Yoga provides significant physical and mental health benefits for women of all ages. For young girls, yoga helps with physical development, stress relief, self-confidence and healthy habits. Working women benefit from reduced stress, back pain, insomnia and other health issues. Prenatal yoga eases pregnancy discomforts, strengthens for labor, and aids recovery. Menopause symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings are lessened by yoga's focus on acceptance and hormone balancing. For older women, yoga supports joint health, manages chronic diseases, and improves mobility and well-being. Overall, a regular yoga practice nurtures women's health from childhood through life's changes.
2. Introduction
From time immemorial woman has been worshipped as the female energy in various
cultures.
In the Mahanirvana Tantra Shiva addresses Shakti : You are the supreme
manifestation of brahman , the supreme consciousness, and from you has come the
entire universe. You are its mother. You are origin of all manifestations. you are in the
form of everything. Your root is in brahman who is actionless, it Is you who moved by
his desire , who creates, protects and withdraws this world with all that moves and is
motionless. Thus by worshipping you, your devotees will reach the supreme.
She is called Shakti or Devi in Hinduism, Isis in Egypt, Nana in Sumeria, Ishtar in
Babylon, Ashtoreth or Astarte in Assyria, Aphrodite in Greece, Venus in Rome. In
China she is the ‘Teh’ and she is MUT in the ancient cultures of primordial man.
The purpose of human life is to move the Shakti which is in Mooladhara to reach to
Shiva which is at Sahashrara.
3. MAN WOMAN
Life Span
In general, men have a higher mortality rate
and shorter life span than women.
In general, women have a lower death
rate and a longer life span than men, and
on average, live five years longer.
Defined as A man is a male human A woman is a female human
Identified through
Men never give birth to babies, the
reproductive organs are different & the hair
growth on parts apart form the head &
genitals.
Women give birth to babies, different
reproductive organs & lesser amount of
hair on places apart from head & genitals.
Physical attributes
Men are taller than women on an average,
more sturdily built with higher stamina &
weight lifting capabilities and hair on face,
chest, belly, arms & legs.
Men are taller than women on average,
but an individual woman may be taller
than an individual man. They are also
more delicately built. They have far less
amount of hair growth on face, chest,
belly, arms & legs compared to man.
Nature
Males are generally more aggressive than
females. ( citation needed as there are
many types of aggressive behavior ).
Females are generally less aggressive than
males. ( citation needed as there are
many types of aggressive behavior ).
Health Implications
Men suffer from many of the same illnesses
as women.
Women suffer from many of the same
illnesses as men.
Occupations
In the early ages men were responsible for
food & security. Prime duties included
hunting, agriculture, taking care of canteen,
protecting women & children from wild
animals & enemies. In the recent ages, the
occupation borders have blurred.
In the early ages women were responsible
for reproduction and rearing the
offspring. Their duties included cooking,
and feeding the young ones. In the recent
ages, the occupation borders have blurred
5. Typical day in the life of a young girls
• 6-12 yrs – Kids
• 13-17 yrs - teenagers
•Live in a ‘hurry-up world’
• Busy parents
•School/college pressures
•Highly competitive
environment
•Sedentary lifestyle, diet
mostly comprising of
unhealthy fast food
6. Influences and activities
• Developing Muscles &
Bones
• Most receptive in the ages
between 6 & 10
• Pre teens & teens
undergoing rapid physical
and physiological changes
• Under immense peer
pressure
• Poor body image
7. How could yoga help ?
Physical Benefits
• Better growth & physical
• development
• Stronger, flexible bones &
muscles = Better posture &
functioning of the body
• Help prevent stress injuries
from other sports, helps loosen
tight muscles & joints
• Create body awareness &
healthy eating habits
• Physical Strength = Increased
emotional strength
8. …. continues
Physiological & Psychological
Benefits
• Boost self confidence,
acceptance of rapid changes
during puberty
• Helps build self-esteem,
concentration, better body-
mind connection, healthy mind
set
• Stress relieving
• Overall feeling of well-being
10. Typical day in the life of a Working Woman
05 :30 am 6:00 to 7:00 am 7:00 to 8:00 am 8:00 to 9:00 am
Day 2,3,………
9:00 am to 6:00 pm 6:00 to 10:00 pm
11. Common Challenges of modern working women
Severe headaches, blurred vision, fatigue or confusion,
chest pain, difficulty in breathing, palpitation or irregular
heart rate and pounding in the chest, neck and ears
Hypertension
Insomnia
Back Ache
Obesity
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Difficulty falling asleep, wake-up frequently during nights,
Wakeup too early in the morning, Lie awake at nights,
tossing and turning, Regularly tired on waking, Day time
sleepiness
Upper, Lower or Middle Back pain, Night Time Back Pain,
Mild to Severe
Breathlessness, increased sweating, snoring, difficulty
sleeping, inability to cope with sudden physical activity,
feeling very tired every day, back and joint pains.
Menstrual disturbances and elevated levels of male
hormones (androgens)
Common Ailments Symptoms
12. Calming and Restorative Yoga Techniques to Lower Hyper
Tension
2. Paschimottanasana
1. Badhakonasana
3. Nadishodhana
4. Veerasana
Yoga postures tend to switch on the
parasympathetic nervous system,
responsible for rest and repair, and
turn off the sympathetic nervous
system, used for the fight-or-flight
stress response. Increased
parasympathetic activity has a
beneficial effect on many systems in
the body, and allows the nervous
system to become more balanced,
freeing up the body’s inherent
healing responses
13. Yoga Asanas For Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Yoga has several poses that
aids in weight loss, relieves
stress and improves blood
circulation to the ovary thus
naturally curing PCOS.
1. Suptavirasana
2. Upavishtakonasana
3. Prasarita
padottanasana
4.Savasana
15. Pregnancy: Common complaints
• Morning sickness
• Backaches
• Heartburn
• Breathlessness
• Hormonal changes and imbalances
• Weight gain and Oedema
• Prenatal and postnatal problems
• Etc.
16. Problems Associated during Pregnancy and Symptoms
A growing baby will exert increasing pressure on your
diaphragm. This makes it harder to take deep breaths as
your pregnancy progresses.
Breathlessness
Backaches
Weight Gain
Constipation and Incontinence
PTSD
Your body undergoes significant changes to endure
pregnancy and the extra weight that needs to be
compensated for. This is a common complaint aggravated
by poor posture.
Weight gain is normal during a healthy pregnancy though
some undue hormonal fluctuations can increase your
weight disproportionately. This can also be a post natal
problem.
During pregnancy, hormonal changes result in a relaxing of
the gut wall which can make it more difficult for you to
move your bowel. The weight of the baby can also weaken
the pelvic floor muscles
onstipation.
Increasingly common amongst new mothers that find the
challenges of having a child mentally hard to cope with.
Common Ailments Symptoms
17. Prenatal Yoga
• Encourages gentle stretching
• Focus on breath to relax the mind.
• Emphasizes good posture
• Strengthens and conditions the vital
muscle groups to ease pregnancy,
labor and recovery.
• Certain series like the modified Cat-
Cow can position the baby for
delivery
• Twists encourage blood flow to
reproductive organs to correct
hormonal imbalances
18. Benefits of Yoga during Pregnancy
• Quicker muscle recovery after
childbirth
• Strengthens muscles for easier labor
• Keeps you calm and reduces anxiety
and stress
• Decrease lower back pain, nausea,
carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches
and shortness of breath
• Decrease the risk of preterm labor,
pregnancy-induced hypertension and
intrauterine growth restriction — a
condition that slows a baby's growth
20. Modifications
Props are your friends
Wide leg forward bend Twist in an open position
Pregnancy No-Nos
• Inversions
• Ab-Workouts
• Deep twists
• Deep forward bends
• Hot Yoga and Power Yoga
• Extreme backbends
• Over-exertion
23. Common Challenges of women going through menopause
Are sudden surges of heat in the chest, upper back, throat
and head, sometimes accompanied by patchy redness in
he skin. When caught in one the these heat waves one
perspire profusely and afterwards may feel chilly and weak.
Occurrs in night
Hot flushes
Vaginal atrophy
Weight gain
Menopausal syndrome
Mental attitude
Is the medical terms for dryness and loss of elasticity in the
vagina, resulting from greatly reduced secretions of vaginal
walls. It occurs in the later part of menopause
Is not necessary outcome of the menopause, but at this
time the appetite is disrupted and may increase.
It covers a range of other symptoms that include symptoms
that include headaches, digestive upset, dizzy spells,
palpitations, blood pressure irregularities, insomnia,
lethargy irritability and depression.
Negative attidude towards the distressing life changes
Common Ailments Symptoms
24. Yoga for hot flushes
2. sarvangasana
1. Viparita Karini
3. Chakrasana
4. Kandharasana
Yoga postures like inversion process
helps us to accept the changes more
openly, back bends works on the
heart chakra makes a woman feel
confident. Overall yoga helps in
balancing the hormones and thus
improving the health.
25. Yoga Asanas For menopausal syndrome and calming mind
Pranaymana, bandhas and
mudras and several asana
poses that aids in managing
the menopausal symptoms
and also calms mind. Yoga
nidra is used a very
relaxative technique
1. Pranayama
2. Bandhas 3. Mudras
4.Savasana and Yoga
Nidra
27. Life style of the old age women
• Age group of the old age varies from 60 and above.
• As people get older, physiological changes occur in
their body as a natural part of aging.
• Physical changes due to aging can occur in almost
every organ and can affect seniors' health and
lifestyle.
• Some diseases and conditions become more
prominent in the elderly.
• Psychosocial issues can also play a role in physical
and mental health.
• A balanced diet and regular exercise help influence
the well being of an individual.
28. Common Challenges of women during old age
Inflammation Of Joints Due To Wear And
Tear.Arthritis
Diabetes and Hyper Tension
Alzheimer or Parkinson’s
Osteoporosis
Impaired Control Of Blood Glucose
Obesity , Improper Diet.
Strokes, Poor Vision, Hearing Impairment,
Balance Problem.
Common Ailments Symptoms
Calcium deficiency resulting in bone density
de-generation, leading to fragile bone
susceptible to injury
29. Common Challenges of women during old age
Relaxation of the joints and gentle, regular
stretching and loosening to improve use of all
joints. Sukshma Vyayama practices
Arthritis
Diabetes
Alzheimer or Parkinson’s
Osteoporosis
Sukshma Vyayama practices to relax the body.
Dhanurasana, Balasana Pranayama
Sukshma Vyayama. Asanas to be practiced gently
without strain. Vakrasana, Bhunamasana,
Bharadwajasana, Marichasana
Common Ailments Yoga Practices
Hyper Tension Sukshma Vyayama, Nadishodhana Pranayama,
Paschimottanasana, Baddhakonasana, Ushtrasana,
Janusirsasana Gomukhasana
Sukshma Vyayama, Bhujangasana, Simhasana,
Ushtrasana. Kapal bhati
30. SUMMARY
• Yogic practices of Shatkarma, Asana, Pranayama and Dhyana
support and nurture the overall health of women from
childhood to old age.
• Many lifestyle issues that lead to lifestyle chronic diseases are
also resolved through regular yoga practice. The primary of
these being stress.
• Stress at any age affects the mind body complex negatively
and is the root of all health disorders in one way or another.
• Yoga provides a way for us to relieve ourselves of stress. A
positive lifestyle with regular practice of Yoga can ensure that
people can live healthier and happier lives without the onset
of disease and degenerative ailments.