Many women have found that they can limit the number and severity of hot flashes using mind-body practices such as yoga, meditation, visualization, and deep breathing. It is worth noting that in many menopause studies placebo works as well as many of the remedies being studied. This is a strong indicator that expectations — and your mind — have a profound effect on your body's responses. Stress, anxiety, and fatigue can contribute to the onset and severity of hot flashes; these techniques help calm the mind, relax your muscles and nerves, and keep you feeling rested and at ease. Even when hot flashes do occur, regular practice of these techniques can help you recover more quickly from their effects. And these relaxation techniques and mind-body exercises work to combat a number of other menopausal symptoms, including mood swings, sleeplessness, muscle loss, joint aches, and reduced cognitive functions.

Take a Deep Breath

Use deep breathing to calm a raging hot flash; practice it regularly to help avoid the onset of hot flashes throughout the day and night. Deep, paced breathing is a strong tool for calming the body and the mind — and it's an incredibly easy technique to use. If you feel a hot flash coming on, begin taking deep, slow breaths through your nose. Breathe in to expand your lungs as far as you can, then hold the breath there for a few seconds before you slowly release it. Let your belly swell out and your chest expand as you breathe in, so your body is fully “inflating” with the breath. When you exhale, empty your lungs completely. Take at least three full, deep breaths and try to remain calm.

Make It a Daily Habit

A daily program of meditation and relaxation is a powerful tool for keeping your body calm, focused, and strong throughout the day. Its stress-relieving benefits can help ward off hot flashes and other stress-related symptoms of menopause. A ten-minute relaxation session fits easily into your morning and evening schedule, and it's simple to do. Sit or lie down in a quiet place with your eyes closed. Consciously relax every muscle in your body, beginning with your feet and continuing the relaxation up toward your head. Concentrate on a single word or object that has personal meaning for you; if other ideas, worries, or mental chatter enter your mind, dismiss them and return to the thought of your focus word. After ten minutes, open your eyes, remain seated, and take three deep breaths before continuing with your day.

Yoga: Not Just for Youngsters!

Yoga is an excellent practice for increasing flexibility, building muscle strength and endurance, and eliminating the negative effects of stress on your body. Practicing yoga stretches for twenty to thirty minutes three times a week can help reduce the negative effects of stress on your body, as it stretches your muscles, improves your balance, and encourages deep, full breathing. Regular yoga practice can also help reduce insomnia, so you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

As you find your way through menopause, use your symptoms — including hot flashes — to increase your self-awareness. Talk to your health care provider, and try a combination of medicinal and mind-body suggestions until you find what best suits your symptoms and lifestyle. At the very least, you can reframe your hot flashes as “power surges” and keep a sense of humor about this temporary, if bothersome, phase.