The Yoga of Menopause

When most people hear the word yoga, they think of postures (asanas) and saying the mantra "om". In reality, similar to Buddhism, yoga has an eightfold path with characterisitics that apply to most situations. I have been treating women with menopause for close to 14 years and there is no good answer. I have come to discover, that like yoga, maybe menopause care alos has an eightfold path. In this post I wanted to open a discussion as to the yoga of menopause, and I would like to hear from readers, their experience with any of the eight characterisitics.

YAMA (How you treat others in the world around you).

The yama of menopause would also potentially include, how you treat yourself. Be easy on yourslef and do not treat yourself as though you are a broken machine. Menopause is natural. Do not cheat on giving youself time for healing. Many women with menopause are also having issues with libido. The practice of yama would give you the ability to look at your situation as a couple and not just the individual. Most women with libido issues feel this problem is simply theirs, when in reality, there is a strained relationship.

NIYAMA (Inner discipline and responsibility).

Basically, treat your body like a temple. Eat many multicolored frutis and vegetables and exercise your body regularly. Try to be aware of something Divine other than yourself, or something that is in control outside of your body. Surrender is the most difficult and yet, the most productive spiritual course any of us can follow. Educate yourself on the menopausal change from hormones, herbal preparations, and body therapies to meditation and other movement practices.

ASANA (Yoga)

This is the yoga practice that we Westerners see in strip malls. Yoga asanas are less for staying fit and more for preparing the body for meditation. If you can control your body then would you not be able to control your menopausal symtpoms. Personally, I am a fan of Bikram Yoga, or hot yoga. Rather than fearing the heat and the hot flash, attack it and make it part of your life. Practicing Bikram or hot yoga would give you the ability to embrace the heat and make it your own.

PRANAYAMA (Control of the breath)

Focus on your breath. Notice that you breath. Focusing on your breath removes external distraction. Are you constantly distracted by your medical condition. I would challenge you to focus on your breath the next time a hot flash ensues. Try not to think about anything but your breath. Cleanse yourself with claen refreshing air and nothing else.

PRATYAHARA (Withdrawl of the senses)

Are you easily bothered by an itch on your nose, or can you smell popcorn at the office from yesterday. Are you constantly focusing your senses outward into the world around you. The practice of pratyahara occurs when one is meditating. The next time you have that mood swing or hot flash and can sit and focus on your breath try to withdraw the sense of heat from your body. Try to detach from it. The symtpom of menopause is temporary and simply a dream from which you can awaken.

DHARANA (Concentration)

The goal is to still the mind — gently pushing away superfluous thoughts — by fixing your mind on some object such as a candle flame, a flower, or a mantra. In dharana, concentration is effortless. You know the mind is concentrating when there is no sense of time passing. I realize that this is extremely difficult to do when something is annoying you, but, with time this is no longer something you have to practice, it becomes your medication. Instead of focusing on the events that are causing you discomfort, shift you focus towards something like snow or a point on your face.

DHYANA (Uninterrupted concentration)

Uninterrupted meditation without an object is called dhyana. Concentration (dharana) leads to the state of meditation. The goal of meditation is not unconsciousness or nothingness. It is heightened awareness and oneness with the universe. How do you tell the difference between concentration and meditation? If there is awareness of distraction, you are only concentrating and not meditating. The calm achieved in meditation spills over into all aspects of your life — during a hectic day at work, shopping for groceries, or focusing on the distractions of menopause.

SAMADHI (Bliss)

Can a woman suffering menopause have samadhi? Well of course she can. Much of the problem in this Western culture is the fact that we try to achieve samadhi with with medication or hormone replacement. There is nothing wrong with hormone replacement therapy, but it is a fals god. To achieve samadhi is to conquer menopause's control over you and to become one with the universe. Obviously, this is goal and the most difficult portion to achieve.

The eight limbs work together: The first five steps — yama, niyama asana, pranayama, and pratyahara — are the preliminaries of yoga and build the foundation for spiritual life. They are concerned with the body and the brain. The last three, which would not be possible without the previous steps, are concerned with reconditioning the mind. They will help you attain enlightenment (symptom relief) or the full realization of oneness with Spirit. Enlightenment lasts forever, while relief from taking a pill can disappear by letting your prescription expire.