menopause & Somatic Healing

Repeat these softly to yourself before, during, or after your practice:

🌀 I trust my body and the wisdom it holds.
🌀 I allow myself to slow down and receive rest.
🌀 I am safe to feel what I feel and release what I no longer need.
🌀 I meet myself with compassion through every change.
🌀 This transition is not an ending—it is a sacred beginning.

🖋 Journal Prompts for Reflection

Use these prompts after your somatic yoga practice or during a quiet moment to deepen your connection to your inner experience:

What sensations did I notice in my body today?
Where am I holding tension, and what might that tension be trying to say?
How does my body want to move or be supported right now?
What am I learning about myself during this stage of life?
What would it feel like to soften into trust—of myself, my body, and this journey?

Here is another video on my YouTube Channel sharing a Somatic Yoga Practice:

Somatic Yoga Poses for Menopause Stress Relief

1. Constructive Rest Pose (Semi-Supine)
Lying on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor, and a cushion or rolled blanket under the head if needed.
This is a foundational somatic rest position that allows the spine to release and the nervous system to downshift. Focus on breath awareness and gentle micro-movements of the pelvis or ribs to explore subtle sensation.

Try: Rock your pelvis gently forward and back on the breath (inhale tilt forward, exhale tilt back).

2. Supine Pelvic Tilts (Somatic Cat-Cow)
Lying on your back with knees bent, begin to slowly arch and curl the lower back in time with your breath.
This movement brings awareness to the lower spine and pelvis, helping release stored tension and recalibrate the connection between breath and movement.

Move slowly and mindfully, letting the breath guide each tilt.

3. Somatic Shoulder Rolls (Supine or Seated)
Lying down or sitting, gently roll one shoulder at a time in small circles, eyes closed if comfortable.
This relieves shoulder and neck tension, common with stress and hormonal shifts. It’s also a beautiful way to reconnect with the upper body with care.

Keep the movement small and slow. Let it feel nurturing rather than effortful.

4. Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall open. Support the knees with cushions.
This heart-opening pose releases the hips and pelvis, encourages emotional release, and fosters a sense of safety and surrender.

Place one hand on your belly and one on your heart to connect inward.

5. Side-Lying Breath Awareness
Lie on your side with knees slightly bent, supported by a pillow between the legs and under the head.
A deeply grounding position for nervous system regulation. This pose supports soft belly breathing and helps you feel more centered and soothed.

Feel the breath expand into the back and sides of the ribs.

6. Somatic Twist (Supine)
Lying on your back, let your knees gently fall to one side on an exhale, then slowly return to center on an inhale. Repeat side to side.
This slow, fluid movement massages the internal organs, eases spinal tension, and balances the body’s energy.

Keep the movement soft and meditative—less about stretch, more about sensation.

A Practice of Coming Home

Somatic yoga is not about performance. It’s about presence. It’s about learning to listen to your body rather than override it. This kind of self-connection can be incredibly empowering.

If you’re feeling called to slow down, rest more deeply, and reconnect with your body’s innate wisdom, somatic yoga might be the balm you’ve been seeking.

Take a moment today to lie down, place a hand on your belly, and simply feel your breath move. That’s where healing begins.

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