Yoga for Perimenopause & Menopause:
What Actually Helps (and What to Avoid)

Supported on a block or bolster under the sacrum, this restorative inversion gently stimulates the endocrine system without demanding effort from already-depleted adrenals. The chest opening has a direct effect on the vagus nerve and parasympathetic tone, which helps regulate the vasomotor instability that causes hot flashes. This is one of the most prescribed poses in yoga therapy for menopausal hot flashes.

1. Place a yoga block or folded blanket under your sacrum (the flat bone at the base of the spine).
2. Allow your lower back to relax completely supported. Legs can be extended or knees bent.
3. Arms rest open at your sides, palms up. Close your eyes.
4. Breathe slowly — 4 counts in, 6 counts out. Stay 5–10 minutes.
5. Roll to your side to come out. Never sit up abruptly.

Inversions have a cooling and calming effect on the nervous system — the opposite of the heat and agitation of hot flashes. This wide-legged forward fold is accessible even for those with tight hamstrings and brings the head below the heart without requiring shoulder stand. The increased blood flow to the brain helps with the "brain fog" and cognitive changes reported by many women during perimenopause.

1. Stand with feet 4–5 feet apart, toes pointing slightly in.
2. Place hands on hips. Inhale, lengthen the spine. Exhale, fold forward from the hips.
3. Let the top of your head relax toward the floor. Hands on the floor, blocks, or shins.
4. Feel the cooling sensation as blood flows to the head. Breathe deeply.
5. Hold 60–90 seconds. Come up slowly, rolling through the spine.

Declining oestrogen during menopause causes the pelvic floor muscles to lose tone and the vaginal tissues to thin. This gentle hip opener maintains pelvic floor awareness and circulation, reducing the progression of pelvic floor dysfunction. As a restorative pose, it also directly prepares the body and nervous system for sleep — addressing one of the most common menopausal complaints.

1. Lie on your back. Bring soles of feet together, knees falling open to the sides.
2. Support knees with bolsters or folded blankets if needed — they should not be straining.
3. One hand on heart, one on belly. Close your eyes.
4. Breathe into the belly, then the chest, then the collarbones — a three-part breath.
5. Stay 5–15 minutes. Ideal as the final pose before sleep.

Oestrogen plays a major role in bone density. As it declines during menopause, bone loss accelerates — osteoporosis risk increases significantly. Weight-bearing poses like Warrior II are one of the most effective non-pharmacological interventions for maintaining bone density. This variation adds a forward lean to engage the hip extensors more deeply. Aim for strength and control over flexibility.

1. Set up in Warrior II: feet wide, right foot out, right knee bent over ankle.
2. Arms extended, gaze over right hand.
3. Lean your torso slightly forward over your right thigh — maintaining the arm position.
4. Feel the increased demand in the right glute and hamstring.
5. Hold 30–45 seconds. Straighten and switch sides. Repeat 2–3 rounds.

For many women I have worked with, this single pose has been the most transformative for menopausal symptoms. Practised for 15 minutes before bed: it lowers cortisol, reduces the vasomotor instability behind night sweats, calms the anxiety common in perimenopause, and dramatically improves sleep onset speed. It is also deeply restorative for the adrenal glands, which take over some oestrogen production after menopause.

1. Place a folded blanket 6 inches from the wall. Sit sideways against it.
2. Swing legs up as you lie back — hips resting on the blanket.
3. Arms open at sides. Optional: eye pillow. Dim the lights.
4. Breathe with extended exhales: inhale 4 counts, exhale 8 counts.
5. Stay 15–20 minutes before sleep.