Celebrate menopause with Ayurveda
By, Dr. Khushboo Chaddha, Ayurvedic Consultant (B.A.M.S)
Menopause can be a great change in how you perceive life & how you begin to interact with it. Many women can do this naturally. But if not, trust me you’re not alone in this.
Living in a culture filled with random opinions & judgment, thinking about menopause and the changes that come along with it can be traumatizing. As for most women, menopause has conjured a vision of hot flashes, vaginal dryness, mood swings & long awakening nights. Ayurveda termed menopause as “Rajonivrutti ” which means “the end of Artava Pravrutti” (stopping of the Menstrual cycle).
Ayurveda doesn’t recognize menopause as a disease but has beautifully linked it to a period of letting go.
ACCEPT & GRACIOUSLY MOVE FORWARD
According to Ayurveda, the pre & post-menopausal period (a few years before & after the commencement of menopause) is the best time when a woman can re-evaluate her life on all levels, especially on issues of identity. – If her identity is limited to looking young, she will have a difficult time as undoubtedly the body will mature & diverge from the socially desirable image. – If the identity is limited to nurturing family, it will also be challenging with a less active & lethargic life. – For professionally enthusiastic women, menopause may become a source of questioning & dissatisfaction one way or another. The fundamentals of all these feelings & reflections are nothing but a basic identity of women. Ayurveda believes embracing it before hitting the doors, provides women a wholesome period of self-confrontation, and ensures comforting menopause.
AYURVEDIC DOSHAS & MENOPAUSE
Ayurveda recognized three major stages of life- childhood, adulthood & elderhood. Each stage is associated with one of the three fundamental dosha- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. In its harmonious state Vata dosha is responsible for all the body movement, Pitta dosha is associated with body fire & digestion and Kapha dosha is meant for body nourishment. Working together in harmony these three dosha cohesive resolve destructions & ensure balance in the body. Rajonivrutti or menopause classically associated with the predominance of Vata, the dosha of air & either, consecutively imbalanced the other two dosha- Pitta & Kapha.
As a result it
● Elevated Vata disperses throughout the body resulting in blocking channels & diminishing the core digestive fire, leading to difficulty in digestion during menopause.
● The imbalanced Pitta, the fire element, continues to heat up within the body due to blocked channels which gives rise to hot flashes, irritability, anxiety, excessive sweating & trouble sleeping.
● The aggravated Vata dosha especially apana vayu (a subtype of Vata dosha) with its air & either constituent causes dryness throughout the body resulting in drying out of the vagina.
● The imbalance in kapha dosha causes congestion in strotas (nurturing channel) resulting in post-menopausal weight gain, low metabolism, feelings of depression & unmotivation.
MAKE AYURVEDA PART OF JOURNEY
Various recent ongoing studies, supporting the age-old view of Ayurveda, validate the fact that complete lifestyle modification starting right from pre-menopause, significantly helped women to embrace their journey of menopause. Ayurveda manages & treats menopause by supporting the body with nourishing & Vata pacifying herbs, emphasizing a supportive lifestyle, guiding correct exercise & enlightening inner reflection. This unique approach of ayurvedic management encourages modern-day women to shift from synthetic pills to natural alternatives & make ayurveda part of their journey.
Dr.Khushboo is passionate about women’s health and has a deep interest in understanding the natural phenomenon of menopause and how leveraging Ayurveda to overcome discomforting changes can help women lead better lives.