Case Study

Lilly came to yoga to help deal with the chronic anxiety and low energy levels which she had experienced since entering premature menopause in her early thirties and attributed to the associated hormonal fluctuations and HRT medication.

Already an experienced student of mindfulness with an established meditation practice Lilly had significant insights and tools with which to cope with her persistent anxiety. However, as her practice of yoga progressed she realized that while she was adept in analysing her thoughts she lacked as sense of connection with her physical body, in particular her pelvis and core.

This area felt ‘cut off’ from her conscious awareness. As a consequence, there was a lack of integration between mind and body as well as a physical lack of postural support for her upper body. Together we worked with a series of practices including abdominal breath, visualization and core strengthening asana complemented with mantra to re-establish the bridge between body and mind; enabling her to feel both ‘grounded’ and a ‘whole person’.

Interestingly, she also became aware that anxiety had become her ‘default setting’ when encountering the new. We took this theme and interwove it into her home practice in which we gradually changed perspective from anxiety to a sense of opportunity.

During this period Lilly moved home and rediscovered the excitement of exploring her new surroundings, decided to take a part time job which giving her more time for herself and, discovered that her oestrogen levels had risen so that, at her consultant’s suggestion, her HRT dosage was lowered.

Lily felt that her yoga practice had supported her throughout these changes and in her words, she ‘…enjoyed every single moment…’