For some women, the signs of menopause are too difficult to handle that they are constrained to consult a physician and get HRT (hormone replacement therapy) prescribed for them.
HRT is supposed to help women by decreasing the intensity of perimenopause and its symptoms by raising estrogen and progesterone levels.
However, this occurrence has been found to be related to complications like stroke, breast cancer and heart disease among several women, which have resulted in a decrease in the use of HRT for perimenopause.
Menopause is a natural phenomenon that is one of the processes in a woman's biological make-up, which comes to women from 40 to 60 years old, bringing along with it hormonal and therefore also physical and psychological changes.
Not all women exhibit all the indications of menopause.
The common ones are hot flashes, backaches, mood swings, vaginal dryness and change in sexual drive.
Various investigations reveal that about 65 percent of women at this stage experience these signs.
At the onset of menopause, ovarian production of the estrogen and progesterone hormones diminish.
The pituitary gland is alerted by this change and it stirs up the ovaries to more production, causing an imbalance in the body.
This destabilization begins about six years before the cessation of the monthly periods and stops within a year after the last period.
That is when the body gets to regain its equilibrium when the production of hormones is reduced.
Because of the numerous reports of complications arising from HRT, women have been seeking other means to cope with the pains and other signs of menopause.
Studies and actual reports have brought out Yoga as among the best means.
Yoga postures stretch and relax the muscles, which leads to greater oxygenation of cells when blood flow is enhanced.
This helps in stabilizing the bodily changes of menopause.
At the same time, because menopause strikes at midlife, other body issues at this stage are dealt with by yoga, like bone strength and cardiovascular condition.
The optimal benefits derived from yoga are best manifested if and when it is performed in conjunction with the proper diet, healthy way of living and regular exercise or physical activity.
Inverted postures like Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose) and Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand) help ease the body.
Remedial or curative poses that are bolstered by a chair or some other support, give calm to the nervous system and enable the endocrine system to perform its function better.
The first and most common indicator of menopause is hot flashes, experienced by almost 80 percent of women in menopause.
These disappear almost as quickly as they appear but are usually triggered by stress, fatigue and over-exertion.
This symptom can be dealt with by the Bridge, Shoulder stand, Half Plow, Bow, Locust, Pump and Pelvic Arc postures.
Stress and Irritability are caused by the hormonal fluctuations which lead to heart palpitation and upset the digestive tract.
The Standing Forward Bend, Wide Standing Forward Bend, also the Bow, Sponge, Dollar and Child's Poses are promoted for dealing with this symptom.
These take out mental distractions and ease the stress which results in bringing back the body's normal functioning.
Stress can also lead to insomnia, in which case you can start with inversion poses and finish off with restorative poses to get rest and deal with that condition.
Fatigue is also a usual symptom, again set off by the fluctuations in hormone production, and can bother you for a short period or even as long as several weeks.
You can cope with this condition with easy back bends like the Supta Baddha Konasana and other supported poses which improve your blood flow by opening the chest and heart areas.
Like hot flashes, the more common signs are mood swings, especially depression.
The mid-life can cause these condition but a sure cause is the hormonal imbalance.
The opening of constricted areas and loosening of stiffened muscles and joints by yoga postures are certifiable evidences of yoga's efficient handling of these conditions.
Hormonal imbalance brings on memory loss too, becoming an additional cause for anxiety.
Poses like the Downward-facing Dog and those used for mood swings are good for mind clearing and memory enhancement.
The Corpse allows the nervous system to calm down, giving a state of serenity.
If you start practicing yoga to deal with the symptoms of perimenopause, don't forget to use body supports.
Using support and braces when performing yoga can make the poses easier and keep you away from more stress so you will then get to feel the results you really aim for.