Let’s be honest: perimenopause and menopause can feel like you’ve been dropped into a body you don’t quite recognize. So many women going through it report that they “just don’t feel like themselves anymore.” While menopause itself usually lands between ages 45 and 55, perimenopause can sneak in as early as your late 30s or early 40s, bringing with it a rollercoaster of unpleasant changes. This blog post will cover a few great yoga poses to help with these shifts and will also discuss other health matters related to the menopausal transition.
What’s Happening with Your Hormones?
As your body transitions, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to dip. Estrogen is key for things like bone health and temperature regulation, while progesterone helps you feel calm and sleep soundly. When these start fluctuating or dropping altogether, it can lead to some not-so-fun symptoms: night sweats, irritability, brain fog, disrupted sleep, and physical discomfort like joint pain or even frozen shoulder. There’s also the loss of libido to contend with, due to declining estrogen levels.
A Whole-Body Approach
Managing all of this takes more than one magic bullet solution. It’s about caring for your whole self: body, mind, and spirit. A healthy diet, good sleep, movement, and emotional support all matter. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) can be incredibly effective for many women, but not everyone wants or needs to take that route. This is where yoga really shines as a steady, supportive sidekick.
What the Research Says: Yoga Helps
Studies show that yoga can do a lot to ease the symptoms of menopause. A consistent practice helps regulate cortisol (your stress hormone), improves sleep, lifts mood, sharpens focus, and even supports bone health. For many women, a regular yoga practice can mean fewer hot flashes, better rest, and a greater sense of calm and emotional stability.
7 Gentle Yoga Poses to Support You Through Menopause
Here are seven yoga poses that can help soothe the nervous system, ease physical tension, and gently support your hormones.
1. Legs-Up-The-Wall (Viparita Karani)
This calming pose helps circulation and calms anxiety, which is perfect before bed or any time you need to decompress.
How to do it:
- Sit next to a wall, swing your legs gently upwards, and lie down on your back.
- Ensure your hips are comfortably close to the wall.
- Allow your arms to rest by your sides, palms up.
Tips:
- Place a folded blanket or bolster under your lower back for extra support.
- Stay in this pose for 5–15 minutes, focusing on slow, gentle breathing.
2. Supported Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana)
This pose gently opens your chest, reduces stress, and helps balance hormones. It’s excellent for reducing anxiety and calming the mind.
How to do it:
- Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Press gently through your feet to lift your hips, sliding a bolster or yoga block beneath your lower back.
- Relax your arms on either side comfortably.
Tips:
- Adjust the height of props to ensure comfort.
- Stay in this pose for 3–5 minutes, breathing deeply and evenly.
3. Reclined Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)
A gentle hip opener that encourages deep rest and emotional release.
How to do it:
- Lie comfortably on your back, knees bent, and feet together.
- Allow your knees to gently open to the sides.
- Support your knees with bolsters, blocks, or folded blankets to minimize strain.
Tips:
- Place one hand on your belly and the other on your heart to connect deeply with your breath.
- Stay in this calming posture for 5–10 minutes.
4. Child’s Pose (Balasana)
Your go-to for grounding and calming your mind.
How to do it:
- Begin on your hands and knees, then send the hips back.
- Spread your knees wider than your hips, keeping your big toes touching.
- Lower your torso between your knees, extending your arms forward or resting them alongside your body.
Tips:
- Use cushions or bolsters beneath your chest or forehead for extra comfort.
- Stay here, breathing softly, for 3–5 minutes.
5. Standing Forward Bend (Uttanasana)
Uttanasana helps quiet the mind, improve circulation, and shake off irritability.
How to do it:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Hinge at the hips and fold forward gently, keeping knees slightly bent.
- Allow your upper body to hang loosely, relaxing your head and neck.
Tips:
- Place hands on blocks or bend your knees generously if you feel tightness.
- Remain in this relaxing posture for 1–3 minutes, taking slow, steady breaths.
- Can be done against the wall for more stability
6. Cat-Cow Stretch (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
This stretch alleviates back stiffness and promotes spinal flexibility, easing joint pain and stiffness.
How to do it:
- Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
- Inhale as you drop your belly, lift your head and tailbone (Cow Pose).
- Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your chin, and draw your belly in (Cat Pose).
Tip: Move slowly and with intention for 1–3 minutes.
7. Eagle Arms (Garudasana Arms)
Garudasana arms targets stiffness in the upper back and shoulders, especially great if you’re experiencing frozen shoulder.
How to do it:
- Sit or stand comfortably with a tall spine.
- Cross one arm over the other at the elbows.
- Wrap your forearms and bring your palms (or backs of hands) together.
Tip: Lift the elbows and breathe into your upper back. Switch sides after a minute or two.
Let’s Talk Pelvic Health
Pelvic floor issues are another common (and often unspoken) challenge during menopause. Lower estrogen can mean weaker or tighter pelvic muscles, leading to things like incontinence, discomfort, or changes in intimacy.
The good news? Yoga helps here, too. Research shows that pelvic floor–focused yoga and breathwork can reduce urinary incontinence and improve overall function. Poses like Supported Bridge and Reclined Bound Angle, paired with gentle engagement and release of the pelvic muscles (think Mula Bandha), can increase blood flow and neuromuscular awareness.
Cardiovascular Health & Menopause
As estrogen declines during menopause, so does some of its natural protection for the heart. It’s one reason why heart disease risk increases for women after midlife. Blood pressure can rise, cholesterol levels can shift, and circulation may become less efficient.
But here’s the empowering news: yoga and breathwork are also powerful tools for supporting cardiovascular health.
- Gentle movement increases circulation and improves heart rate variability (a good thing!)
- Deep breathing practices help regulate blood pressure and lower stress-induced strain on the heart
- Poses that open the chest and improve posture can support better oxygen flow and heart function
Yoga may not replace cardio exercise, but it beautifully complements it, especially on days when you’re feeling depleted or just need to slow down.
Boosting Nitric Oxide with Breath
Here’s something you might not hear about often: nitric oxide (NO). Often referred to as the “miracle molecule,” NO is associated with cardiovascular health, helping your blood vessels relax and improving circulation. As estrogen levels fall, NO production diminishes—by as much as 50% in women over 40. This leads to symptoms like fatigue, low libido, and brain fog.
Yoga and breathwork can help boost it naturally:
- Bhramari Pranayama (Humming Bee Breath): This gentle pranayama practice increases nitric oxide in the nasal passages. Inhale through the nose, then exhale with a humming sound, like a bee. Do this 5–10 times.
Follow along with Adrienne in this video to learn Bee Breath. - Nasal breathing: Simply breathing in and out through your nose instead of your mouth throughout the day can multiply nitric oxide production.
Why does this matter? Better blood flow, calmer nervous system, and more energy.
A Final Word
While yoga doesn’t cure everything, it is proven to be an effective way to manage a host of unpleasant symptoms that come during this transition in every woman’s life.
And it offers something even more powerful: a way to meet your changing body with compassion. As your hormones shift, your energy levels may fluctuate, but through breath, movement, and presence, you can find a soulful steadiness.
This stage of life can be messy but surprisingly transformative and beautiful. Whether you’re new to yoga or returning after a break, your mat can be a safe place to land.
Remember: you don’t have to go at this alone. Consult your healthcare provider about integrating yoga and other therapies, including HRT, if it’s right for you, into your wellness plan. With a holistic approach, this next chapter of your life can be one of strength, insight, and ease.
About Kyneret:
Kyneret has been practicing and teaching yoga for over a decade, with a specialization in Yin and Restorative Yoga. She has always been intrigued by the remarkable healing powers of yoga and all the emerging scientific research that supports it. Her journey as an instructor at Modo Yoga Maple began in 2012. In November 2017, she decided to set off on a nomadic travel adventure while working remotely and has since been active within the Modo community as a blog writer. When not writing, Kyneret is fully immersed in the daily adventures of travel life and actively seeks out as many yoga experiences as possible to further her knowledge and skills.