Ask the experts: Can yoga help my mother deal with menopause better?

I have been asked about what yoga asanas should be done by women who are reaching menopause. Well, the first thing to remember is that starting yoga or any form of exercise is completely dependent on how active you have been in the past and whether you have any other medical problems.

If you have never exercised before, then the first thing you must do is warm up your body and start with gentle movements. You can take your doctor’s guidance on this.

When you start yoga for the first time you should start with simple asanas that novices can do without the risk of injuries. Here are some simple asanas which can be done by most menopausal women:

1. Sukhasana

Though this asana appears simple, it has the following benefits

• Calms the brain
• Strengthens the back
• Stretches the knees and ankles
• Improves breathing and lowers blood pressure.
• Helps improve concentration and fight depression.

2. Badhakonasana

This asana, also known as the butterfly pose, has the following benefits:

• Improves flexibility around the hip, thigh, and groin.
• Simple to perform and can be done by almost anyone
• Helps in digestion, and working of the intestines and bowels

3. Tadasana

Also called the Mountain Pose, this asana is easy to do, but has a multitude of benefits:

*It helps improves posture and balance
*It strengthens legs and abdominal muscles
*It also improves digestion

4. Katichakrasana

This asana is also called standing spinal twist, and has the following benefits:

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• It improves the flexibility of your spine and waist, abdominal muscles and lower back
• Improves mobility of the neck and helps in strengthening arms and legs
• It helps relieve constipation

5. Trikonasana

Also called the triangle pose, this is a simple but very useful asana

• Good for the neck and reduces stiffness in the neck, shoulders and knees
• Strengthens the ankles and tones the ligaments of the arms and legs
• It helps energise the nervous system by strengthening the muscles and ligaments
• It is also believed to help easy depression symptoms

6. Shishuasana

Commonly known as the child pose, it has the following benefits:

• It helps to improve breathing and improve circulation to the lungs
• It stretches and strengthens muscle of hips, thighs, and ankles
• It is believed to relieve stress and fatigue.
• It improves blood circulation.
• It can relieve backache, unless you have a spine problem
• It relieves constipation

7. Bhujangasana

Aka the cobra pose, it can do the following things for you:

• It stretches muscles in the chest, shoulders, spine and abdominal muscles
• It strengthens the arms and shoulders
• It is good for the hip regions and tones up the muscles of the buttocks the buttocks
• It stimulates abdominal organs
• It increases flexibility
• It improves heart & lung health. (Check with your doctor before doing it)
• It reduces stress and fatigue
• It improves digestion
• It improves circulation and oxygenation

8. Pawanmuktasana

You may know it as the wind relieving pose, but it does more than relieve you to trapped gas:

• This asana strengthens the abdominal muscles
• It massages the intestines and internal organs of the digestive system
• It helps release trapped gases and improves digestion
• It also helps strengthen the back muscles and the muscles of the arms and the legs