Subscribe to the Magazine & Save

First For Women
Health

8 Yoga Poses You Can Do From Your Bed to Soothe Menopause Symptoms

By Ashley Lall

Tags:

Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia — the pains of menopause can be less than pleasant. But by incorporating a few gentle yoga postures into your nightly routine, you can find relief from even the worst of menopause symptoms. Yoga helps to regulate hormones, cool the body down, and also calm the nervous system — that means better, more restful sleep! Check out our list of yoga poses for menopause below.

  1. Yogi Squat Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Garland Pose (Yogi Squat) 

    1. Begin sitting with your legs extended straight out in front of you. 
    2. Draw both legs in so that your knees are pointing straight up and feet are planted on the bed. 
    3. On an inhale, lean forward and lift up off of your bottom, bringing your hands to meet at heart center and pressing your elbows into your thighs.  If your heels come up, you can tuck a pillow or rolled towel underneath them for support. 
    4. As you exhale, draw the belly in and press your feet down firmly while lifting the chest. Breathe here for five to 10 breaths.

  3. Sphinx Pose Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Sphinx Pose

    1. Begin lying on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. 
    2. On an inhale, press into your hands and forearms to lift your head and chest up. 
    3. On your exhale, focus on pressing the pelvis down into the bed while extending the spine forward and up. Stay here for five to 10 breaths.

  5. Bow Pose Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Bow Pose

    1. Begin lying on your stomach with your hands down by your sides. 
    2. On an exhale, bend your knees and bring your heels up toward your bottom. Keep hips-width distance between your knees.
    3. Reach back and grab a hold of your ankles with both hands. 
    4. On an inhale, pull your ankles gently to lift your chest up and back. You shouldn’t feel any pressure in your lower back. If you do, release your ankles and come out of the pose. If not, breathe here for five to 10 breaths.

  6. Bridge Pose Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Bridge Pose

    1. Begin lying on your back. 
    2. Draw your knees in and place your feet down so knees are facing up and your heels are down as close to your bottom as you can get them. 
    3. On an inhale, lift your hips up toward the ceiling, pressing the feet firmly into the bed. 
    4. On your exhale, draw the belly in and lift up a little higher. Stay in the pose for five to 10 breaths.

  8. Yoga For Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Seated Spinal Twist

    1. Begin sitting with your legs extended straight out in front of you. 
    2. Bend your right leg so that the knee is pointing toward the ceiling, and cross your right foot over your left knee. 
    3. On an inhale, lift your arms and twist over to your right side. On an exhale, lower your arms and hook your left elbow over your right knee. 
    4. Remain in the posture for five to 10 breaths.

  9. Seated Forward Bend Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Seated Forward Bend

    1. Begin sitting with your legs straight out in front of you. 
    2. On an inhale, draw your arms up beside your ears. On an exhale, pull your stomach in and fold your torso forward, leading with the chest. Pretend that you are drawing your chest closer to your feet, rather than rounding your back. 
    3. Rest with your arms extended. You can place a pillow or two to rest on top of your knees for added support. Breathe here for five to 10 breaths.

  11. Supine Goddes Pose Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Supine Goddess Pose

    1. Begin lying on your back. 
    2. On an exhale, draw your knees in and place your feet down on the bed. 
    3. Bring the feet to touch, then open your legs out to each side with the knees bent, as though you’re opening a book. 
    4. Allow the legs to rest and the hips to open. If you need additional support, you can place a pillow underneath each of your knees. Inhale and exhale deeply for five to 10 breaths. 

  12. Savasana Menopause

    Lara Alexiou

    Savasana

    1. Lay flat on your back with your palms facing up, extending the legs down long in front of you and arms alongside the body. 
    2. Keep the legs a bit wider than hip-width distance, and let the feet splay out to the sides comfortably.
    3. Close your eyes and relax deeply into the posture, taking full, deep, belly breaths. Thank yourself for the effort you put into your body and well-being this evening. 
    4. Stay in the pose for at least five minutes, breathing deeply and intentionally.

Recommended Stories

More in Health

All Stories
Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items. Use right arrow key to move into submenus. Use escape to exit the menu. Use up and down arrow keys to explore. Use left arrow key to move back to the parent list.