Manage Your Menopause With Ayurveda
If you have ever wondered why your mother/ wife have started to show weird transitions in their demour? Then here is the way.
Menopause is the physiological cessation of menstruation in a woman, for the end of the natural fertility period. Menopause is the gradual and weird age every woman has to go through in any phase of life. The exact age for menopause has not been asserted for it depends on many other physiological characteristics of an individual, even though the average age for menopause is understood as late forties to middle fifties.
During menopause the body and mind of a female has to undergo drastic transitions to which she takes time to adjust and the people around her should give her ample support to overcome the same. A major happening occurring during menopause is the gradual reduction to finally the halt in the production of a female hormone Oestrogen. The oestrogen is like a drug to the female body that she got accustomed to from her puberty, so the sudden withdrawal of the same will show withdrawal syndrome just like any other drug. These withdrawal signs are seen throughout the woman’s behaviour, emotional status, responsiveness to situations, and others as pre menopausal syndrome in many individuals.
Ayurveda And The Concept Of Menopause
According to Ayurveda the age of an individual is divided into four spans from birth to death. The fertile period of a woman from menarche to menopause is called Ritu Kala. While menopause is called Rajo Nivrutti which literally transcends to the end of Atharva Pravritti or monthly bleeding cycles. According to ayurvedic perspective the stage of life you are going through has an influence on the overall health of an individual. Each stage of life has their own predominant doshic involvement which propel the functions of that period, even though in all stages all three Doshas are seen.
The Doshic Status
The Doshas or bodily entities are associated with both mind and body. During menopause the doshas of mind Tamas is more predominant which influences the woman to show more mood fluctuations and increased negative thoughts. But it is totally normal and the body regains it’s normal mental state as time transcends.
For the bodily doshas, Some reach this stage with a relief as most of their responsibilities are over, while others see the stage with much grief, for their lives will now change. During menopause the individual enters into the Vata stage of life. It is true that Vata controls all mechanisms of the body, for our understanding we can correlate it to the working of the neuroendocrine system. But when an entire stage is under the control of this entity, the result may often be not so good. Generally a Vata surge is seen but both other entities also show sudden fluctuations and result in a wide range of irritability including weight gain to hot flashes.
Ayurvedic Perspective
During menopause, the oestrogen and progesterone drops drastically creating a multitude of changes within the female body. Here the most affected constituent in the human body considering this is Ojas, the quantum of immunity and its manifestations. The Ojas is the essence of all the tissue elements and transcends from the end result of digestion. When the hormones are going haywire, so does it happen to the digestion resulting in improper formation of Rasa, the first tissue element. Thereby succeeding tissue elements are not formed and affect the Ojas showcasing reduced immunity.
Ayurveda For Your Support
While most studies on menopause are rudimentary and preliminary there is a growing body of evidence and findings that an alternate approach to menopause to empower nourishment and balance can be achieved. Every culture throughout the world has employed healing herbs as the basis for medicine. Here let us see a few of them that support effective menstruation.
The type of herbs used to manage menopause includes like;
1. Aloe Vera
The much common adjacent in almost everything is also a vital source for phytoconstituents that provide the hormones for the most optimal balance for the female endocrine system. It is also rich in antioxidants which potentially induces easy metabolism as well while rehydrating the body from menstrual symptoms.
2. Shatavari
The root of Asparagus racemosus is naturally a herb with galactagogue effect. The milk decoction prepared with it is highly effective in relieving menopausal complaints including vaginal discharges, night sweats, anxiety and hot flashes. Generally the extent of anxiety and hot flashes seen during menopause is resultant of accumulated Pitta humour, which is regulated by the sweet taste and metabolic end effect of this herb.
3. Methi Seeds
Fenugreek seeds are abundant with cold potency and astringent flavour. It has natural hormone balancing properties and helps to keep bloating and hot flashes at bay. The Hima or cold decoction prepared with it is preferred.
4. Ashoka Plant
This plant itself is known as Stripriya in Ayurveda signifying its vitality to female related problems. The heartwood of Saraca asoca is wonderful in improving ovarian functions to a considerable level.
5. Arjuna
During menopause the estrogen level of the female system drops, as a result the heart functions are generally influenced. The heartwood of Terminalia arjuna is potent with cardiac support functions and helps the body to recover at a faster pace from the symptoms of menopause.
6. Ela
The emerald of spice, the green cardamom has cold potency with astringent metabolic end effect and has the finest ability to enhance mood with pleasant smell and Pitta alleviating properties. It can be used to positively influence the mental status and avoid the frequency of constant mood fluctuations.
7. Guggulu
As the hormones go haywire there are more chances for unpredicted weight manifestations during this period. The oleoresinous gum of Commiphora mukul is the supreme medication for Meda Avritha Vata or conditions where fat tissue accumulation is at excess due to improper body mechanics.
It is important to embrace your menopause to gracefully help your body undergo the changes. Like puberty, menopause is just another stage of life that needs ample care and support. Ayurveda encourages you to enjoy this journey and to trust your inner intelligence.
