We can, unfortunately, become slaves of our hormones. They influence everything that we do, how we sleep, eat, age and live. They affect our metabolism and our quality of life. As women, we can suffer with PMS, infertility, cramps, hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety and depression and angry mood swings. We might wrestle through life feeling hopeless.

While some women are happy with traditional medicine using hormone replacements, there is a growing and significant number of women that are seeking a natural approach to balance their life. Hormone Yoga might be just the answer for them.

A lot of alternative health approaches focus on diet, natural supplements and exercise; the latter has been long recognized as something that comes with substantial health benefits, physical and psychological.

We forget that we are designed for a diverse outdoor life and a diet as hunter-gatherers. Evidence suggests that our ancient ancestors were less stressed, happier and healthier in many ways than our modern selves. More and more people practice yoga or other forms of exercise regularly.

Dinah Rodrigues is a vibrant and inspirational 91-year-old Brazilian yoga legend who travels the world every year for many months to train certified teachers of Hormone Yoga. Over her lifetime, she has researched and developed her technique working alongside gynecologists and specialists all over the world. The exercise focuses on stimulating the ovaries, thyroid and pituitary gland, which are all keys to regulating female hormones. This is a dynamic type of yoga which incorporates very different techniques from a normal yoga practice. There is a strong focus on exercise, as the stress hormone cortisol adversely affects a woman’s hormonal balance.

The practice is a routine of dynamic exercises with strong abdominal breathing, Tibetan energy circulation technique and relaxation. This practice takes about 30 minutes once it is learned, and is ideally practiced four times per week.

In addition to balancing hormones during menopause, this practice can help to improve undesirable effects of PMS, irregular periods, polycystic ovaries, hair loss, acne, osteoporosis, insomnia, anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome and hypothyroidism.

Lydie Vagnerova is a certified Hormone Yoga teacher with Lydie Hormone Yoga and an advocate of holistic women’s health practice. She suffered from hypothyroidism for 27 years before she tried Hormone Yoga and is now medication-free. Connect at 520-822-7397, email [email protected] or visit LydieHormoneYoga.com.