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Writer's pictureNicky Dye
Oct 153 min read

Breathwork for Menopause

Updated: Nov 11




There are many different breathing techniques, which are useful during the menopause transition.  Our breath is directly connected to our heart rate and nervous system state.  Human beings are unusual in that we can consciously control our breath and thereby regulate our emotional and physical states.


Breathing difficulties may increase through the menopause transition.  Hormonal fluctuations in perimenopause and extended periods of high progesterone in menopause can lead to shortness of breath, reduced exercise tolerance and fatigue, and sleep-disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea.


You can use your breath to feel calmer, more energised, more focused, more sleepy and to ease menopausal symptoms.


The earlier you are aware of sensations and changes in the breath, the sooner you can act to reduce those symptoms in frequency and duration. To begin, I recommend noticing the quality of your breath, so that you can be more conscious of physical sensations and emotional states that rise up due to hormonal fluctuations in menopause.  Is it fast or slow, deep or shallow, smooth or jagged?  The more you befriend your breath and become aware of its natural fluctuations, the easier it is to consciously return to a calmer state.


Here are some ways you can use your breath to ease menopausal symptoms.


For stress and hot flushes, try Belly Breathing, (also known as Diaphragmatic Breath), allowing the belly to rise and expand as you breathe in and draw back and contract as you breath out.  As you do so, the belly relaxes, which then creates more space for the diaphragm to lower and space for the lungs to expand more fully.  You’re no longer holding on to tension in the body.


For rage and irritability, I like Lion’s Breath; scrunch up your face and fists as you inhale, then stick out your tongue, open your eyes and fingers wide and roar “HA” out!  You’ve just stretched your face muscles, relaxed the lower jaw and let some steam out.


Culturally, women can feel uneasy about expressing anger and what we need to say is less likely to be heard if we are verbally aggressive.  However, if we do 5-10 rounds of Lion’s Breath first, we can proceed with a more productive conversation and we also avoid any shame from upsetting others.


Emotions can ride high or appear out of nowhere from 0 to 100 during menopause.  This gentle “ujjayi” technique is useful for anxiety, overwhelm, insomnia, fatigue, and brain fog; inhale through the nose, exhale with a soft haaaa sound to self soothe; picture a gentle wave lapping the shore and drawing back to the ocean.


As anxious thoughts are manifested as nervous energy in the physical body, I would recommend moving the body with the breath to release tension, such as through Yoga, Tai Chi or Qigong, which focus on breath body connection. It is hard to go straight to a sense of calm, and the last thing you need is to feel stuck in an introspective forward fold feeling really agitated!


Bhastrika breath has been shown in a 2020 study to meet this excess energy. Anxiety is an emotion that is somehow frozen, and bhastrika helps to shift it into something else, into flow. I would recommend trying bhastrika with an experienced yoga teacher (you can find a Yoga Medicine teacher near you on their website) so that they can closely manage your response to this stimulating breathing technique and follow on with relaxation techniques.


Good luck and let me know how you get on.


*****

Claygate Yoga Clinic offers 6 and 12 week Health Support Programmes, which may include yoga, mindfulness and meditation, lifestyle advice, trauma and tension release (TRE), massage and sleep therapy.  We’re here to help you feel happier and healthier. Schedule a call with Nicky and we'll take it from there.



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