18 | Second Spring: Transforming Menopause Through Yoga and Mindfulness with Petra Coveney

The information shared on Pleasure in the Pause is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any decisions about your health or treatment. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the host or Pleasure in the Pause.

Struggling with hot flashes, anxiety, sleepless nights, or joint pain during perimenopause or menopause? In this episode of Pleasure In the Pause, host Gabriella Espinosa welcomes menopause yoga pioneer Petra Coveney to explore how ancient yoga practices can ease common menopause symptoms and support your journey through midlife. Discover why stress management is the foundation of menopause wellness, learn breath work techniques that calm anxiety in minutes, and explore the beautiful concept of "Second Spring"—a reframing of post-menopause as a time of reblossoming and renewed vitality.

Petra Coveney is the creator of Menopause Yoga™ (2013), a senior yoga teacher, trainer and author of two books on menopause.

Her first book ‘Menopause Yoga - a Holistic Guide to Supporting Women on their Menopause Journey,’ (2021) accompanies her internationally accredited teachers’ training course. She has trained more than 1,000 Menopause Yoga teachers in over 40 countries and her course was translated into Japanese.

Her NEW (very pink) book ‘Menopause & Wellbeing - a Daily Practice Guide for Perimenopause to Second Spring’ is published this month (October). ‘She' is friendly bedside table guide for people going through this stage of life, and for teachers and therapists working one-to-one.stage of life.

Highlights from our discussion include:

• Hormonal changes during menopause create an internal stress response that, combined with life stressors, can worsen every symptom from hot flashes to insomnia through elevated cortisol and inflammation.
• Simple practices like the "hot flush mantra," 3-minute anxiety meditation, and birthday candle breath for rage provide evidence-based relief in minutes and can be done discreetly anywhere.
• Drawing from Traditional Chinese Medicine, post-menopause can be reframed as a time of rebirth and reblossoming when you prioritize your health and wellbeing through the transition.
• Beyond physical relief, yoga reconnects you with your inner wisdom and helps you cultivate daily pleasure—whether through dancing, nature, or intimacy—strengthening your capacity for vitality and love.
• Gentle pelvic floor practices using breath work and imagery support genitourinary symptoms, sexual pleasure, and overall wellbeing without shame or stigma.

Your body already has the wisdom you need. The answers are within you—you just need to breathe, listen, and trust yourself. Remember: Second Spring is real, but it requires you to care for your health and wellbeing as you travel through perimenopause and menopause.

CONNECT WITH PETRA COVENEY:

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You can buy her books on Amazon -  or from the publishers’ website www.singingdragon.com and receive a 25% discount. Just use this code %25PETRA. 

To join her live online classes and teacher training courses visit www.menopause-yoga.com and follower her on Instagram @menopause_yoga

CONNECT WITH GABRIELLA ESPINOSA:

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Go to https://www.gabriellaespinosa.com/ to book a call.

Full episodes on YouTube.