The menopause period, which begins around age 50, is one of the most difficult for women. In the same way when we start our fertile period with menarche – the first menstruation – a series of changes take place in our body. But this time the effect is the opposite. Women are no longer fertile and nature makes them wither a little, losing some of their attractiveness and freshness.
In addition to appearance, menopause causes some physical discomforts that usually drive women out of their minds. One of them, probably the most complained about, is excess heat. It's as if an inexplicable heat wave takes over your body even when the climate in the place where you are is mild. To reduce this sensation and all the other unpleasant symptoms there are hormonal treatments, herbal remedies and some other alternatives that can and should be discussed with your gynecologist. But today we are going to teach you a breath that helps to minimize these hot flashes. This is sitkari pranayama.
Sitkari pranayama is an ancient Indian technique that can be done by anyone to relieve any kind of extreme heat. So even if you don't suffer from menopause but tend to find summer a very difficult time, learn too.
To practice this breathing, sit in a posture that you feel comfortable in, close your eyes and breathe deeply. Let your hands rest on top of your knees. Clench your teeth together and separate your lips as much as possible. Inhale deeply and feel the sound of the air between your teeth, at the end of your inhalation close your mouth and exhale very slowly through your nose. Repeat this breath, always paying close attention to it, 20 times. If the heat is extreme, this breathing can be repeated over ten minutes.
The reason for cooling is compared to when dogs, in extreme heat, are breathing with their mouths open. When entering the mouth, the air cools the tongue and consequently lowers the temperature of the blood, also softening the heat felt.
Written by Roberta Lopes from the Eu Sem Fronteiras team.
