Menopause and menopause are increasingly affecting women across India, impacting not only their physical and mental health but also their social and professional lives. These transitions remain under-discussed and often misunderstood, and many women in India are calling for more recognition and support. In an exclusive conversation with bazaar indiaShastri discusses the emotional and physical turmoil surrounding perimenopause and menopause and how to deal with it effectively.
Harper’s Bazaar: In addition to physical stress, how can I deal with the mental stress of perimenopause? What are some natural remedies to simplify life during perimenopause?
mini shastri: “If you are under a lot of stress, you cannot balance your hormones. It is impossible. Stress hormones can be released into the body due to overwork, chronic infections, excessive exercise (yes!), mental tension, etc. To reduce these potentially harmful hormones, incorporate pranayama, create a daily routine, practice yoga, and incorporate restorative asanas to relax the nerves and muscles at the end of your daily workout. Meditate for ~10 minutes! Establish a daily routine and try to adhere to it as much as possible. Mood-uplifting habits nourish your nervous system and establish a better hormonal environment. It lowers accumulated stress and stress hormones such as cortisol, preventing stress hormones from dominating your hormonal environment.The idea is to deal with stress in a way that makes you feel balanced and not overwhelmed. , otherwise you should emphasize something else.
Here are some natural lifestyle, stress management, and dietary remedies that support hormonal balance and have worked for me:
• Choose a quiet time in the morning for about 20 minutes and practice breathing techniques. It heals the fatigue of the past day and prepares the balance for the life ahead.
• Then do some gentle stretches, twists, and backbends.
• Create a “dincharya” or self-care routine. Stimulate each of the five senses. Start by scraping your tongue with a silver or copper tongue scraper to cleanse it of any bacteria that may have built up overnight. Put rose water in your eyes to refresh them. This reduces excess heat in the body. Watching the sun rise or smelling the morning grass is a beautiful way to wake up your senses.
• Take nasal oil lubricant or nasu yam daily. This helps nourish the olfactory nerve, which is close to the brain.
• Apply oil to your skin daily. The skin is our largest organ and the home of Vata dosha, so it has a positive effect on our hormones. [Ayurvedic mind-body element associated with air and space] Sedation is especially necessary during hormonal cycle changes. We oil ourselves because this ritual sparks a commitment to self-care and releases the happy hormone oxytocin.
• Drink a glass of hot water or herbal tea in the morning. Do not consume caffeine for 90 minutes after waking up.
• Process your emotions and eliminate all visham (or poison) from your life. You decide what those things are: addictions, stimulants, companies, etc. Anything that reduces your aura or clarity will not help you in the long run.
• Don’t get overwhelmed by multitasking. Do one thing at a time, with great care.
• Eat meals at regular times and in a calm environment. Chew slowly and feel gratitude for being nourished. ”
HB: Anxiety and depression are common during this time. What can we do to avoid succumbing to these? Considering you’ve been through it, could you share some personal tips?
MS: “Women can cope with the physical symptoms, but find it very difficult to cope with the emotional state caused by the surge of hormones. It’s the emotional irregularities that are surprising and frustrating. Hormones are It waxes and wanes monthly and over our lifetime. The imbalance is due to the cumulative effects of stress hormones. Yoga’s approach is to maintain our natural hormonal balance. In the bloodstream. Excess adrenaline and cortisol make us sensitive and reactive. Being aware of your mental health and knowing when you are most balanced can help reduce negative emotions. Helpful.
Be sure to move, do weight-bearing poses, and stretch your body to relieve tension and encourage the flow of prana in your body. Breathing exercises, especially anulom vilom (breathing through alternate nostrils), can help balance stress and sex hormones in the body. ”
HB: Insomnia, hot flashes, and heavy periods are common symptoms. How can we deal with them?
M.S.: “An imbalance in the doshas can lead to unpleasant symptoms associated with this time of year, such as hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, weight gain, water retention, heart palpitations, depression, dryness and pain during intercourse, and osteoporosis. A holistic approach to managing this stage includes making appropriate dietary, lifestyle, and stress reduction changes, and supplementing with natural herbs and treatments as needed.
Ayurveda considers menopause to be a natural transition from the Pitta to Vata phase of life. The “problem” is not menopause, but an imbalance in the doshas, primarily vata, that causes unpleasant symptoms. According to Ayurveda and yoga, imbalance and abrasion must be offset by the opposite quality: dryness, our natural state of smoothness. Immobility is the need to work smoothly between all our systems.
In my busy life in my 40s, I intuitively felt that this needed to be repaired.I felt it necessary to add
Warm, moist foods, oily foods, pranayama, short porridge cleanses, fasting, and increasing meditation time. The effects were immediate.
The tools passed down through yoga and Ayurveda have stood the test of time and for me personally these tools have now become a way of life. These tools have been a huge game changer for me and many others in creating a baseline of health and self-care. To discover our best selves.
As I entered my late 40s, my body and mind were constantly adjusting from perimenopause to menopause, which is a transitional and natural process. It wasn’t seamless, but following his self-care hacks above helped. Another thing I recommend is releasing your anger, worries, and stress from the day with stress-reducing and uplifting activities like reading, soaking your feet, or anointing yourself with oil. Also, take a step back, observe the reaction, and only respond after a pause.
These exercises, ideally done at the same time, help relax the nervous system. It strengthens the parasympathetic nervous system. The parasympathetic nervous system reverses excess cortisol and teaches us to respond in a more relaxed rather than reactive manner to situations.
According to Dr. Claudia Welch, author of Balance Your Hormones, Balance, Your Life, this is an accumulation of fundamental imbalances that, if not corrected early in life, can expand during perimenopause. It appears strongly. She says in her book: “Menopause is a natural passing point in life, but it is also a great revelation. Whatever illness was lurking beneath the surface before menopause, it becomes apparent like a bright light reveals dust in the corner of a room. It will be.”
Features and text image credit: Nayantara Parikh
This article was published in Harper’s Bazaar India January-February 2024 print issue.
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