While menopause marks the beginning of an exciting and challenging new chapter in the life of a woman, the transition can be physically difficult – hot flashes, mood swings, difficulty sleeping and so on. Although hormone replacement therapy may help, the number of prescriptions for this treatment has been dropping, according to the North American Menopause Society. Some ladies may be looking for more natural therapies. Thankfully, insomnia relief is one of the potential benefits of yoga for women who have completed the life change.
A team of researchers conducted an experiment on postmenopausal women who were diagnosed with insomnia and were not on hormone therapy. Subjects were divided into three groups: women taught passive stretching, those given yoga lessons and a control group that had neither treatment.
Results showed not only that the group who performed yoga exercises had improvements in their insomnia symptoms and quality of life, but also that these positive changes were more significant within this group than in the other two.
The study was published in the journal Menopause.
So women interested in learning more about how yoga can help them through the change of life should look into their local Dahn Yoga community. They are bound to find helpful exercises, supportive peers and, ultimately, a good night's rest!