5 tips on how Ayurveda can help you during the menopause

In Western civilization, the menopause is still seen as something negative or troublesome. It is associated with ageing, loss of libido and reduced performance. In Ayurveda, the menopause is a change in dosha phases. We give you five tips on how you can benefit from Ayurveda during the menopause.

How Ayurveda can help you during the menopause

The menopause is characterized by an energy transition from Pitta to Vata. This change can manifest itself in various symptoms depending on the dosha type. With Ayurveda you can prevent complaints and alleviate symptoms.

Menopause: The change in dosha phases

Ayurveda differentiates between three bioenergies or doshas, namely kapha, pitta and vata. Each person has a unique composition of doshas that shape their mental, emotional and physical dispositions.

The doshas can also be assigned to certain phases of life. Your childhood is determined by the Kapha phase, which focuses on growth. This is followed by the active Pitta phase, which then transitions into the Vata phase.

The menopause is characterized by precisely this transition from Pitta to Vata. This change of phases can bring with it complaints and changes. Every woman perceives the menopause differently and the symptoms can vary in severity or severity.

Using Ayurveda preventively against menopausal symptoms

As a rule of thumb, depending on what is typical for your constitution before your menopause, this will probably increase during the menopause. 

However, you can take preventative measures in advance to reduce the symptoms. To do this, you should first determine your individual constitution.

If you know your dosha type, you will also know which complaints are typical. On this basis, you can counteract the symptoms with therapies and treatments as well as your diet

Your mindset, for example your attitude towards the menopause, also plays a decisive role.

If you accept the menopause as part of your journey and your development as a woman instead of judging it, you will be better able to embrace it. 

It is important that you always approach Ayurvedic therapies with professional support. This will help you achieve the best possible results and choose the right treatment.

The dosha types during the menopause

The individual dosha types have different effects during the menopause and should be treated differently.

Kapha types during the menopause

Although the menopause in Ayurveda is primarily determined by the changeover from the Pitta to the Vata phase of life, there are women with a stronger Kapha bioenergy. 

Typical symptoms of the Kapha type during the menopause include sluggishness, listlessness and a tendency to water retention.

As a Kapha woman you become more sluggish, more sensitive and you are more likely to crave sweets, which can promote weight gain as digestion slows down. Your skin also becomes oilier. You should therefore rely heavily on spices in your diet and tend to eat dry and warm foods.

Ayurvedic massages, such as the silk glove massage, stimulate the metabolism and promote blood circulation. With regular treatment, you can counteract the classic Kapha symptoms.

Pitta types during the menopause

If you are a woman with Pitta dominance, you have a fiery personality. You carry the heat within you, which also influences your digestive fire. 

Your metabolism is stimulated and food is digested more quickly, which is why more food should be consumed.

Through the menopause and the transition to the Vata phase, your Pitta traits are strengthened and also changed. As a Pitta type, you can actually eat more due to the hot digestive fire without gaining weight. But the transition could change this. You may suddenly gain weight while your food intake remains the same.

The hot flushes often associated with the menopause are typical symptoms of Pitta. Sweating and skin irritation and redness can also occur.
Your excess fire also leads to irritability. Cooling spices and foods are important to create a balance.

Bitter spices and salads are particularly recommended, as are cooling herbal massages to bring your Pitta into balance.

Vata types during the menopause

Vata marks the menopause phase of life. Regardless of your constitution, the Vata dosha increases in all women during this phase. 

So if you are already a Vata type, your symptoms will intensify during the menopause. Classic symptoms are dryness, such as dry skin, brittle hair and dry mucous membranes.

Mood swings, which can manifest as restlessness, anxiety and listlessness, are just as common as osteoporosis and back pain. You can optimally counteract the physical and mental fluctuations of Vata with consistency and structure.

This includes all the regularities in your everyday life, such as regular meals and exercise sessions. Preferably always at the same time of day. As Vata types tend to lose weight, nutritious meals are particularly important for you. 

You can counteract dryness with oil massages and more liquid and juicy foods.

How Ayurveda helps you through the menopause

Not only do you embody the Ayurvedic life energies, but each phase of life is also assigned a Dosha. The menopause represents the change from the fiery Pitta to the more relaxed and lighter Vata.

Tip #1: Switch to a Dosha-appropriate diet

The use of Ayurveda for menopausal symptoms requires a switch to an Ayurvedic diet. ayurvedic diet is a prerequisite.

With the right spices and foods, you can alleviate your existing symptoms. Ayurveda can also prevent weight gain or help you lose weight during the menopause. 

If you adapt your diet to your constitutional type at an early stage, you can even prevent symptoms. The following dietary recommendations depending on your Dosha type will help:

Typical symptoms of a Pitta disorder are hot flushes and irritability. This requires you to avoid acidic and spicy foods. If you are experiencing heat and heavy sweating, you can counteract this with the following foods:

Avoid these foods:	Reach for these foods:
- Alcohol - Coffee - Black tea - Fast food - Large quantities of red vegetables	+ Green vegetables + Fennel + Yellow lentils + Bitter substances

If you have a Vata disorder, you probably suffer from symptoms such as sleep disorders, dry skin and restlessness. You can increase the Vata quality in your body with the following foods:

Avoid these foods:	Reach for these foods:
- Raw food - Cold food and cold drinks - Coffee - Black tea - Cabbage vegetables	+ Warm, fresh dishes + Porridge + Soups + Turmeric, ginger, coriander, cumin, cardamom + Fish + Poultry

If you have too much Kapha in your body, you probably suffer from obesity, sluggishness and lack of energy. In Ayurveda, you can counteract weight gain during the menopause with the following foods:

Avoid these foods:	Reach for these foods:
- Fried, oily, fatty foods - Milk, dairy products - Sweets	+ Raw food + Vegetables of all kinds + Fruit with a low fructose content (e.g. berries) + Hot spices + Millet and buckwheat + Warm drinks

Tip #2: Ayurvedic skin and body care

To ensure that you have sufficient stability and security during the menopausal transition, it is beneficial to maintain routines. 

For example, you can get your circulation going with morning self-massages. You invigorate your muscles, lymph, blood vessels and blood flow.

If you have dry skin and dry hair due to a Vata excess, you can use moisturizing products. Also pamper your body with nourishing hair and skin care treatments and Ayurvedic oils. 

Spend conscious time with yourself and your body every day, give yourself relaxation and feelings of happiness.

Tip #3: Ayurvedic medicinal herbs for menopausal symptoms

In Ayurveda, the intake of Ayurvedic medicinal herbs is a must during the years of change.

• Shatavari - The herb for women: In Ayurveda, it is the great women's remedy and is used in all phases of life, including the menopause. The use of shatavari is particularly recommended in cases of exhaustion and overwork. With its hormone-like active ingredients, it is also a suitable Ayurvedic medicinal plant for loss of libido during the menopause.

• Ashwagandha - queen of medicinal plants: Just like shatavari, ashwagandha is an adaptogen that helps your body to adapt to physical and emotional stress.

• To cool your inner heat, you can, for example, drink up to three cups of herbal tea made from ½ tbsp coriander, cumin and fennel seeds every day. Sage, lady's mantle and horsetail also have a positive effect on reducing hot flushes. They have a cooling effect and reduce perspiration.

Tip #4: Calm mindset through yoga and meditation

Exercise is one of the most important pillars of maintaining health in Ayurveda. Regular meditation and gentle yoga exercises help you to calm your mind and be completely with yourself. 

A calm mindset helps you to bring stability to turbulent times of change. Learn to feel your individual needs and listen to your body. As soon as the intensive phase of your transformation is over, you will have a new, more positive body awareness.

Tip #5: Rasayana or Panchakarma cure

If you have symptoms during the menopause, you can opt for a traditional Ayurveda cure you can opt for a traditional Ayurveda cure. 

Let yourself be pampered by an experienced Ayurvedic therapist during a Rasayana treatment. A balance treatment like this will help you achieve a rejuvenated look and give your appearance a special glow.
With a Panchakarma cure your body undergoes a deep cleansing. The focus here is on detoxifying your body. Toxins and metabolic waste products are eliminated.

For a gentler detoxification, you can also detoxify your body with an intensive detox cleanse. This detoxifies your body and strengthens your immune system and intestines. It is particularly suitable for Pitta types to support weight loss. 

By leaving the toxins behind in an old phase of your life, you gain a completely new lightness. This will get you through the menopause in a buoyant mood and alleviate discomfort.