Cool the Heat! Pose 1 for Menopause

Greetings Everyone! As promised, a pose to help you move through peri menopause and menopause. We are now at mid august and as always the summer heat is strong, but for those of you going through this stage of life, it may not be so welcome especially if you are experiencing hot flashes. Hot flashes are caused by an imbalance in the endocrine system of the body (our hormonal system) and are a heat sensation that moves through the body like a wave or just a growing sensation of heat through the skin. Yoga is extremely helpful to guide you and assist you in this life process. A pose, that I found most favorable, was Parsvottanasana, or sometimes called, Pyramid Pose. This is a standing forward fold, great for the legs, hips, and cooling to the body. Begin, by standing in Mountain Pose, step your right foot back, 2.5 to 3 feet, keeping your toes facing forward, in order to keep you hips square(pelvis level). Your hands you may keep at your hips, or clasp your elbows behind your back, then taking a deep inhale, on your exhale fold forward from your hips hinge keeping a long spine. Hold and breath deeply in and out through your nose for 1 minute if possible. Change sides. For a picture and more explaination, please go to http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/1675 Enjoy the pose! Stay tuned: Next ShoulderStand variation Shanti, Denise