By Mandeep Kaur, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher
Yoga for menopause can offer real relief during one of the most physically and emotionally demanding transitions in a woman’s life. If you’re over 40 and navigating hot flashes, disrupted sleep, mood swings, or anxiety, a dedicated menopause yoga practice combining targeted asanas (postures) and pranayama (breathwork) can help regulate your nervous system, ease symptoms, and restore a sense of calm and control.
According to Mandeep Kaur, a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher, “For women in their 40s and beyond, yoga can be a deeply supportive practice as the body moves through hormonal shifts, changing energy levels, and evolving mobility. Being 43 myself and navigating this stage firsthand, here are the postures and breathing practices I personally practice and recommend.”
Yoga for Menopause: Asanas by Mandeep Kaur
Titali Asana (Butterfly Pose): Sit with the soles of the feet together, knees out to the sides. Hold your feet and gently flap the knees up and down like butterfly wings. This gently opens the hips, improves pelvic circulation, and releases tension around the hips.
Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose): From the same seated position as above, hold the feet, lengthen the spine, and stay still for several breaths instead of moving. This builds hip and pelvic mobility and can ease menstrual discomfort.
Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclined Bound Angle): Lie back from Baddha Konasana, supporting the knees and back with cushions. Rest here with eyes closed for 5–10 minutes. This restorative shape calms the nervous system and eases PMS-related tension.
Chakki Chalanasana (Churning the Mill): Sit with legs extended, clasp the hands, and rotate the torso in a wide circular motion as if churning a mill—one direction, then the other. This mobilises the hips, pelvis, and spine while stimulating abdominal circulation.
Malasana (Garland Pose): Squat with feet slightly wider than hips, palms together at the heart, elbows pressing gently against the inner knees. Hold for several breaths. This opens the hips and pelvis and supports circulation to the pelvic organs.
Setu Bandhasana (Bridge Pose): Lie on your back, knees bent, feet hip-width apart. Press into the feet and lift the hips, clasping hands beneath you if comfortable. This gentle backbend opens the chest, deepens breathing, and regulates the nervous system.
Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose): Lie on your stomach, hands under the shoulders. Press up gently, lifting the chest while keeping the lower ribs grounded. This opens the chest and abdomen and is traditionally linked to stimulating the thyroid and adrenal glands.
Supported Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand): With support under the shoulders, lift the legs and hips overhead, resting the weight on the shoulders, not the neck. Because of the position of the throat, it is traditionally associated with the thyroid. Practice mindfully; it is not a treatment for thyroid disorders.
Pranayama Practices
Sheetali Pranayama (Cooling Breath): Curl the tongue (or purse the lips), inhale slowly through the mouth, and then exhale through the nose. This naturally cools the body and can soothe hot flashes.
Diaphragmatic Breathing: Sit or lie comfortably, one hand on the heart, one on the belly. Close your eyes and breathe slowly, feeling the belly rise and fall. This simple pause reconnects you with your body and calms the nervous system.
For me, graceful ageing isn’t about fighting the changes happening in our bodies—it’s about learning to listen, adapt, and support the body through every stage of life, keeping it mobile, strong, and nourished, while also giving it rest, softness, and care.
About the Author
Mandeep Kaur is a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher and Life Coach specializing in women’s hormonal health. She helps women navigate perimenopause and menopause through mindful movement and breathwork. At 43, she draws on her own lived experience alongside her professional training. Her approach favors listening to the body over fighting its changes. She encourages strength, mobility, and rest in equal measure — at every stage of life.