Watch on YouTube:

Struggling with hot flashes, anxiety, sleepless nights, or joint pain during perimenopause or menopause? In this episode of Pleasure In the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa welcomes Menopause Yoga™ pioneer Petra Coveney to explore how ancient yoga practices can ease common menopause symptoms and support your journey through midlife. Discover why stress management is the foundation of menopause wellness, learn breath work techniques that calm anxiety in minutes, and explore the beautiful concept of "Second Spring"—a reframing of post-menopause as a time of re-blossoming and renewed vitality.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Hormonal changes during menopause create an internal stress response that, combined with life stressors, can worsen every symptom from hot flashes to insomnia through elevated cortisol and inflammation.

• Simple practices like the "hot flush mantra," 3-minute anxiety meditation, and birthday candle breath provide evidence-based relief in minutes and can be done discreetly anywhere.

• Drawing from Traditional Chinese Medicine, post-menopause can be reframed as a time of rebirth and re-blossoming when you prioritize your health and wellbeing through the transition.

• Beyond physical relief, yoga reconnects you with your inner wisdom and helps you cultivate daily pleasure - whether through dancing, nature, or intimacy - strengthening your capacity for vitality and love.

• Gentle pelvic floor practices using breath work and imagery support genitourinary symptoms, sexual pleasure, and overall wellbeing without shame or stigma.

Your body already has the wisdom you need. The answers are within you - you just need to breathe, listen, and trust yourself. Remember: Second Spring is real, but it requires you to care for your health and wellbeing as you travel through perimenopause and menopause.

Ease Menopause Symptoms With Simple Yoga Practices

I recently sat down with Petra Coveney, the creator of Menopause Yoga™, and what she shared completely shifted how I think about symptom relief during this transition.

Petra went through her own perimenopause over 15 years ago. When she asked her doctor for help with extreme symptoms, they basically said, "We can't give you anything. You're on your own."

As a yoga teacher herself, Petra asked if there were any yoga practices, nutrition advice, or support groups available. The answer was no. Nothing existed.

So she created what didn't exist - a complete approach to menopause that brings together yoga, breathing techniques, and holistic wellbeing practices. And what she discovered is remarkable: when you understand how to use specific yoga practices to shift how you are experiencing symptoms.

Let me share what I learned from her that you can start using today.

Stress Is the Hidden Driver Behind Almost Every Menopause Symptom

Here's what Petra explained that made everything click for me: the hormonal changes you're experiencing create an internal stress response in your nervous system.

Your body has been programmed over your entire adulthood to expect a certain release of hormones each month. When those hormones start to fluctuate wildly during perimenopause and then sharply decline, your nervous system interprets this as an internal threat. It goes into fight-or-flight mode.

Now add external stressors on top of that - aging parents, work pressure, relationship changes, financial worries. All of these stressors that often happen at midlife come together at once.

When your stress levels go up, your body releases more cortisol. High cortisol levels actually make it harder for you to access the hormones you still have during perimenopause. Cortisol also increases inflammation throughout your body, affecting your joints, digestion, and sleep.

This is why stress management isn't just helpful during menopause - it's the foundation of symptom relief.

When you reduce stress through yoga practices, you lower cortisol levels, decrease inflammation, and help your body work better manage menopause symptoms.

The Hot Flush Mantra That Stops Hot Flashes Faster

Petra shared something fascinating about hot flashes: anxiety about them actually makes them worse.

The hormonal changes cause physical symptoms like heart palpitations and sudden heat. These physical sensations create psychological anxiety. That anxiety then increases your heart rate and makes your hot flash even worse. It becomes a vicious cycle.

Here's the practice Petra teaches that's backed by research from both the British Menopause Society and the Menopause Society in the United States:

When you feel a hot flash coming on, practice slow, deep breathing. Breathe into your belly, then your ribs, then your chest. Release with a soft sigh out of your mouth.

While you breathe, repeat this mantra:

"This is just a hot flush. It will not last. I let it flow through me. It will pass."

Keep breathing slowly and repeating these words. You're changing the dialogue in your own mind, bringing yourself down from that heightened state of anxiety.

Research shows that when you practice this slow breathing and relax into the sensation instead of fighting it, the hot flash stops sooner and becomes less intense. Over time, your nervous system learns to stay calm, and hot flashes happen less frequently.

The Three-Minute Practice That Calms Anxiety

Petra taught me something powerful about self-soothing: when you're feeling anxious, talk to yourself using your own name.

Research shows that when you say your name while giving yourself reassurance, it strengthens the neural pathways that help you self-soothe.

Instead of thinking, "I'm going to be okay," say to yourself, "Gabriella, this will pass. Gabriella, you are safe. Gabriella, you can breathe through this."

Using your name creates distance between you and the anxiety. It helps you become both the observer and the comforter at the same time.

You can practice these techniques anywhere—on a train, at work, in a store. Menopause symptoms don't wait for a convenient time. That's why having quick practices you can use anywhere matters so much.

Why Some Women Struggle More (And It's Not Your Fault)

Petra addressed something I think we all need to hear: not everyone experiences menopause the same way.

If you're struggling while your friend sails through without issues, nothing is wrong with you.

Research shows certain factors can make menopause more challenging:

Neurodiversity: Women with ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent conditions often struggle more during menopause.

Trauma and chronic stress: If you've experienced trauma or chronic stress, your nervous system may be stuck in fight-or-flight mode, which gets triggered again during menopause.

Racial and ethnic stress: Research shows that Black women and women of color who experience daily microaggressions go into menopause several years earlier and often have more extreme symptoms.

All of these factors create a heightened stress response that makes it harder for your body to handle hormonal changes.

Understanding this is powerful. Knowledge helps you feel less out of control. When you feel more in control, you feel less anxious, which helps with every other symptom.

Simple Practices for Physical Symptoms

Petra shared specific practices for common symptoms:

For bloating and digestive issues: Lie on your back and gently bring your knees to your chest. Add gentle twists. Five to fifteen minutes can provide real relief.

For joint pain: Use very slow, gentle movements. Think small, somatic practices that help your body ease into relief rather than forcing stretches.

For loss of joy: Try the "Breath of Joy" practice and restorative poses that open your chest and heart space. These can lift your energy and mood.

For sleep issues: Practice yawning before bed. Yawning tones your vagus nerve and signals to your body that you're safe enough to sleep.

Pleasure Is a Muscle You Strengthen Daily

One of my favorite things Petra talked about is flexing your pleasure muscle.

She asks in her classes: What brings you joy? Drinking coffee in the sunshine? Walking barefoot on grass? Dancing? Singing? Reading?

Can you give yourself permission to welcome that pleasure into your daily life?

Many women experience anhedonia during menopause -loss of joy. You look at your life and think you should be happy, but inside you feel flat.

This is a real symptom of hormonal changes. One of the most powerful ways to combat it is to intentionally seek out moments of pleasure and joy.

Start small. Feel the warmth of your tea cup. Notice the softness of your favorite sweater. Dance to one song while making dinner.

These tiny moments of sensory pleasure tell your nervous system: You are safe. Life is good. You can relax.

When you practice this daily, joy becomes more accessible, even during hard moments.

Second Spring Is Real

Petra shared a concept from Traditional Chinese Medicine that changed how she viewed menopause: Second Spring.

In ancient traditions, they viewed life stages like seasons. Youth is your first spring. Adulthood is summer. Perimenopause is autumn. Menopause is winter - a time of rest. And post-menopause is your Second Spring - a rebirth and reawakening.

This completely shifts the perspective from ending to opportunity.

Yes, you might need to cut back on caffeine, wine, or sugar. But you're learning to become healthier. You're learning to rebalance your life and make time for yourself.

Menopause is an opportunity to tune in and listen to your inner voice of wisdom. When you take time to look after your health and wellbeing, you naturally enter your Second Spring feeling healthier and happier.

Second Spring is real. But you need to care for yourself as you travel through perimenopause and menopause. Otherwise, you won't have the energy to flourish when you get there.

The Answers Are Already Inside You

Here's what I want you to remember from my conversation with Petra:

You already have the answers. You may feel lost or uncertain about what's happening to your body. But when you sit, breathe, and listen to your inner voice, it will guide you.

Yoga helps you access that wisdom. Through breathing, gentle movement, and meditation, you create space to hear what your body is trying to tell you.

You are not broken. Your body is going through a natural transition. And you have everything you need inside you to move through this journey with grace and strength.

Start with simple practices. Three minutes here. Five minutes there. Notice what helps. Trust what your body tells you.

Menopause isn't something to be feared or fixed. It's an invitation to come home to yourself, to listen deeply to your body, and to reconnect with your inner wisdom.

Your Next Steps:

1. Choose one practice to try today.

2. Practice it at the same time each day for one week.

3. Notice how you feel before and after.

4. Trust yourself and the process.

You've got this!

ABOUT PETRA COVENEY:

Petra Coveney is the creator of Menopause Yoga™ (2013), a senior yoga teacher, trainer and author of two books on menopause.

Her first book ‘Menopause Yoga - a Holistic Guide to Supporting Women on their Menopause Journey,’ (2021) accompanies her internationally accredited teachers’ training course. She has trained more than 1,000 Menopause Yoga teachers in over 40 countries and her course was translated into Japanese.

Her NEW (very pink) book ‘Menopause & Wellbeing - a Daily Practice Guide for Perimenopause to Second Spring’ is published this month (October). ‘She' is friendly bedside table guide for people going through this stage of life, and for teachers and therapists working one-to-one stage of life.

To join Petra's live online classes and teacher training courses visit www.menopause-yoga.com and follow her on Instagram @menopause_yoga

You can buy her books on Amazon -  or from the publishers’ website www.singingdragon.com and receive a 25% discount. Just use this code %25PETRA. 

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.