Path 1- Fix your menstrual cycle
This path is for those who are currently in their menstrual cycling years. Fixing your period now will help you find relief during your perimenopausal years.
The best way to have a smooth transition into menopause is to have a menstrual cycle that doesn't cause pain, no cramps, bloating and overall you feel good during your menstrual cycle.
If you need help on balancing your cycle here are a few articles I've already written on how to do that.
Path 2- Your in the perimenopause years
How are your ojas?
Ojas is your vital energy. If you feel depleted drained, and stressed your ojas would be quite low.
How do you build ojas?
- Where can we add in nature into our day- even if that means parking farther away, or walking your mail to a mailbox down the road from you.
- Where can you build in your me time? If not at the end of the day, can you do 30 minutes at the start of your day?
- Laugher- enough said
- Activities that make you happy- this is why I love my 10 minute Ayurvedic medicine tips. Set your timer for 2pm and when it goes off ask yourself what you need and do it. Put this in your work calendar we all have 10 minutes we can take for us most days of the week.
- Creativity- maybe this won't happen on a daily basis but how can you add creativity on your weekends. Maybe once a month you sign-up for a new class to express yourself.
- Sleep 7-8 hours a night. Set your bedtime and stick to it!
- Foods to enjoy- honey, dates, almonds, coconut, avocado, ghee.
- Oil your skin inside and out- cook with oils and add a hint of sesame oil to your skin
Strengthen Agni
Improve your digestion. Everything in Ayurveda starts in the digestive tract. If you're struggling with digestion the rest of the practices will help but this is where you would want to start.
Make peace with the past
Mental agitation, clarity and peace of mind at this phase can be challenging. Making sure you make peace with the fact your body is going through a transitional phase. It's not something to be ashamed of but embraced. Just like young women are reclaiming their menstrual cycles, crone women are looking to reclaim the menopausal years.
Increase Rasa
Rasa is the juiciness of life. I will be sharing more practices below about bringing in that juices as often this time is known for it's dry qualities. You want to balance that time by incorporating practices that bring you back into balance.
The Doshas & Perimenopause
Vata Dosha
- Bloating
- Disturbed sleep
- Constipation
- Dryness in the vagina
- Dry skin, pain
- Body aches
- Fatigue
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Loss libido
- Difficulty with concentration
- Reduced bone density
- Increased sensitivity to noise
Pitta Dosha
- Hot flashes
- Skin irritation
- Heart palpitations
- Excessive body heat
- Mental & emotional irritability
- Night sweats
- Burning urination
- Heavy bleeding
Kapha Dosha
- Weight gain
- Lethargy
- Unmotivated
- Vaginal itchy
- Increased discharge
- Sadness
- Mental dullness
- Low moods
- Increased hunger
How do we support ourselves:
Diet & Lifestyle
Nutrition
Favor- Whole grains, fresh fruits & veggies, nuts & seeds,
- Reduce heating and drying foods)- alcohol, caffeine, garlic, salty junk foods, processed foods
- Add in warm cooked foods- ghee, water, healthy oils, avocados, soups, beets, spinach, red & green fruits to keep iron high
- Vata balancing is key
- Try to stay calm & grounded (observe what takes you out of balance) - alcohol, sugar, excessive exercise
Sleep & Rest
- Get 7-8 hours of sleep
- Shut off screens 2 hours before bed
- Have an evening routine you love
Routines
- Keeps vata balanced (no skipping meals or overeating)
- Eat around the same time, workout at the same time, get up and go to bed around the same time.
Yoga & pranayama
Pranayama helps destress, and keeps your mental aspects grounded and balanced.
Vata pacifying pranayama- nadi shodhana, brahmari
Home Remedies
- CCF tea after meals
- Ginger Paste with a pinch of salt & lime to help stimulate hunger before you eat
- Eat foods such as dates, soaked almonds, fennel.
Ayurvedic Practices
- Abyhanga to help with the dryness of the skin
- Shirodhara- to help reduce stress & improve sleep
- Nasya- great to relieve headaches, brings mind clarity,
- Moon bathing- bring more cooling properties to the body 15 minutes during the full moon
Ayurvedic herbs
- Shatavari (as long as you don’t have excess estrogen or breast cancer genes) restores vitality to the system, supports libido, great overall female herb. Ashwagandha- helps calm a racing mind, brings mental clarity, supports libido
- Chyawanprash- Vitamin C, balances all 3 doshas
- Brahmi- Mind clarity, calms nervous system, memory and longevity and calms nervous system
- Aloe vera juice- to help cool the heat in the body
- Dandelion root & red clover teas are also helpful at this time.
Wanting to go deeper with healing your menstrual cycle?
Make sure you check-out my Flow With Your Cycle coaching program if you want to deepen your Perimenopause wisdom.
Flow With Your Cycle is for you if you want to optimize your health, live in sync with their cycle and finally understand the difference between the follicular and luteal phase. I wanted to create this program to help you feel confident about their menstrual cycles. To understand what practices are best for you and to not be surprised by your period showing up when you weren't expecting it. You will be able to learn how to eat, workout, work & practice self-care with your cycle.
view + leave comments . . .