Yoga reduced my menopause symptoms! See my video about it.

Menopause symptoms and yoga: the short answer

Menopause symptoms are different for every woman. Common ones are hot flushes, poor sleep, low mood and tiredness. Many women find gentle, restful yoga helps them feel calmer and steadier. Here is my own story, as a Senior Iyengar Yoga Teacher, and the yoga poses I teach. Wondering how long it all lasts? See how long does menopause last for the three stages and the real timelines.

• My story: I started yoga at 40 and noticed no menopause symptoms. Every woman is different.
• What research shows: a 2025 review of 24 trials found yoga improved overall menopause symptoms, mood, anxiety and sleep. The evidence on hot flushes is mixed.
• Poses I teach: restful poses with props, such as bound angle pose, supported bridge and legs up the wall.
• To start: your first class is free, then 12 beginner classes are $59.50. Classes are at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

Last updated: 25 October 2026. This is my own story, and every woman’s experience of menopause is different. Yoga does not prevent menopause or guarantee you will have no symptoms. What the research does show is that yoga improved overall menopause symptoms, mood, anxiety and sleep in a 2025 review of 24 trials, while the evidence on hot flushes is mixed. For the full research summary and the poses I teach, read yoga for menopause and perimenopause: what the research shows.

I didn’t start yoga until 40. Before that, I had a very conventional, but busy life. I now know that this made me a prime candidate for premenopausal symptoms, and worse.

My career started as an economics academic in Melbourne. I then put my knowledge to economic knowledge into action when my partner and I built a chain of three successful businesses.

At the peak of it all, my mother died in her early 60s, and died quickly, of bowel cancer. I was hugely upset and traumatised by it all. One impact was that I could not sleep.

Beginner yoga: first class free, then 12 classes for $59.50.

I stumbled into yoga!

I didn’t realise it then, but I was only a few years away from the end of years of difficult menstruations and the potential onset of early menopause.

Fortunately, my search for a sleep remedy led me to stumble into a very good quality yoga studio in the inner north west of Melbourne. Again, although I didn’t know it, I was strong from manual work lifting the heavy stock in the business, but as stiff as a board.

My point is that I had no alternative lifestyle background, or any flexibility. But I found yoga, and found it late, just before menopause age, when my so-called change of life was about to descend on me.

After I found yoga, I noticed no signs of menopause, hot flashes or pre-menopause symptoms. I had no hot and cold flushes either. This is my own experience, and every woman is different.

Many years later, I came to believe that the yoga and breath meditation in my life had helped me through this time.

I realise that I’m just one among billions. My teaching in this area of yoga for women has led me to studies on yoga and menopause. The research is mixed in places, and I explain it in my post on yoga for menopause.

A Senior Iyengar teacher on menopause and yoga

All yoga will help. Start with easy, beginner yoga.

My own menopause story

Of course, every woman who has been through menopause has their own unique story to tell. As we say, for better, for worse.

In the case of some women, the transition through perimenopause and menopause has been like a roller coaster ride that seemed like it would never stop.

For other women, it’s a mildly dis-orientating phase of their life.  And then there are others whose experience sits somewhere in between.

Fortunately, I had no noticeable symptoms. I believe that my yoga and pranayama (breath meditation) practice prepared me well for the next phase of my life. I’ll tell you what I do.

Women before, during and after menopause take up yoga to feel calmer, steadier and stronger.

I’ll also talk about what helps yoga work best for you.

If you already want to try yoga

I have seen yoga make a real difference to many of my students.

Research on yoga and menopause is growing.

I’ve written more about it below, including what I teach and why.

But if you’ve already decided to give yoga a try, here some easy ways to start, or re-start.

Beginner yoga: first class free, then 12 classes for $59.50, including  yoga for menopause.

NON-BEGINNER newcomers & lapsed deal: 30 days unlimited non-beginner classes for $79

Want yoga poses for menopause? See our most popular yoga passes

What is menopause? Why can it be hell?

Perimenopause and menopause are the terms used to describe the hormonal changes a woman`s body goes through to eventually settle down to no longer menstruating.

Menopause refers to when menstruation stops. There is a transition stage leading up to this time called perimenopause. During perimenopause, periods can be more frequent, heavy and or intermittent.

Most women start perimenopause somewhere in the late 40`s to early fifties. It can go on for anything from 5-10 years. (Post menopause symptoms is another issue I’ll write about in another post).

During perimenopause, major women’s hormones changes start happening which throw the hormonal system totally out of balance. At this time, the ovaries start to make less estrogen.

The pituitary gland (your major “controller” gland) takes time to accept this transition, and a whole variety of menopause symptoms develop as a woman`s body takes time to adjust to fluctuating hormone levels.

Fatigue is a major outcome of female roles

As an accredited Senior Yoga Teacher, who has taught women for many years, the most common menopause and perimenopause symptoms that I see are related to perimenopause fatigue, and ongoing lack of energy.

By the time a woman reaches perimenopausal age she is often quite exhausted. She has often been working full time, and managing a family that may be young, or with teenage children.

She also often hasn`t been able to take much time out to relax. She often feels wound up and worn out.

Your body has two nervous systems, and one of them is the one that revs you up.   It is often called “fight or flight”. And it’s busy when we feel rushed.

The exhaustion is not her fault. The “two job load” of women… at home and in the workplace… is well documented.

The exhaustion is made worse by the fact that we are all told nothing about the two major parts of our nervous system.

It’s only in recent years that western medicine has started to pay more attention to your so-called second nervous system. I’ll say more about it below.

Want yoga poses for menopause? See our most popular yoga passes

Other menopause symptoms

By this stage of life (say mid-40 onwards), a woman’s relationship may also have serious issues.

A stressful lifestyle may already have led her to feeling discomfort with her body.  This may have led to weight gain due to eating on the run, and comfort eating (via food with lots of sugar). Now she may also experience menopause weight gain.

So when she experiences hot flushes, which are a fact of perimenopause and menopausal life, they add to her feeling increasingly anxious and distressed about her life.

Hot flushes in menopause can happen any time during the day and at night.  They can cause panic and be very embarrassing when in public. At night they result in sleep deprivation, fatigue and a feeling of edginess and overall irritability. Women can also experience chills, including so-called hot and cold flashes.

 Mood changes are also common. They can range from anxiety driven depression, through to a dull distressing lethargy. It’s also often brought on by weight gain and a slower metabolism.

Vaginal dryness, lowered sex drive, and pain during intercourse, can cause further anxiety and depression, plus a lowered feeling of self-esteem. Some women feel distress because they feel less feminine as their childbearing time comes to an end.

I was fortunate to have none of these issues. Many women do, and every woman is different.

Yoga helps before and during menopause

Yoga works on the mind and on the body. It is part of looking after yourself.

Mentally, a yoga practice can help a woman find the inner reserves to shift her head space and approach. It can help a woman use this transition as a time to learn more about herself.

Yoga is a practice that makes one more mindful, more aware that every thought, and all our actions, have consequences.

For me, this mindset is an immensely powerful tool when it comes to living a healthy happy, meaningful life.

Having control over so many aspects of the way we live makes it possible to remain positive, accepting and calm, while trying to figure out what steps to take to minimise symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause.

Ideally, the yoga should also include particular postures that best address the various phases of a woman’s life transitions.

The yoga also needs to be good quality yoga that teaches you the postures well.

Calming the nervous system

Your parasympathetic nervous system is the so-called “rest and digest” system. Its role is to calm you down. Restful yoga poses and slow breathing are one way to give it some attention.

Weight bearing yoga for menopause symptoms

Many yoga poses are weight bearing, which supports strength and fitness. Restful poses and slow breathing help you unwind.

Unwinding well can help you get a good night’s sleep.

Sleep deprivation is likely to get worse with the onset of menopause. And of course, if a woman has had a family, sleep may have been a problem for decades! She is already fatigued, before any early menopause symptoms arrive.

Stress is said to play a part in hot flushes for some women. Some women find that easing stress helps.  

Many women find yoga helps them de-stress.

Want yoga poses for menopause? See our most popular yoga passes

Yoga postures for menopause

There are many yoga poses that cool, quieten and pacify the nervous system, including dealing with stress. Many women find them restful during menopause.

Some yoga poses for menopause include:

• seated bound angle pose (baddha Konasana)
• seated wide angle pose (like the first one in the pictures with this Post)
• supported wide-angle standing pose
• forward bends with head support
• supine (lying) restorative poses, such as bridge pose
• supported shoulderstand
• niralamba (a shoulderstand variation)
• supported plough pose sequences
• simple inversions like downward facing dog pose, with or without head support
• legs up the wall pose.

To show you how to do these poses, I’ve written another post on yoga for menopause. 

At Flametree, where women are maybe two-thirds of our students, it’s no accident that poses like the above are very popular.  The standard process for a yoga class is to include some of these poses towards the end of every class.

Restorative Yoga, and Gentle Yoga

Some classes, such as Restorative Yoga, focus entirely on these poses. Slow Yoga, which is also known as Gentle Yoga, can also many of these types of poses (depending who is actually in that particular class on a week to week basis).

There are also seated poses, such as seated legs wide and cobbler pose, that many women find restful during perimenopause.

Supported backbends and forward bends like janu sirsasana are other poses that many women find refreshing when they feel tired.

Flametree’s Restorative Yoga and Gentle Yoga classes give time to these types of poses. See the beginner timetable for class times.

There are also a number of breath meditation practices that are also especially helpful. These so-called pranayamas help lengthen the exhalation. Many people find this soothes them and leaves them calmer.

Want yoga poses for menopause? See our most popular yoga passes

Yoga props make the poses work even better

A yoga practice will help you accept that at times you just need to rest and recuperate.  At those times many asanas (postures) can be done with yoga props.

Props reduce the effort needed. They also help you get into the poses so you will definitely get maximum benefit of the pose.

A good teacher can demonstrate the pose, talk you through how to get into it, and give you feedback to adjust your posture to get even more from it (including via using the props).

If you have any particular health condition, a teacher (in both LIVE online or in-studio classes) will also be able to advise if you should in fact do the pose, or if you should do a particular variation of it.

Using props also means that the poses can be held for a long time, so you have time to settle. Longer holds in restful poses can leave you feeling calm and refreshed.

In sum, props help you get more from the poses.

Choosing the right kind of yoga

I stress that the yoga that suits most women at this stage is not about “jumping about” or being superwoman.

I teach women good quality yoga that gives time to restful poses and slow breathing. Many tell me they feel calmer and better over the months.

Other things I did that help menopause symptoms

Some women find that certain foods and habits make their symptoms worse.

Test what affect it has on your menopause symptoms if you cut down consuming spicy foods, fried foods, caffeine, and alcohol, as well as taking fewer hot baths and hot showers.

Take time to do the things you like.  So, honour your right to look after yourself even though you have commitments to family and friends.

Take time to sit at night, watch the sunset, and unwind before going to bed. It’s all part of looking after yourself.

Yoga can also be gentle through your monthly cycle. See our yoga for menstruation sequence.

Yoga deals to get started

Feel free to check with your professional advisers if you wish, but also give yoga a try. And try to find people you can share your experience with.

But my top advice is to try yoga, or do more yoga… good quality Iyengar yoga.

Here are 30 top quality yoga poses for menopause, & yoga sequences for menopause.

You’ll also see what to look for if you choose to do yoga classes, online or in-studio.

If at all possible, you’ll find it works even better if you are able to do our group yoga classes, online or in-studio. They provide more motivation, and a more rapid way to learn and do regular yoga.

If you have not already, check out what I teach in our Flametree’s live online, in-studio, or on-demand classes, as well as the tips on Flametree’s YouTube page.

I have seen yoga make a real difference to many of my students. Research on yoga and menopause is growing.

I also recommend that you start yoga well before the onset of even perimenopause. The earlier you start, the more time you have to learn. Some women also find it helps with their periods.

Want yoga poses for menopause? See our most popular yoga passes

Beginner yoga: first class free, then 12 classes for $59.50, including  yoga for menopause.

NON-BEGINNER newcomers & lapsed deal: 30 days unlimited non-beginner classes for $79

Menopause symptoms and yoga: your questions

What are common menopause symptoms?

Women often mention hot flushes, poor sleep, low mood, feeling anxious, joint aches and changes to their periods. Every woman is different, and some have very few symptoms.

When does perimenopause start?

For many women it starts in the late 40s to early 50s, a few years before periods stop. The timing varies from woman to woman.

Can yoga help with menopause symptoms?

A 2025 review of 24 trials found that yoga improved overall menopause symptoms. The results for hot flushes were mixed. Yoga is not a guaranteed fix, but many women feel calmer and steadier.

Does yoga prevent menopause symptoms?

No. Yoga does not prevent menopause or promise you will have no symptoms. My own experience was mild, but every woman is different.

Which yoga poses suit menopause?

Restful poses with props, such as bound angle pose, supported bridge and legs up the wall, plus slow breathing, are a good start. The list is above, and the full guide is here.

Do I need to be fit or flexible?

No. A good beginner class shows you each pose step by step, and props help you feel supported.

Is online yoga OK for menopause?

Yes. Many of our students join LIVE online classes from home. It is a simple way to try yoga for the first time.

How do I start?

Your first beginner class is free, then 12 beginner classes are $59.50. See the beginner deal or the beginner timetable.