I'm on HRT. Can I still do yoga? Will it interfere?

Absolutely. Yoga works beautifully alongside HRT. Many students use both — HRT addresses the hormonal deficit, yoga helps regulate the stress response that amplifies symptoms. They complement each other.

I've never done yoga and I'm stiff and overweight. Will I be able to do this?

Yes. I use bolsters, blocks, and blankets to bring the floor to you. There's no "perfect pose" requirement. I modify everything for your body. Many of the menopause students I'm most proud of started with zero flexibility and limited mobility. They're now my most devoted regulars.

Will yoga help with hot flushes?

Evidence is mixed — some women find cooling breathwork (Sitali breath) genuinely helpful, others don't notice a difference. What's more consistent is that reducing overall stress through yoga seems to reduce hot flush severity and your reaction to them, even if frequency doesn't change much.

My joints hurt constantly. Won't yoga make it worse?

Not the way I teach it. I focus on gentle, supported movement to maintain mobility without forcing anything. Yin Yoga in particular targets the fascia and connective tissue that gets stiff during menopause. Many students report significant joint pain relief within a few weeks.

I'm exhausted all the time. Won't exercise make me more tired?

The type of yoga I'm recommending is restorative, not depleting. Gong Baths and Yoga Nidra are completely passive — you lie down and rest. Even gentle Hatha doesn't leave you exhausted; it leaves you energised through better circulation and nervous system regulation. If you're profoundly fatigued, start with Gong Baths and build from there.

My mood swings are extreme. I snap at everyone. Can yoga really help with that?

Yes — this is one of the strongest evidence areas. The "meno-rage" is often cortisol-driven. Practices that lower cortisol (breathwork, sound healing, restorative yoga) measurably improve emotional regulation. Many students report this is the first change they notice — they stop reacting so intensely to things.

Do you have classes specifically for menopausal women, or will I be in mixed classes?

All classes are mixed-age and open to everyone. But because of our location (residential Wallington) and my age (nearly seventy), many students are navigating perimenopause or menopause. You'll find a natural community of women dealing with the same things. The conversations before and after class often become informal support groups.

Menopause Support

Menopause and Perimenopause Support

From brain fog to meno-rage — you're not imagining it, and you're not losing your mind. Practical tools for the symptoms you're actually experiencing.

Best For

✓Perimenopause and menopause symptoms
✓Hot flushes and night sweats
✓Anxiety, mood swings, and irritability
✓Joint pain and stiffness
✓Insomnia and sleep disruption
✓Brain fog and concentration problems

What to Expect

We match your symptoms to specific yoga, breathwork, and sound healing practices. Small classes where real conversation happens.

1–2 classes per week

Recommended Classes

View Timetable

You're Not Imagining It

From "brain fog" to "meno-rage" — you're not imagining it, and you're not losing your mind.

The hot flushes that wake you at 3am, soaked and furious. The joints that creak when you stand. The rage that appears from nowhere. The words that vanish mid-sentence. The exhaustion that sleep doesn't touch. The body you've lived in for decades suddenly feels foreign and hostile.

Your GP offers HRT or antidepressants. Your friends say "it's just a phase." The wellness industry sells you overpriced supplements and promises you'll "glow through the change." None of it captures the daily, grinding reality of a body in hormonal chaos. You don't need toxic positivity. You need practical tools for the symptoms you're actually experiencing.

The Science

Why Menopause Amplifies Everything (And What Helps)

Menopause isn't just about oestrogen dropping. It's a complete recalibration of your hormonal and nervous systems.

As oestrogen declines, your body becomes more sensitive to cortisol (your stress hormone). Things that you used to handle — work pressure, family demands, sleep disruption — now trigger a bigger stress response. This is why menopause can feel like having your emotional threshold turned down to zero. High cortisol worsens hot flushes, sleep disruption, belly weight gain, joint inflammation, and brain fog.

Research shows yoga significantly improves menopausal symptoms — not by replacing hormones, but by regulating your stress response. When you lower cortisol through breathwork, stillness, and nervous system regulation, you dampen the cascade that amplifies every symptom. Cooling breathwork (Sitali breath) is measurably helpful for hot flushes. Weight-bearing poses support bone density. Restorative yoga lowers cortisol, helping with sleep, mood, and belly fat.

Meta-analysis of 24 RCTs (n=2,028 menopausal women) found yoga significantly improved total menopausal symptoms, psychological symptoms (anxiety, irritability, mood swings), somatic symptoms (joint pain, fatigue, headaches), and sleep quality. The evidence for hot flush reduction is mixed — but for psychological symptoms, sleep, and joint pain, the research is consistent.

Classes That Help

Find the Right Class

Breathe.Meditate.Relax

Cooling breathwork for hot flushes. Calmer mind for everything else.

·Sitali and Chandra Bhedana breathing for hot flushes
·Yoga Nidra for deep rest and hormonal balance
·Anxiety and mood regulation through the vagus nerve

Gong Bath & Sound Healing

The deepest rest your nervous system has had in months

·Many students report improved sleep for days afterwards
·Supports emotional regulation and brain fog
·Completely passive — no effort required

Yin Yoga

For the joints that creak when you stand up

·Long-held poses for joint mobility and connective tissue
·Deep parasympathetic activation to counter anxiety
·Cooling effect on the system

Hatha Yoga

Keep your bones strong and your body moving

·Weight-bearing poses for osteoporosis prevention
·Maintains strength and balance
·Modified for joint sensitivity

The Yoga Den Difference

What Makes The Yoga Den Different

No Judgement, No Perfect Poses

Every pose is modified for your body. Blocks, bolsters, blankets — I bring the floor to you. Health forms mean I know your limitations before you walk in.

Science-Backed, Not Woo-Woo

No preaching, no crystals. I explain the neuroscience: nervous system regulation, vagal tone, somatic release. The gong doesn't 'heal' you — it creates conditions for your nervous system to rest.

A Sanctuary, Not a Gym

A garden studio, max 10 students, birdsong and wind chimes. Built by hand at the end of a Wallington garden. Not a franchise, not a brand. Just a space to breathe.

The Evidence

The Research on Yoga and Menopause

1.Comprehensive improvement: Meta-analysis of 24 RCTs (n=2,028 menopausal women) found yoga significantly improved total menopausal symptoms, psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression (Wang et al., 2025, International Journal of Nursing Studies)
2.Large effect sizes: Earlier meta-analysis (13 RCTs, n=1,306) showed large reductions in total menopausal symptoms (SMD = -1.05), psychological symptoms (SMD = -0.75), and vasomotor symptoms (SMD = -0.76) (Cramer et al., 2018)
3.NHS recognition: The NHS recognises yoga as one of the natural approaches for menopause symptom management
4.Bone density: Weight-bearing yoga poses help maintain bone density, crucial for osteoporosis prevention post-menopause

Yoga complements medical care including HRT if you choose it. Discuss any new symptoms or significant changes with your GP.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Join the Community of Women Navigating Menopause

You don't have to do this alone. And you don't have to pretend it's easy.

Book Your First Class Email Me

Come as you are. Bring your rage, your exhaustion, your hot flushes. We've got bolsters, blankets, and understanding.

You're Not Imagining It

From "brain fog" to "meno-rage" — you're not imagining it, and you're not losing your mind.

Why Menopause Amplifies Everything (And What Helps)

Menopause isn't just about oestrogen dropping. It's a complete recalibration of your hormonal and nervous systems.

What Makes The Yoga Den Different

No Judgement, No Perfect Poses

Every pose is modified for your body. Blocks, bolsters, blankets — I bring the floor to you. Health forms mean I know your limitations before you walk in.

Science-Backed, Not Woo-Woo

No preaching, no crystals. I explain the neuroscience: nervous system regulation, vagal tone, somatic release. The gong doesn't 'heal' you — it creates conditions for your nervous system to rest.

A Sanctuary, Not a Gym

A garden studio, max 10 students, birdsong and wind chimes. Built by hand at the end of a Wallington garden. Not a franchise, not a brand. Just a space to breathe.

The Research on Yoga and Menopause

1.Comprehensive improvement: Meta-analysis of 24 RCTs (n=2,028 menopausal women) found yoga significantly improved total menopausal symptoms, psychological symptoms, somatic symptoms, sleep quality, anxiety, and depression (Wang et al., 2025, International Journal of Nursing Studies)

2.Large effect sizes: Earlier meta-analysis (13 RCTs, n=1,306) showed large reductions in total menopausal symptoms (SMD = -1.05), psychological symptoms (SMD = -0.75), and vasomotor symptoms (SMD = -0.76) (Cramer et al., 2018)

3.NHS recognition: The NHS recognises yoga as one of the natural approaches for menopause symptom management

4.Bone density: Weight-bearing yoga poses help maintain bone density, crucial for osteoporosis prevention post-menopause

Yoga complements medical care including HRT if you choose it. Discuss any new symptoms or significant changes with your GP.

Frequently Asked Questions