Yoga to support the menopause

It was November 2016 and I had just spent the weekend on a yoga retreat. I was sitting with a friend on the Sunday evening on our journey home and we were discussing how our menstrual cycles had changed. I had turned 40 earlier that year, the change had been sudden and quite dramatic. Once a month it have started to feel like the flood gates had opened for two days and my friend was having the same experience. It didn’t occur to me then, that this was the beginning of my perimenopause journey.

 Then 18 months ago I began to ache all over. Joint and muscle pain which was not related to the exercise I was doing or the days I was more sedentary. As it continued, I started to wonder if it was a form of arthritis. Alongside these symptoms, I would sometimes have a feeling over being overwhelmed, low mood and often suffered with brain fog or memory loss. Another change was bloating and digestive issues, I had always had a relatively health diet as a vegetarian and something else had changed. As a yoga teacher I felt I was in tune with my body and knew it well. This myriad of symptoms was off putting, as I began to investigate, everything pointed to symptoms of the menopause.

 Every individual cell in a woman’s body contains an oestrogen receptor. So, as oestrogen levels start to fluctuate in perimenopause, it affects the whole body. Oestrogen helps to regulate mood, body temperature, maintains memory and menstrual cycle, lubricates the vagina and protects the arteries. Progesterone and testosterone levels also begin to fall at this time, affecting menstrual cycle, sex dive, bone growth and strength as well as muscle mass.

 Managing my symptoms took trial and error.  Ensuring I had a daily yoga practice which sometimes meant 5 minutes of breathing or 10 minutes in relaxation was imperative. Hatha, restorative and yin yoga is most beneficial at this stage in a woman’s life. I found turmeric helped with joint and muscle pain and began to add it to as many dishes as possible. I changed my eating habits, only eating from 10am until no later than 8pm, to allow my body more time for digestion (This can be adapted to a woman’s lifestyle and the hours they work). I started to make sauerkraut to support that process as well, during the fermentation process it produces probiotics which aid digestion. Also, I began writing a diary to ascertain what foods affected my digestion as well as recording my sleep and generally wellbeing. I began to make the connections between refined carbohydrates, caffeine and alcohol with my mood and how I was feeling. Alcohol definitely didn’t help aching joints and a regular bedtime and wake time became a key component to feeling ‘better’. A diary or journal could take the form of drawings, bullet points or voice memos on your phone. The Balance app designed by Newson Health is an easy one to use to track symptoms and your cycle.

 Many women describe the need to retreat, to go and hide away from the world as they venture through perimenopause. If you look back historically, women would reach the menopause (medically defined as 12 months with no periods)  and would not live much longer. These days women have 20 – 40 years post menopause, therefore finding support is imperative. However, as women we are often the carers; looking after ourselves tends to be at the bottom our list. Finding and making time for ourselves can often be a luxury however carving out a little bit of time for ourselves for self-care is necassary we navigate the menopause years.

 Most recently I’ve been getting up earlier in the morning to ensure I get 15-30 minutes of peace before the day starts. This is when I make it to my yoga mat and often simply lie there supported by some props. Finding 5 minutes in your day can be beneficial whether that become a walk round the block or some time to meditate or consciously breathe. Something I discovered recently is that when women come together oxytocin and serotonin (happy hormones) are released. Connecting with friends to talk is also advantageous. Difficult in covid times but a phone call or video call can have the same effects. I found a 20 minute brisk walk each day also helped when I was feeling lethargic or fatigued and this can be an ideal time to ‘talk & walk’ with a friend.

 Each woman’s experience is unique, as the combination of symptoms is unique. NICE guidelines recommend that each woman should be treated individually according to her symptoms. These can include headaches, migranes, dizziness, anxiety, poor memory, low mood, irritability, mood swings, insomnia, bloating, weight gain, digestion problems, hot flushes, night sweats, palpitations, pain and/or enlargement of breasts, dry skin, itching, sore joints, stiffness, osteoporosis, back pain, incontinence, hair dryness / thinning, shorter or longer menstrual cycles, bleeding between periods, vaginal atrophy, vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse.

Yoga helps to support so many menopause symptoms including bone health which is imperative as the risk of osteoporosis is higher with the reduction of oestrogen. Forward folds (i.e uttanasana) stimulate the endocrine glands and allow the mind to become calm, stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Baddha Konasana (bound angle pose) strengthens the bladder and uterus easing perimenopausal symptoms. Supported Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog) with a bolster or brick under the forehead helps to relieve hot flushes, as do salamba sarvangasana (supported shoulder stand) and halasana (plough). Back bends stimulate the thyroid and adrenal glands, improve circulation in the pancreas and relieve pelvic congestion (i.e dhanurasana/bow pose). The list is endless and with some homemade props out of pillows, cushions and books, many are easy to practise at home. The props allow the body to soften into the asana, assisting the nervous system and offering support which is something all women need to feel during this time. A sense of being held, helped and aided through this transition.

Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) received adverse publicity after a WHI study was published which is now recognised as flawed. Dr Louise Newson explains why that initial study was flawed in her paper published in 2016, Best practice for HRT: unpicking the evidence, for the British Journal of General Practice. The study was not representative of all women, the various stages of the menopause and it was conducted using a form of HRT no longer used. There has since been a WHI apology published as it has been the cause for many women not taking HRT and thereby not benefiting from it. However, there are still women that HRT will be contraindicated for and so it is essential to speak to your GP about your options.

There is no one way ‘fits all’. Yoga, making subtle changes to your diet to improve nutrition, reducing stress, using herbal remedies and taking supplements can all have beneficial effects. Most importantly ensure you see a trained professional when investigating natural or herbal remedies.

I still have long journey ahead; I am under no illusion that I may have to change my plan of action before I reach the menopause, as I experience new symptoms. Being informed has definitely made me feel ‘armed’. Knowledge really is power when it comes to your menopause journey. Bringing women together to share their experiences and enable a sense of camaraderie is important. This was emphasised on my #menopauseyoga teacher training as 24 yoga teachers came together to further their yoga knowledge. We were all at various stages of our menopause journey, by sharing our experiences and what was or had supported our symptoms, we were able to support and help each other .

I’m grateful for my personal yoga practice and after hosting my first Menopause Yoga Workshop at the weekend, know I can facilitate more connections and hopefully support many other groups of women. I’m looking forward to hosting more Menopause Yoga Workshops and classes soon and collaborating with other healthcare professionals to bring women together to support one another.  

“Women need women. We need to be able to put down our burdens and fall apart, and we can do this with other women. When men aren’t around, liberation takes place. Competition diminishes, and we feel supported in whatever we’re going through.

Transformation occurs when women sit with one another for any length of time. Throughout history, we have done this - in sewing circles, menstrual huts, even on playgrounds. These days, we’re so busy being superwomen we rarely make time for girlfriends. There’s so much value in gathering to talk, laugh, and cry.

Menopause is a time for women to speak, not to shut down. As we get in touch with our internal power, we have much more to say. Dr Christine Northrup describes it this way: ‘As these hormone-driven changes affect the brain, they give woman a sharper eye for inequity and injustice, and a voice that insists on speaking up about them....They uncover hidden wisdom - and the courage to speak it. As the vision-obscuring veil created by reproductive hormones begins to lift, a woman’s youthful fire and spirit are often rekindled, together with long-sublimtade desires and creative drives. Midlife fuels those drives with a volcanic energy that demands an outlet.’

Amen, The end of menses is a rite of passage, and we should celebrate it”

— Colleen Saidman Yee, Yoga for Life

 ASANA to safely try at home:

Balasana (child’s pose) with your forehead resting on some height - bolster/stacked pillows/chair

Viparita Karani (legs up the wall) lying on the floor and using a wall or chair to support your legs. You may also choose to have some height under your hips/pelvis

Savasana (corpse pose) supported using a bolster or rolled up blanket under the knees and a weighty blanket over you for relaxation. 

Pause To Breathe

Breathing efficiently strengthens our lungs, increases our lung capacity, supports a healthier heart and a stronger diaphragm, can alleviate the symptoms of asthma, calms the nervous system which results in a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate.

As James Nestor writes in his book Breath ‘we’ve become a culture of overeaters, we’ve also become a culture of overbreathers. Most of us breathe too much, and up to a quarter of the modern population suffers from more serious chronic overbreathing.’

If we have ‘good’ respiration we can have optimal health. There is not one way of breathing and there is no right way to breathe, however there are efficient ways to breathe to support the mind and the body. The majority of us overbreathe, consciously breathing encourages our breath to lengthen, so there is a greater chance for the necessary gas exchange to take place in the lung tissue.

The most efficient way to breathe is through our nose, our mouths are there for when we need them, when we’re talking or have a blocked nose with a cold or an allergy. The blood vessels in the nose warm our breath, as we inhale, so it is ready for our lungs to receive and the hairs in our nose (cilia) filter the air to remove harmful pollutants and particles. There are breathing techniques and pranayama (breathing exercises) where we use our mouth to inhale and/ore exhale.

Breathing is function we can control. Slowing our breath, consciously breathing allows us to access the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system is the branch of the nervous system that carries out the vital functions of the heart, lungs, circulatory system, and glandular system. These are functions we can not control however this branch of the nervous system also splits into the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest) and the sympathetic nervous system (fright & flight). Slowing our breath down enables us to control and communicate with the rest & digest side (the parasympathetic nervous system). In yoga, our breath is often described as prana, life force or the vital force. Breathing is the main form of pranic activity in the body. The main way to work with prana is through pranayama (breathing techniques and exercises). If we can learn to control and manipulate our breath, we can control and manipulate our mind, overall health and wellbeing.

I was fortunate to be able attend a Donna Farhi workshop when she was in Edinburgh in May 2018. The Breathing Book, one of her many publications, became a constant source of reflection and guided my breathing practice when I embarked on my yoga foundation course in 2016 with Yoga Scotland. She writes:

‘Breathing is one of the simplest things in the world. We breathe in, we breathe out. When we breathe with real freedom, we neither gasp for nor hold on to the breath out. Given the simplicity of breathing, one would think it was the easiest thing to do in the world. However, if it were truly so easy there would be few unhappy or unhealthy people in the world. To become a welcome vessel for the breath is to live life without trying to control, grasp, or push away. Ad how easy is this? The process of breathing is the most accurate metaphor we have for the way that we personally approach life, how we live our lives, and how we react to the inevitable changes that life brings us.’

Exploring the breath and deep feeling can feel unnerving. It can make us feel vulnerable as we working with the chest and the heart. This is an area we naturally want to protect; when we’re upset our breath changes. If you have ever been really upset to the point of sobbing you’ll be familiar with the way the body begins to gasp for air and the lungs mimic the sobbing. When we are worried, stressed or anxious we tend to breathe high up in the chest. We hold onto grief, emotions, trauma, old thoughts and memories in our heart centres and also our hips and pelvic area. So we must ensure we explore our breath and its possibilities gently without forcing or rushing it. It can take time to feel ready to go deeper; deeper with the breath and therefore deeper into the mind and body.

In yoga, our breath is often described as ‘prana’ - life force or the vital force. Breathing is the main form of pranic activity in the body. The main way to work with prana is through pranayama (breathing techniques and exercises). If we can learn to control and manipulate our breath, we can control and manipulate our mind, overall health and wellbeing.

When practising breathing it’s imperative to have a straight spine to support the lungs. The hips need to be level with or higher than the knees. By raising the pelvis (either sitting on a chair, on the floor with yoga blocks or a couple of cushions) the knees will drop in relation to the iliac crest and as a result the spine is better supported and more upright. Simple mindful breathing techniques to begin will bring your awareness to the breathe in the body. Placing you hands on your belly and using the sense of touch to guide the breath. It is always advisable to practise pranayama or more complex breathing techniques with the guidance of an experienced teacher.

Breathing practices and efficient breathing aid sleep and enhance our mental state. Our emotions and our breath are connected; once we learn to consciously breathe and control our mind we reap the benefits psychological as well as physically.

As Max Strom writes in A Life Worth Breathing:

‘The vehicle we travel in must be kept in order. Otherwise travel becomes difficult and painful and then impossible.’

My #pausetobreathe classes are running over the next three weeks on Mondays and Fridays at 7am. Take 20 minutes to ground yourself and set your breath up for the day ahead.

How yoga supports the lymphatic system and as a result our immune system

The lymphatic system can be divided into two parts the lymphatic vessels which the lymph (a watery, fluid component) moves through, and the lymph nodes and organs. The lymphatic organs include the thymus , tonsils and spleen. The movement of our skeletal muscles through our asana practise encourages the movement of lymph fluid. This fluid helps transport toxins and pathogens to the lymph nodes and organs, which is then filtered, removing any unwanted foreign particles or bacteria, before it returns to the bloodstream.

So, by supporting the stimulation of the lymph system and the movement of lymph fluid through our asana practise, we are helping our immune system defend against microbes, virus’ and bacteria. It also removes damaged or dead cells from our system. The lymph nodes that act as filters are mainly concentrated around the throat, armpits and groin.

Inversions in particular help support and stimulate the lymph nodes found around the throat and armpit (in the adenoids, tonsils and thymus): Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge), Uttanasana (standing forward fold), Prasarita Padottanasana (wide legged forward fold), Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward facing dog), Halasana (plough), Salamba Sirsasana (headstand).

Twists help us stimulate the lymph nodes found in the spleen: Parivrtta Trikonasana (revolved triangle), Parivrtta Parsvakonasana (revolved side angle), variations of Maricyasana and Jathara Parivartanasana (supine revolved spinal twist)

Our breathing is also a facilitator of lymphatic function as the lymphatic system does not have a ‘pump’ like the heart for the circulatory system. Deep diaphragmatic breathing like when we practise makrasana (crocodile) is essential to supporting the circulation of lymph.

With all this in mind, it’s imperative to wear the correct bra (not underwired) and clothing when practising yoga. Anything too tight will restrict movement physically and internally. As your mind and body flow through the shapes you create in asana, become aware of the flow and movement internally that is occurring, supporting your health, wellbeing and immune system.

#svadhyaya #lymphaticdrainage #lymphaticmassage #lymphaticsystem #lymph #lymphnodes #bra #bras #sportsbra #yogaclothes #yogaclothing #yogabra #yogasupport #asana #asanapractise #movement #flow #lymphflow #choosetherightbra #brafitting #brafittings

My personal experience of race, equity and yoga. Svadhyaya: learning, self study & self enquiry.

Loretta Todd wrote:

‘Cultural appropriation occurs when someone else speaks for, tells, defines, describes, represents, uses or recruits the images, stories, experiences, dreams of others for their own. Appropriation also occurs when someone else becomes the expert on your experience and is deemed more knowledgeable about who you are than even yourself.’

 As race discussions and debates continue after the tragic killing of George Floyd I have been forced to look inwards. Something I do regularly as a yoga practitioner and teacher, but usually in the present, not reflecting on the past, as I am doing now.

 I’m a mixture of races; my maternal grandfather was Sri Lankan, my maternal grandmother Indian and my father’s side as white as white can be. I had an idyllic childhood in London, a primary school that nurtured and supported with friends that have remained friends for life.

 My secondary school had a large proportion of Jewish children and that in itself, fostered inclusivity. There were a handful of children of colour with African, middle eastern or Indian heritage. Like my primary school, it was a supportive school community. Most of us were ‘different’ and because we were the majority, that was normal. I can remember going to many Bar mitzvahs and guests coming up to me and speaking to me in Hebrew assuming I was Israeli due to my skin colour. This always made me feel included and spoke to the side of me that often felt different and excluded in the outside world. I was happy to fit in and become part of a tribe.

 My mother is dark, really dark, like her father was. She regaled a few tales of racism at work to me and my sister as we were growing up. She used to comment on how she had been treated or not treated and how she knew it to be due to racism. It was never blatant, just an undercurrent; what we would now describe as micro aggressions. However I didn’t want to hear it…….I didn’t want to listen…..I didn’t want to be different. Children don’t want to be the odd one out and I was doing my hardest to fit in. In situation’s outside of school, I conformed, it was easier to fit in and become ‘white’. This was easy as my parents had made the decision not to teach me and my sister Hindi or Tamil in case it confused us learning the English language. My mother used to correct us in our pronunciation often, especially if we had picked up even a twang of our father’s cockney accent. She used to say she had learnt the Queen’s English and so would we. There was a sense of pride in being part of British culture, a nod to colonialism. She had been raised in Kuala Lumpur. I can only remember my mother wearing a sari once in my whole lifetime, she too was trying to fit in. We grew up eating English food and went to an Anglican church on Sundays. We looked different and yet the aim seemed to be to blend in.

 As I got older I enjoyed holidaying in Italy and being mistaken as Italian. Going to a Manu Chao concert and being spoken to in Spanish. I’ve always had the privilege of being able to fit in, my tanned skin has meant I could be Iranian or South American, Sicilian or Malaysian. Was I hiding from my truth? I was different but I didn’t want to be labelled as mixed race. I had been born in London and considered myself a Londoner. And yes, I’ve been regularly asked THAT question throughout my life; Where are you from? No, where are you really from? I have always answered London. There are those who pause, and actually think about what they are asking, and rephrase the question. What is your heritage? Where are your roots? However, I admit over the years it has been easier to have accepted the socialisation of white culture. I have an English sounding name so why wouldn’t I be seen as British?

 Moving to Edinburgh eighteen years ago was a culture shock. I’d left the fashion industry in London behind to move up to be with my Scottish boyfriend. I was being stared at because of what I was wearing, white pixie boots from the Oxfam in Dalston, trends influenced by the catwalks, not because of my colour. I can still distinctly remember, around 6 months after moving here, staring gobsmacked at a black man crossing Princes Street. I realised in that short time of living in Edinburgh, I had not seen anyone of colour. I felt a pang of guilt for not noticing it sooner, a sense of loss; loss of not being different.

 I’ve never knowingly experienced racism here because of my colour. I have experienced it when people have heard my classic English accent. The assumption from others that I am English is not something I had ever encountered before moving to Scotland. I was ignorant about the historical divide between England and Scotland until I moved here.

 Whilst I think unconsciously living in Edinburgh and being a person of colour has chipped away at me for the last eighteen years, I can honestly say I first acknowledged this, and was honest with myself about it, when my oldest son was born eleven and half years ago. I suddenly realised I would be bringing him up in a mainly white society and I remember almost a sense of panic. I can recall a conversation with my Scottish white husband about how I felt we had to move back to London, however financially it wasn’t feasible or practical at the time. To compensate there have been numerous trips to London with my three boys. An attempt for them to experience a multi-cultural city where people of colour are over half the population.  

 A few years ago, whilst travelling on the tube in London with my three boys, my oldest asked loudly ‘Mummy, why is everyone a different colour in London?’ Not one to shy away from these awkward questions in public I simply answered, ‘London is huge, it’s a capital city, it’s a melting pot of so many different races, religions and nationalities.’ His retort was: ‘but isn’t Edinburgh a capital city?’ and this is when I drew on the conversation I had had with a black friend in Edinburgh. We joke that it’s too cold up here for people of colour, who have sun in their genes, which is why there are so few of us. I had never felt like an outsider however I had always felt different living in Scotland and there was my 6-year-old pointing out the obvious on the tube. I had lived as a white-adjacent brown person. Fitting in and assimilated as white, with a classical white name. Just 1% of people living in Scotland identified their ethnicity as African, Caribbean or Black and 3% Asian, in the 2011 consensus. Over the last few years, through studying yoga philosophy and more recently highlighted by the #blacklivesmatter movement I have been more assertive about being in the brown minority here in Edinburgh.  I know I am not alone, in having been dominated by white culture and accepting it willingly and happily as it was easier to be socialised into this way of life.

 The phrase People of Colour are the global majority not the minority has been used a lot over the last few weeks. This is obviously not the case in Scotland and whilst I have been aware of this it wasn’t until last summer, I really understood how much it had affected me. I was visiting my family in London and was invited by a close friend, Toral Shah, to a Friday evening workshop with the yoga teacher Dianne Bondy. It was workshop around the lack of diversity in the health and wellness industry, the dominating culture of the weight loss industry and how all of this affects how we look at ourselves. Dianne reminds us on her website: ‘Yoga has become a practice reserved exclusively for the privileged few: wealthy, thin, young, flexible, white and able-bodied. Yoga benefits all bodies, regardless of their shape, size, age, ethnicity or ability.’ I’ve attended many yoga workshops over the years with yoga teachers I have admired. However, after that Friday evening something changed. It lit a fire in me simply because this was what yoga should be; accessible to everyone and anyone. I turned to my friend and explained how it felt so inclusive and how In felt a sense of true belonging. Her response as she laughed was ‘that’s because you’ve forgotten what it’s like to be surrounded by different shades of brown people like you!’.

 I reflected on my yoga teacher training and feel so grateful for the two year, Yoga Scotland 500hr course. An authentic inclusive course which as far away from how bendy you are and the images you may have seen on Instagram as it can be. Yoga is a way of life, not just a yoga class. As a yoga practitioner, I know yoga is much more about taking yoga off the mat than practising for an hour on a mat. However even here in Edinburgh I’ve attended classes that don’t reference the philosophy or include pranayama (conscious breathing) I’m passionate about teaching yoga in it’s true form. Once we begin to practice yoga outside of a class, it pervades into our day to day lives.

 The word yoga is often translated literally from its root yuj as union, joining together. When teaching I often describe it as the mind, breath and body working together as one. However, in everyday life, my interpretation is connection. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras are a guide for yoga practitioners. The yamas (moral restraints) and the niyamas (inner attitudes) are often quoted as two of the more accessible limbs of the eight Patanjali tells us about. Cultivating kindness, honesty, not taking advantage of others, maintaining priorities, letting go of expectations or prejudices in relationships, self-care, contentment with what we have, discipline, self-enquiry, surrendering to the unknown and trusting in the process of life. Applying these to our everyday lives and interactions with others would enable us all to see each other as equal, as the same race, having the same Self.

 I was recently invited into a beautiful group called Yogi’s of Colour. One very specific element of the discussion has been the lack of yoga teachers of colour teaching in studios. I put a call to action out on all my social media a few weeks ago, asking those who use images to advertise and promote yoga to think more inclusively. The lack of images of people of all colours, races and ethnicities has led to #whitewellness  This includes gyms, the plethora of exercise classes out there as well as the health & beauty industry. If people of colour are not represented in imagery, it’s a clear message to them that they are not welcome. Health and wellness has been highlighted once again as a race issue, through COVID-19. There is clear evidence that black and minority ethnic groups are at higher risk of dying from COVID-19 than the rest of the population though that risk may not be the same for all ethnic groups. 

 As COVID-19 brought the world to a standstill and an understanding that we were all in this together, George Floyd has highlighted institutional, structural, interpersonal and internalised racism and how inequality still divides us. This is being felt globally however do we all understand that it is not up to people of colour to educate others? Some are at the summit of the mountain and others have a long way to climb. Books like Superior by Angela Saini , Me and the White Supremacy by Layla Saad and Robin DiAngelo and White Fragility by Robin Di’Angelo are wonderful resources to access to self-educate. There are so many engaged in the discussion now, I think this time it will not fade or fall by the wayside. It’s going to take a lot of work for us all to connect and understand we are one. One human race.

 I’ve grown to love Edinburgh particularly in August during the festival and have always felt welcome here. However, over the last 5 years my desire to get back to London has grown stronger and stronger. My three boys couldn’t be more disapproving as they exclaim it’s too busy and polluted.  I now know it’s not just about going ‘home’ it is very much a feeling of identity. Simply being in the majority, not the minority.

This quote from Angela Saini’s book Superior struck a chord with me:

‘That desire to belong is powerful, I know. I was raised between cultures, and there’s nothing quite so disruptive to your sense of belonging as not fully belonging anywhere, as being brown when everyone else is white in a place that notices these things.’

There is no excuse now to be out of your depth in this discussion. There will always be those who will shy away from it or don’t want to engage in it. It is going to be uncomfortable but isn’t everything we feel ignorant about uncomfortable? Yoga can help support us sitting with and acknowledging discomfort. It’s not about judgement, it’s about acceptance and moving forwards. We all need to listen but we also all need to do our own learning. This is something I am working on; looking at my unconscious bias and how racially conscious I have been throughout my life. Others cannot be expected to do it for us. In yoga, we call this Svadhyaya: self-enquiry, self-study, learning. Let’s remember People of Colour are the global majority not the minority