Restorative Queen Reclined Supported Cobbler Pose (Rani Supta Baddha Konasana)

For cooling sizzling flushes/ flashes.

Advantages:

This pose might relieve belly muscle cramps brought on by menstruation and should really feel cooling and calming for warm flushes. It additionally encourages a way of bodily and emotional opening, an perspective of enjoyable and letting go, which is necessary in perimenopause. Please bear in mind, although, that this can be a supported leisure pose and not a yin stretch. The intention of a restorative pose is to not obtain a deep muscle stretch; the intention is to help your physique able of ease (sattva).

Irritation in menopause can have an effect on your joints and connective tissues (together with frozen shoulder, hips, lumber backbone, sacroiliac joint and knees). Deal with your self like a queen utilizing as many props (cushions, pillows, bolsters, and so forth.) as you could have accessible. Pay particular consideration to supporting your head and neck with a folded blanket. This ‘head nest’ stops it from rolling to the facet so you’ll be able to totally calm down.

Earlier than you agree into this pose, set a timer for 15-20 minutes in order that your thoughts isn’t worrying concerning the time. (It takes a minimal of 10 minutes to totally calm down your nervous system.)

Props:

1–2 bolsters or 2 agency pillows; 1–2 yoga bricks, 2–4 yoga blocks or cushions; 2–4 blankets. Elective: eye bag or masks, blanket to fold over physique.

1. Place the bolster(s) or 2 agency pillows lengthways in your mat (or mattress). 2. Elevate the highest finish with a yoga block, bricks or cushion beneath and alter to a snug peak.
2. Fold one blanket right into a rectangle form and lay it alongside the bolster,both facet of your mat to help your knees, hips and forearms. Relying on the thickness of your bolster and the curve in your decrease again (lumber backbone) you could want so as to add one other rolled up blanket or towel on the finish of the bolster. Fold a blanket on the prime of your bolster to help your neck and head.

Coming in:

1. Sit your tailbone on the decrease a part of the blanket, after which lay your backbone alongside the bolster.
2. Open your knees with the soles of your ft touching one another. Squish the props beneath your thighs to help your hips.
3. Relaxation your forearms on the props, along with your arms greater than your elbows so there isn’t any discomfort in your shoulders, particularly if in case you have frozen shoulder and irritation.
4. Fold the blanket underneath your neck and head in order that your brow is greater than your chin.
5. Choice to position a watch bag or masks over your eyes or brow to melt the sunshine and permit your eyes to relaxation.

Tip: In case your thoughts is energetic and you discover it tough to settle, hearken to certainly one of my yoga nidra recordings. If you’re having sizzling flushes within the pose, repeat my ‘sizzling flush wave’ affirmation in your thoughts as you practise ocean breath.

Affirmation:

The is only a sizzling flush,

It is not going to final,

I let it movement by me,

It’s going to go.

Modification for menstrual bleeding:

If this broad knee pose feels susceptible, you’ll be able to both scale back the ‘hip opening’ by including extra props to help underneath your legs, or swap for a restorative side-lying pose (savasana).

Modification for trauma and vulnerability: Place a rectangular-folded blanket alongside the centre of your physique and pelvis and canopy your ft. The blanket weight can really feel calming and comforting.

Popping out:

1. Use your arms to help your legs up and permit your knees to the touch, separating the ft broad. It is a mild counterpose for the hips.
2. After a number of breaths, sway your knees facet to facet gently in windshield wiper twist pose (supta parivrtta sucirandhrasana), and roll over on to 1 facet of your physique to slowly come as much as a seated place.

Goddess Excessive Squat Pose (Utkata Konasana)

This pose is a part of a yang-yin yoga sequence designed to launch emotional stress and cortisols brought on by elevated stress. The intention is to channel this vitality as a substitute of permitting it to blow up, which can hurt others) or implode which might be dangerous to you. By harnessing our goddess vitality at this stage of life, we learn to step into our energy and use it in a extra directed and calm method. Menopause is an awakening and alternative to step into our management function in life.

1. Stand with the ft broad, toes turned out, heels turned in.
2. Bend your knees  so your kneecaps observe above your 2nd toe. Examine your arches are lifted and never collapsing.
3. Inhale, straighten your legs and lift your arms.
4. Exhale, bend your knees right into a squat once more and bend your elbows.

Choice: Add lion’s breath (simhasana pranayama) to launch anger or emotional stress.

Modification:

Sit on the sting of a chair for extra hip and knee help.

Thoughts Meets the Breath

This seated meditation with breathwork can calm an anxious thoughts and really feel grounding in simply 3-5 minutes. Strive it with a cork brick or a weighted eye bag. I don’t advise you utilize a picket brick and anybody with osteoporosis ought to keep away from a heavy weight which will compress the backbone.

1. Sit comfortably along with your backbone upright and your stomach relaxed with the intention to breathe simply. Sitting towards a wall or a straight-backed chair can help your again.
2. Steadiness a cork brick on the crown of your head (a picket brick is just too heavy and should slip; a foam block is just too mild). Alternatively, place a low- weight eye bag on the crown of your head. It is a marma level and the mild strain can really feel calming.
3. Relaxation your arms in your legs with palms down, which feels grounding. Shut your eyes for those who really feel comfy doing so.
4. Focus in your breath, respiration slowly and steadily in order that your inhalation and exhalation are of equal size. The intention is to sluggish your breath down however with out holding your breath. This isn’t a breath retention (khumbaka) train. Keep right here for 3–5 minutes and rely what number of rounds of breath you took on this time.
5. To come back out of the pose, slowly increase one hand in the direction of your head, transferring in sluggish movement – quick motion will disturb your nervous system. Contact the brick or eye bag and raise it off your head, pausing for a number of breaths to look at how this feels. Then slowly decrease the brick or eye bag out of your head, preserving your eyes closed, and relaxation it on the bottom, making no sound because it touches the ground.

Popping out:

1. Relaxation each arms in your legs and sit quietly for a couple of minutes. Discover if the psychological exercise in your thoughts has slowed down or for those who really feel calmer and extra at peace. This pose prepares us for a deeper meditation prac- tice, so you could select to remain longer.
2. Once you come out of this pose, slowly flutter your eyes open, preserving your gaze gentle and low so that you just slowly obtain the sunshine and sight of the surface world.

Modifications and Contraindications:

Contraindicated if in case you have migraine complications or sizzling flushes and osteoporosis. As an alternative weighted eye pillow as a substitute of a brick. Sit on a chair for knee consolation. You may as well follow this with out the burden in your head and possibly only a flannel. The impact wont be as dramatic however the mild contact on the crown chakra/ acupressure and marma level should still be efficient.

Restorative Raised Legs on Chair (Modified Viparita Karani)

Advantages: Refreshes fatigue, reduces stress, might ease digestive points. You’ll be able to keep longer on this pose as a result of it’s much less prone to trigger leg numbing or discomfort.

Props: 1 blanket or pillow.

4. Convey your mat to a chair. (You may as well practise this pose in your mattress along with your legs supported by pillows.)
5. Absolutely open out a blanket on the mat in order that it’s flat and has no wrinkles. That is for heat and decrease again consolation.
6. Decrease your self sideways to the mat in order that your pelvis is near the chair. Choice to relaxation your pelvis on a cushion.
7. Relaxation your legs onto a chair (couch or mattress) along with your knees bent. Make certain the backs of your knees are supported by folding a blanket over the sting for consolation.
8. Fold one other blanket underneath your head and neck.Place your arms in your stomach, out to the facet or wrap your arms with the additional blanket for heat. Choice to position a weighted eye bag in your brow or eyes, or a shawl for those who put on contact lenses.
9. Keep within the pose for 15–20 minutes

Popping out:

1. Watch out to not rush. Bend your knees.
2. Roll to 1 facet and relaxation for a minute earlier than sitting up.

Modification for those who really feel agitated or too sizzling: The sense withdrawal model of this pose includes the blanket tucked round your head and into your shoulders to chop out exterior sounds and stimulation. Take away the blanket, however keep within the pose with legs raised.

Meno-Warrior Chair Pose Aquats (Modified Utkatasana), with a brick

1. Stand along with your ft hip distance aside and place a brick between your mid thighs.
2. Bendyourkneesasifsittingbackintoachair.Squeezetheblockto interact your leg muscular tissues. This additionally prevents your knees from dropping inwards and takes strain away from the decrease again.
3. Attain your arms ahead in your inhalation.
4. As you exhale,bend your elbows and draw them again in the direction of your ribs,
   stand upright and squeeze your glutes.
5. Repeat 3 rounds of 10 chair squats.

Rookies: Sit on the sting of a chair and arise 10 occasions with out utilizing your arms to raise you.