Puberty, fertility, maternity, menopause… these major phases of a woman’s life have something in common: the deep impact of hormonal changes. This book shows you how to be proactive and contribute to rebalancing your hormones, naturally.
If you are a woman aged 16 to 86 and you think that…
you would like to know your body better,
hormones are important (but you’re not quite sure why),
period pain is ‘just a fact of life’,
menopause equals suffering,
the vagina and the vulva are the same thing,
you have no time (or no money) for self-care,
a wellness break is a glass of wine while watching TV,
peeing when you sneeze can’t be helped,
nobody understands what you are going through,
you’ll have time to sleep when you are retired,
women’s circles are for hippies and witches,
constipation has nothing to do with sexuality…
then you’ll definitely benefit from reading this book!
Building on ten years of experience, this guide offers practical tips, easy to integrate into your daily life, based on a better understanding of how a woman’s body works and what it needs.
Four yoga sequences and beginner-level meditations will show you how to move and rest in order to regain your energy and serenity.
A book to share with friends and family, because knowledge is power!
Daftar Isi
Welcome
How to use this guide
The 5 elements of women’s wellbeing
- Movement
- Rest
- Digestion
- Disconnection
- Connection
Strength and fragility of the female body
‘It’s all in the head’- The body’s axes
The three axes
HPA: Hypothalamus – Pituitary – Adrenal Axis
SOS: Deep breathing for digestion and calm
HPT: Hypothalamus – Pituitary – Thyroid Axis
HPO: Hypothalamus – Pituitary – Ovarian Axis
Unsung heroes 1: the fascia
Endocrine disruptors
How to destress and go into ‘rest and recharge’ mode?
Acupuncture, Homeopathy, and Ayurveda: listening to the body
How acupuncture can help you, by Jani White
Homeopathy and women’s hormones, by Sarah Davison
Regain health and vitality with Ayurveda, by Stéfanie Lolivret
Yoga sequence focusing on the axes
Meditation: Resting in the light
‘The second brain!’: digestion, absorption, elimination
What is ‘normal’ digestion?
Unsung heroes 2: the vagus nerve
What is the connection with women’s hormones?
How can you support your digestion?
SOS: Exhaustion: foot bath with magnesium salts
Keep your belly warm for overall wellbeing, by Tiffany Bown
A massage for a healthy belly
Yoga sequence for digestion
Meditation: Mindful food tasting
‘Womanhood’: womb, ovaries, vagina, and breasts
Ovaries
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)
Unsung heroes 3: the psoas
A word about menopause
SOS: hot flushes
SOS: tired eyes
The womb
Fertility
Motherhood
Birth control
SOS: period pain
Yoga sequence for ovaries and womb
Meditation: Heart-to-Womb-mudra
The womb blessing, by Nadège Lanvin
The vagina
Yeast infections
Sanitary products: spoilt for choice?
Breasts
Breast massage with oil
‘Intimacy’- pelvic floor, vulva, and clitoris
Pelvic floor
What does the pelvic floor do?
The ‘pelvic floor breath’
How to help your pelvic floor?
The vulva
Unsung heroes 4: the clitoris
Yoga sequence for the pelvic floor
Meditation: Blossoming flower Mudra
Women’s circles
Where do they come from?
What’s in it for you?
How does it work?
How to use this guide for your circle
Being Yin in a Yang world, by Mirjam Wagner
This book’s women’s circle
Jani White
Sarah Davison
Stéfanie Lolivret
Tiffany Bown
Nadège Lanvin
Mirjam Wagner
Conclusion
Gratitude
Commented bibliography
Online resources
Tentang Penulis
Susanne Haegele is a pre- and postnatal yoga teacher, specialising in women’s wellbeing.
After working for many years as a translator in international organisations, Susanne came to yoga to heal her back pain and was amazed to discover the effects of a more natural lifestyle on her hypothyroidism and womanhood. As a certified hatha yoga instructor since 2007, she now leads international workshops on fertility, the menstrual cycle, menopause, and the pelvic floor, as well as women’s circles.