And Breathe – Using Your Breath For Holistic Menopause Symptom Relief

You breathe all the time but might not realize that your breath is actually a powerful tool for wellness. If you’re in perimenopause or menopause, focusing on your breath may help you relieve unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes and anxiety.

Breathing exercises help your nervous system relax, which in turn breaks the cycle of stress and its chemical effect on the body. This article will explore three breathing techniques that you can try today.

Breath Visualization

If you’re new to breathing exercises, you may want to start simple. As you breathe, visualize your breath moving throughout different areas of your body. With each breath, feel it move to a new area, ‘pool’ there, and release that tension.

Paced Breathing

In particular, paced breathing may be helpful as a natural treatment for menopause symptoms. You can use this technique to lessen the impact of a hot flash, to help you fall asleep, or to manage acute stress or anxiety.

Paced breathing is especially helpful for those who cannot or choose not to take hormone therapy.

You fully engage the stomach, abdominal muscles, and diaphragm. Your lower belly should expand with each outward breath.

How to Do It

Paced breathing is a period of slow, controlled, deep, rhythmic breathing. You can master this simple technique with only a little practice.

1. Lie down or sit in a comfortable upright position. Place one hand on your chest and the other on your belly.

2. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of 4. The hand on your belly should rise, while the one on your chest should stay still.

3. Now breathe out through pursed lips for a count of 6. The hand on your belly should move down to its original position.

Note: If you feel like 6 counts of exhalation is too long, you can adjust this timing. However, the goal is to make your exhalation longer than your inhalation.

While you can control your breathing anytime, research has shown that it’s most effective in twice daily 15-minute intervals.

Alternate Nostril Breathing

Alternate nostril breathing, also known as nadi shodhana, is often used in yoga and mindfulness practices. In addition to decreasing anxiety, alternate nostril breathing is thought to improve lung health. Because menopause is associated with lower lung function and more respiratory symptoms, this technique might be especially helpful.

How to Do It

1. Sit comfortably in a chair or cross-legged on the floor. Rest your left hand in your lap and bring your right hand up towards your face.

2. Exhale completely, then use your right thumb to close your right nostril.

3. Inhale through your left nostril, then close your left nostril with your right pointer finger.

4. Open your right nostril and exhale through the right side.

5. Inhale through the right nostril then close this nostril.

6. Open the left nostril and exhale through the left side

These instructions look complicated but the basic process is to inhale and then exhale through one nostril before switching sides and doing the same through the other.