From my personal experience I found the symptoms of menopause were mild and manageable. I had been practicing Yoga regularly for 10 years before reaching this time of life and was fully established in the practise of asanas, pranayama and meditation. I understand that I was the fortunate one and there is real suffering for many women at this time including bouts of depression, hot flushes, fatigue, night sweats and anxiety. Your yoga practice during menopause is an empowering life tool for you to focus on the positive to manage and control menopausal symptoms. Think of your symptoms as a burning of old energies to make way for the new, a tapas, an inner purification process.

Make positive lifestyle changes and give yourself the gift of a regular balanced yoga routine as a holistic approach to achieve physical, mental, social and spiritual health.
During menopause the Yoga postures assist in maintaining inner balance, building strength, flexibility, self confidence and boosting energy levels in the following ways:

YOGA ASANAS

ENDOCRINE SYSTEM

During menopause changes are experienced in the body when the ovaries stop producing eggs and there are altered levels of oestrogen and progesterone. This process takes place over many years in which time physical, mental and emotional symptoms may be experienced as a result of hormonal fluctuations.
Therefore, it is important to understand the working of your body to avoid unnecessary fear, anxiety and stress during this time.
During menopause the pituitary gland produces greater amounts of the hormones FSH and LH and the larger amounts is what is thought to produce hot flushes. A sluggish thyroid gland causes fatigue another symptom of menopause. The adrenal glands produce muscle tone and are a major source of post-menopausal oestrogen, essential for maintaining healthy bones. The thymus gland located close to the heart is important for the immune system and in aging may become retarded. The pancreas secretes glucagon’s, somatostatin and insulin, which raises or lowers glucose levels in the body. Women who experience fatigue may have an imbalance in the blood sugar level.
The asanas that tone and maintain the endocrine glands and the nervous system that communicates with these glands, include forward and back bending, twisting, sideways bending and inverted postures.
Examples of these Asanas are:

Tadasana, Marjari Asana, Bhujangasana, Shashankasana, Skandharasana Paschimottanasana, Yoga Mudra, Shalabhasana, Dhanurasana, Trikonasana, Viparita Karani Mudra, Ardha Matsyendrasana, Suptavajrasana, Halasana, Ushtrasana.

WEIGHT BEARING PRACTICES

Weight bearing postures improve muscle mass and bone density. Other physical indicators associated with ageing, such as declining base metabolic rate, lowered aerobic capacity, increase in blood pressure, changed ratio of healthy to unhealthy cholesterol in the body and altered proportion of fat to muscle, also respond positively to weight bearing postures.
Osteoporosis is more predominant in menopause because of hormonal changes. Therefore preventative practice is very important. Asanas which are weight bearing can provide the answer:
Marjari, Tadasana, Vyaghrasana, Naukasana, Dwikonasana, Viparita Karani Mudra, Sarvangasana, Sumeru Asana, Virasana
All balancing postures are weight bearing and give the added benefit of increasing the ability to concentrate, balancing the nervous system and maintaining sense of balance and stability both physically and mentally:

Hansasana, Ekpada Utthanasan, Garudasana, Padangushthasana, Ekapada Pranamasana.

DYNAMIC ASANAS

These postures address issues, which arise from a sedentary lifestyle to stimulate and tone all the systems of the body – cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, digestive, circulatory and hormonal systems. They involve energetic movements, stretching and strengthening the muscles and joints, encouraging deep breathing, stimulating the vital life energy (Prana) to flow freely.
Recommended dynamic series of asanas:

Khatu Pranam (Salute to Khatu) and Suryaya Namaha (Salute to the Sun).

PRANAYAMA

The science of control of the vital life energy through the breath resolves blockages in the body, strengthens the functions of the heart and lungs, brings balance and calmness to the mind, reduces anxieties and prepares the mind for meditation. I found the practice of Sheetali pranayama useful in times of hot flushes. To practise this extend the tongue and use the tongue muscles to turn up the sides so the tongue forms a tube, breath in through the tube and breath out through the nostrils. The incoming air is cooled and this air cools the mouth, throat and the blood vessels throughout the lungs and gradually eliminates excess body heat.

MEDITATION

Yoga In Daily Life’s Self Enquiry Meditations provide a means of confronting fears and anxieties that might accentuate physical and mental distress, giving clarity and inspiration, the ability to know yourself, and the vision to work on the positive. The Meditation practice is especially beneficial when you are finding it difficult to sleep as the mind becomes clear and calm and the body relaxed.