Is Yoga Good for Menopause? The Science Behind the Benefits

Yoga is scientifically proven to help reduce the physical, mental, and emotional symptoms associated with menopause and perimenopause. Recent research suggests that yoga has significant beneficial effects on menopausal symptoms such as body weight, anxiety, depression, sleep issues, and blood pressure, making it a powerful natural tool during this transitional period.

Menopause and perimenopause are marked by dramatic hormonal shifts, particularly in estrogen and progesterone levels. These changes impact the nervous system, metabolism, and emotional regulation.

Yoga offers a multi-dimensional solution:

• Yoga Poses (Asana): Eases joint pain, improves circulation, and supports metabolism.
• Breathing (Pranayama): Calms the nervous system, regulates body temperature.
• Meditation & Mindfulness: Enhances emotional resilience, reduces anxiety.

What the Research Says

A growing body of evidence supports yoga as an effective therapy for menopause:

1. A 2024 meta-analysis involving over 2,000 women found that yoga significantly reduced psychological, somatic, and urogenital symptoms of menopause, including anxiety, hot flashes, and vaginal dryness.
2. Another study showed that women practicing yoga experienced a 66% reduction in hot flash frequency over just 10 weeks.‍
3. Research also linked regular yoga to increased GABA levels in the brain—a neurotransmitter associated with reduced anxiety and improved mood.

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Understanding Menopause, Perimenopause & How Yoga Helps

Menopause is a transition that can span nearly a decade. Understanding this process is key to choosing the right self-care practices, and yoga is suitable to support women through every stage, naturally.

Perimenopause vs. Menopause: What’s The Difference?

• Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause. It can begin as early as your 40s and last up to 8 years. During this time, estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, triggering symptoms like irregular periods, anxiety, hot flashes, sleep issues, and mood swings.
• Menopause officially begins when you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period, thus marking the end of reproductive hormone cycles.

Both stages bring intense hormonal changes, but perimenopause often catches women off guard, especially since many of its symptoms overlap with stress, overwork, or aging.

How Does Yoga for Perimenopause & Menopause Work?

Yoga is more than just a form of exercise. It offers an integrated approach that brings measurable relief to some of the most disruptive symptoms of menopause. The benefits of yoga aren’t confined to the mat, but extend into everyday life, easing the physical discomforts and emotional intensity that often accompany this life stage.

Here’s how a consistent yoga practice works across different menopausal symptoms:

• Hot flashes & night sweats: Cooling breaths, calming postures, and mindful meditation train your nervous system to react less intensely, helping your body regulate heat throughout the day.
• Anxiety & mood swings: Yoga cultivates mindfulness and emotional steadiness, which carries into your responses to stress, irritability, or overwhelm off the mat.
• Sleep issues & fatigue: Evening yoga rituals and breath awareness help reset your circadian rhythm, improving your sleep onset and energy the next day.
• Joint stiffness & brain fog: Movement combined with focused breath increases circulation and mental clarity, making daily tasks feel more manageable.
• Weight gain & menopause belly: Yoga reduces cortisol levels and supports metabolism, while also nurturing a more compassionate relationship with your changing body.

10 Best Yoga Poses for Menopause Symptoms

Whether you’re struggling with hot flashes, sleep issues, or stubborn weight gain around the belly, these expert-backed yoga poses can provide targeted relief: 

1. Legs Up The Wall Pose
2. Supported Child’s Pose
3. Reclining Bound Angle Pose
4. Cobra Pose
5. Bridge Pose
6. Standing Forward Fold 
7. Seated Twist
8. Cat-Cow Pose
9. Warrior II Pose
10. Supine Twist

For Hot Flashes & Night Sweats

Calming and restorative yoga poses can help relieve this symptom.

1. Legs-Up-the-Wall (Viparita Karani)

This is a great pose to cool the body, calm the nervous system, and ease insomnia.

1. Sit sideways against a wall
2. Swing your legs up as you lie back.
3. Rest arms by your sides, palms up.
4. Close your eyes and breathe slowly for 5–10 minutes.

Modifications: Place a folded blanket under the hips for support.

2. Supported Child’s Pose (Balasana)

This pose helps lower core body temperature and promotes emotional release.

1. Kneel and bring your big toes together, knees wide apart.
2. Fold forward onto a bolster or pillow. 
3. Stretch your arms forward or relax them by your side. 
4. Hold for 3–5 minutes.

Modifications: Place support under hips if needed.

3. Reclining Bound Angle (Supta Baddha Konasana)

This pose cools the body and reduces tension in the pelvic area.

1. Lie on your back, bring the soles of your feet together, and let your knees fall apart.
2. Support your knees with blocks or cushions.
3. Place one hand on the belly, the other on your heart. 
4. Breathe deeply for 5 minutes.

Modifications: Use a bolster under the spine for the heart-opening version.

For Mood Swings, Anxiety & Emotional Imbalance

The following yoga poses help manage mood shifts and restore emotional calm.

4. Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

This pose opens the heart, boosts energy, and supports adrenal health.

1. Lie on your stomach, hands under your shoulders, elbows close in.
2. Inhale to lift chest, keeping pelvis grounded.
3. Hold for 5 breaths. 
4. Repeat 2–3 times.

Modifications: Keep arms bent for lower lift.

5. Bridge Pose (Setu Bandhasana)

Bridge Pose stimulates the thyroid, regulates hormones, and elevates mood.

1. Lie on your back, bend your knees, feet hip-width apart.
2. Press into your feet, lift the hips, and clasp hands under your back.
3. Hold for 5–8 breaths. 
4. Repeat 2 times.

Modifications: Place a block under the sacrum for the supported version.

6. Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana)

This pose calms the mind, releases tension, and enhances introspection.

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart, folding forward from the hips.
2. Let your head hang and bend your knees slightly.
3. Hold for 30–60 seconds, breathing deeply.

Modifications: Rest the hands on blocks or a chair for more comfort.

For Sleep Issues & Fatigue

The following poses help regulate energy levels.

7. Gentle Seated Twist (Bharadvajasana)

This pose improves digestion, supports spinal health, and relaxes the body.

1. Sit cross-legged or on a cushion.
2. Inhale to lengthen spine, exhale to twist gently to the right.
3. Hold for 5 breaths. 
4. Switch sides and repeat.

Modifications: Sit on a block or chair for comfort.

For Menopause Belly, Weight Gain & Metabolism

Try these poses for healthy weight management.

8. Cat-Cow Pose (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)

This dynamic movement activates the core, stimulates digestion, and increases circulation.

1. Come to the all-fours position (hands and knees), wrists under shoulders.
2. Inhale: arch back (Cow). 
3. Exhale: round spine (Cat).
4. Repeat for 1–2 minutes with steady breath.

Modifications: Place padding under knees.

9. Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II)

This pose helps build strength, enhances stamina, and boosts metabolic activity.

1. Step feet wide apart, turn the right foot out, and bend the right knee.
2. Extend arms parallel to the floor, gaze over the right hand.
3. Hold for 30 seconds per side, repeat twice.

Modifications: Shorten stance for joint comfort.

Restorative Full-Body Integration

Bring your practice together by resting in this calming pose.

10. Supine Twist (Supta Matsyendrasana)

This pose relieves spinal tension, supports digestion, and calms the body.

1. Lie on your back, hug your knees to your chest.
2. Drop the knees to one side, and extend the opposite arm.
3. Hold 1–2 minutes per side, breathe deeply.

Modifications: Place a pillow under the knees.

Aim to practice 3–5 of these poses daily, depending on your symptoms. 

Breathing Techniques (Pranayama) for Menopause

Breathing exercises (pranayama) help manage the intense emotional and physical shifts of menopause. In fact, studies have found that paced breathing at 6–8 breaths per minute helped significantly reduce the frequency and severity of hot flashes.

The following breathing techniques form the foundation of somatic yoga for menopause, helping to regulate your nervous system, calm your mind, and cool your body from the inside out:

1. Three-Part Breath 
2. Alternate Nostril Breathing 
3. Cooling Breath

1. Three-Part Breath (Dirga Pranayama)

This exercise is great for stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones like cortisol.

1. Sit or lie down comfortably.
2. Inhale slowly into your belly, then ribs, then chest.
3. Exhale in reverse: chest, ribs, belly.
4. Repeat for 2–3 minutes. 

2. Alternate Nostril Breathing (Nadi Shodhana)

This breathing technique is good for hormone balance, mood swings, and sleep issues. It balances the left/right brain and calms the endocrine system. 

1. Use your right thumb to close your right nostril.
2. Inhale through the left nostril.
3. Close the left nostril with your ring finger, exhale through the right.
4. Inhale through the right, exhale through the left.
5. Repeat for 5–8 rounds.

3. Cooling Breath (Sheetali Pranayama)

This is great for hot flashes, night sweats, and overheating. It reduces core body temperature and soothes internal heat spikes.

1. Curl your tongue into a straw shape (or purse your lips if your tongue won’t curl).
2. Inhale through the tongue/lips.
3. Exhale through the nose.
4. Practice for 2–3 minutes.

Aim to practice breathing techniques before bed or during symptom flare-ups.

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Creating Your Menopause Yoga Routine

Whether you're in perimenopause or postmenopause, a consistent yoga routine can help smooth hormonal turbulence, ease daily discomforts, and improve overall quality of life.

Here’s how to build a sustainable, symptom-targeted practice.

How often should I practice yoga for menopause and perimenopause?

Aim for 3–4 sessions per week to experience meaningful relief from symptoms. Even short, focused sessions of 10–15 minutes can be highly effective, especially when practiced consistently.

Your routine should be flexible. Some days you may need energizing movement; other days, deep rest. Listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

The key is to listen to your body. Symptoms can fluctuate daily, and your routine should be flexible enough to adapt.

Yoga for Menopause: Safety Considerations 

Yoga for menopause is generally safe and gentle. However, every woman’s body is different, and certain conditions require extra care. Honoring your body’s signals is essential for getting the benefits without overexertion or injury.

Consult your doctor or a qualified yoga therapist if you have:

• Severe osteoporosis or a history of fractures
• Uncontrolled high blood pressure
• Recent surgeries (especially abdominal or spinal)
• Joint replacements or balance issues

Always skip or modify any pose that causes discomfort, dizziness, or fatigue.

Watch for red flags that suggest you may need a gentler approach:

• Persistent pain during or after practice
• Worsening fatigue or disrupted sleep patterns
• Unusual emotional distress or anxiety following sessions

Listening to your body is key. Menopause is not the time to push through pain, but to support your body with compassion and awareness.

Personalized instruction can make a big difference, especially for menopausal bodies that require adjustments based on symptoms, energy levels, and underlying health conditions.

At MyYogaTeacher, our certified instructors specialize in women’s hormonal health and focus on building safe, effective routines for every stage of menopause.