Mayo Clinic Wellness Solutions for Menopause

I tried this routine for the first time last night. I thought the back of the case said 40 min but I guess that's including the meditation (didn't do that part)she talks the entire time - even the final relaxation pose. As another reviewer said there's talk about stimulating the ovaries and strengthening the uterus, etc but I guess I've sampled enough yoga that I'm not too shocked though I can definitely recall some eye opening statements when I first started! Overall this is a nice routine - she uses blankets and chair as props but I skipped those - she'll say something like not pushing the stretch but I wanted to feel the stretch and not just be propped up so I didn't use props. She does standing forward bend, extended right angle, triangle, wide legged forward bend (seems like this was in there) then some seated poses like one leg bent with forward bend and both legs out front forward bend then lying poses with the legs twisting one side then the other(one of my faves) then relaxation.tree pose is also included and is made to be fun -she laughs and one keeps losing her balance. overall I really enjoyed this and it was relaxing. I like how she held the poses- downdog happens twice and I had to go back to child's pose a couple of times since it was held too long for me (starting over and out of shape and overweight). This is a routine I think I'll do again from time to time and may even watch the rest of the dvd about menopause (I'm 47 and guess it's coming up for me)

I have entered early menopause due to a hysterectomy with ovary removal and am currently experiencing some hot flashes and night sweats. I am 3 years in remission after a mastectomy and chemo for ER/PR positive breast cancer and my oncologist advises that hormone therapy and supplements are contraindicated for me. In searching for alternatives, I've read articles indicating that yoga can be helpful and decided it can't hurt to give it a try. The outdoor backdrop presented here is lovely and the instructor is pleasant. She demonstrates some of the poses herself, but she often walks around the two background exercisers and shows them how to adjust the poses to make them easier or harder. My yoga experience is limited, but I found the moves fairly accessible. If you are a regular practitioner, it might be too easy for you. I like that the instructor is actually talking in "real time" as they do the workout (voice over tends to creep me out). She makes a few comments that are a little "woo woo" by my standards, but it isn't so over the top that I can't overlook it. It does bother me a little bit when she says things like "this pose stimulates the ovaries"; I get distracted and start wondering if that means that it isn't doing anything for me because I don't have ovaries (or whatever part she is talking about), but I guess most women wouldn't have this problem. I have done extensive reading about menopause and didn't learn anything new from the discussion segment of the DVD, but for the average person, I would say it presents up-to-date & accurate information in an easy to understand format (although I can't imagine one would watch that part more than once or twice). I think I will actually make use of the workout portion of the DVD as, regardless of whether or not it reduces or eliminates my hot flashes, it is still a nice stretch. There is also a meditation segment on the DVD, which I started to try, but I was too antsy to sit through it today and will have to attempt it another time.