28
may/june 2018yogajournal.com.auThe empowering
discoveries of
menopause and
peri-menopause.
PHOTO: ALVAREZ/ ISTOCKPHOTO.COMTHE SHIFTS WE EXPERIENCE as women
leading up to and during menopause
can be deeply challenging. In a society
which over-values the gifts of youth, we
have to find a new way to thrive in theworld as we navigate these changes. The
physical symptoms can be hard enough,
but combined with tumultuous
emotions around our experiences, these
can be challenging times indeed.
Happily, there is much in the treasure
box of yoga to carry us through.
Pratipaksha Bhavanam is a technique
meaning ‘cultivating the opposite’.
Reframing how we view these years can
offer profound help by altering our
perceptions of menopause; instead of
fearing it, we can choose an expansive
sense of ripening, as we embrace our
evolution and step into the full
expression of our feminine power. This
is a time to connect with our intuition
through practices such as Yoga Nidra,Times
Ever-Changing
By Becky Pell
Becky Pell is a Yoga Australia
registered Yoga Therapist
who lives in Queensland.
Her passion is helping her clients
build a yoga toolkit to make their lives a
better place to be.journaling and meditation, and to listen
to the voice of our inner wise-woman as
she guides us into transformation and
growth. Viewing this as an opportunity
to meet ourselves on a deeper level
means we can face old regrets with
courage and see this as a new beginning.
Coming together with other women to
discuss our experiences—satsang—is
also a valuable way of connecting with
the deeper wisdom we share.
Whilst there are common physical
symptoms, we all react in our own way.
Some women find that a vigorous asana
practice helps them to ‘burn off’ excess
heat; others need a more restorative
practice than they have been used to.
Sitali and Sitkari are cooling pranayama
techniques which are a fantastic tool at
any time, and if ‘brain-fog’ and mood
swings are an issue, then Ujjayi breath
can help with regaining equanimity and
focus. At this time of change it can be
helpful to cultivate healthy rhythms in
our daily lives, perhaps by beginning the
day with meditation, or choosing a few
favourite yoga poses before bed.
It can also be valuable to examine
our relationship with uncertainty.
If you dislike it, this is the time to move
towards that aversion by trying new
things and observing the outcome. It
can be as tiny as choosing a different
coffee shop from usual; but by gradually
exposing ourselves to small
uncertainties, we equip ourselves to
cope with bigger ones.
The pancha koshas - five sheaths -
that describe a human in yoga
philosophy, are an empowering concept
to learn about. As the physical body
changes, it can be deeply inspiring to
understand that we are so much more
than our flesh and bones – that we are
also energy, intelligence, intuition and
spirit! As you transition to the fullest
expression of the woman you have
become, listen to that intuition and let it
be your guide!
The unfolding of menopause offers a
different kind of power, deeper and
richer than that of mere youth. And
whilst we cannot always be young, we
can always be magnificent.t