I’ll be honest with you — I wasn’t planning on talking about menopause. Not in my teaching, not in my writing, not even in my practice. It felt too messy, too personal, too… well, too much.
But then I was on a call with my teacher, Octavio Salvado, and he dropped one of those lines that stops you in your tracks:
👉 “Get in the gym. Build muscle. Stabilise your root.”
At first, I laughed shyly. Wasn’t I supposed to be talking about mantras and mudras, not deadlifts and squats? But the more he explained, the more it landed:
- Muscle is modern mulabandha.
- Strength work stabilises apana vayu (that downward energy that goes haywire in menopause).
- And what feels like chaos in the body is actually an invitation to build a steadier, stronger container for practice.
That was my aha moment. Menopause isn’t just symptoms to “get through.” It’s a fire ritual 🔥. A time when everything you thought you knew about yourself is up for grabs — and the practices you choose now will shape how you walk through it.
Why Muscle Matters (the Yogic View)
From a Tantric Hatha perspective, menopause turbulence reflects instability in muladhara — the root chakra. This is the seat of safety, support, and vitality. When it wobbles, everything feels shaky.
Building muscle, especially in the legs, core, and pelvic floor, is like strengthening the outer mulabandha. Every contraction and release mirrors the energetic seal at the base of the body. That stability ripples upwards: steadier root, steadier mind.
Suddenly, Octavio’s advice didn’t sound strange at all. It sounded like Yoga in action. Yoga that meets life where it is.
How This Shows Up in My Practice
If you’re picturing me hammering it out in the weights section — let’s be clear, that’s not the vibe. For me, this isn’t about chasing numbers or proving anything.
It’s about rhythm.
It’s about consistency.
It’s about bringing the same devotion I bring to my mat into new movements that support my whole system.
Some days that looks like Yin.
Some days like mantra.
Some days like slow squats, conscious breath, and a long savasana to seal it in.
Complete practice doesn’t mean one size fits all. It means including all aspects of myself — body, breath, mind, and spirit — in whatever dose life is asking for today.
Why I’m Sharing This
Because I know I’m not the only one.
I know there are others feeling the swings, the fog, the restlessness, the sense of “who even am I right now?” And maybe, like me, you’ve never thought to look at menopause as part of your spiritual path.
So I’ve decided to start sharing this journey in real time. Not the polished version. Not the filtered one. The real one. The days where I feel powerful and clear, and the days where I feel anything but.
Always through the lens of Tantric Hatha — because these teachings are practical, alive, and made for moments like this.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t separate from Yoga Local. It’s woven into it. The reason I teach what I teach is because I live it. I test it. I trip over it. And then I pass it on.
So consider this the start of a new conversation. A sister thread, if you like. Something that may grow into its own space, but for now lives right here, inside the Yoga Local community.
If you’re walking this path too — whether you’re in perimenopause, menopause, or just curious about how Yoga meets life at every stage — I’d love you to walk it with me.
Join the Yoga Local newsletter for down-to-earth teachings, rituals, and real talk that go way beyond stretchy poses. Land it in your inbox each week.
🔥 Josie x
