Perimenopausal symptoms and approaches?
What are the signs of perimenopause?
Hot flushes, night sweats and mood swings are well-known symptoms of perimenopause. We have heard the stories of people in perimenopause struggling with anxiety, low moods, and depression too. Irregular periods, heavy periods and changes to your menstrual cycle. Low libido and dryness in general as well as vaginal dryness are other perimenopausal complaints. There are other signs of perimenopause and it’s important to note that not all people have these perimenopausal symptoms or experience discomfort.
“it’s important to note that not all people have these perimenopausal symptoms or experience discomfort”
What is perimenopause?
Perimenopause is the time around the transition to menopause or post-menopause. Whereas menopause is timed at the one year anniversary of not having had any periods. Menopause is actually just one day. So if you haven’t had a period (and usually have a regular normal cycle) for one year then it’s menopause. After that we are post-menopause.
What is the average age for perimenopause?
The average age for menopause in the UK is 51 (National Health Service 2018). But it could be later or earlier. We may experience symptoms for a number of years beforehand. And then we have postmenopausal symptoms that may be experienced a few years after menopause.
What does perimenopause feel like?
The perimenopausal transition doesn’t need to be all about complaints and symptoms. Perimenopause is a natural stage of life. Just like menarche - the time we first began to menstruate.
Of course, we feel a change. Our regular hormonal cycle changes. We may not have the same balance between oestrogen and progesterone. Testosterone levels change. It’s really an avalanche of change.
But perimenopause is still a natural transition in time.
Can yoga help perimenopause?
Research certainly suggests that yoga can help with perimenopausal symptoms. When I wrote my book ’Teaching yoga for the menstrual cycle - an Āyurvedic perspective’ I included information on perimenopause and post-menopause too. And I write in my book that research shows that ‘Practising mindfulness has been seen to alleviate several perimenopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, depression and stress (Wong et al. 2018; van Driel et al. 2019).’
Yoga has so many incredible benefits for our body and mind. And we can adjust our yoga practice to support whatever is going on in our body at this present moment.
If you have hot flushes and night sweats we have a cooling breath and asana (poses) aimed to cool and calm the body and mind.
If we feel fatigued we have practiced to nourish and nurture you.
We have yoga nidra to rest body and mind.
Create strength and stability through yoga poses and yoga flow.
Feeling bloated? We have asana practises to soothe or stimulate digestion.
Anxious? A physical practice to connect with the body and get grounded can support a frazzled anxious mind. As can breathing and meditation.
Insomnia? Calm the body and mind through yoga asana, breathing and meditation.
No libido? Connect with your sensuous body, mindfulness, breath and slowing down may be helpful.
Anger and frustration? Get in touch with your where it is felt in the body, cool and calm excess heat. Channel and get motivated by righteous anger with a clear calm mind and body.
MENOPAUSE YOGA WORKSHOP
I am excited to share more about yoga and the perimenopause soon so make sure you are receiving my updates. I send our weekly emails and you can get yours here.
A holistic approach to perimenopause and beyond
From a holistic and āyurvedic perspective, perimenopause is natural. Menopause is not a deficiency, a pathology and a medical condition. It’s a powerful transition as we move into our wise woman years. It’s a time to appreciate and feel empowered.
Where we used to bleed and have the potential for pregnancy we are now preserving this potent energy. It doesn’t matter if we had children or not, have been pregnant or not, or still have our wombs or/and ovaries. During the menstrual cycle years, we ovulated with the potential - of pregnancy or other creative seeds of manifestations. We offered our blood to the Earth.
Now we conserve this energy. We move into our self-awareness, and self-realisation. In āyurveda and Indian culture, there is a term of being a ‘forest dweller’. This is the time we can focus on our own development. Our own spiritual practice.
In āyurveda, we may look at the symptoms presented. The anger and frustration. Insomnia. The anxiety… We also understand that part of all of the perimenopausal symptoms is from the natural shift in the doshas. So we adjust our lifestyle and routine to support our changing body.
We appreciate that many of the symptoms arise from imbalances. Very often our lifestyle. And in āyurveda, we will start to regain balance. To adapt to our changing body.
It is, as always, all about balance for the individual.
WORKSHOPS AND TALKS
If you are interested in learning more please let me know. And make sure you are receiving my weekly newsletter so you’ll know when any workshops, classes or talks on perimenopause will happen. I also offer consultations in yoga and āyurveda for personalised support.
