How Ancient Breathing Techniques Can Naturally Balance Your Hormones During Menopause

When cancer changed everything

At 35, while managing a demanding career and family life, I received life-changing news: breast cancer. During treatment, I asked my doctor, "Why did this happen? I love life so much. How did I press the death button?" His response changed everything: "This is what you want." He explained that while every human body has cancerous cells, my lifestyle had brought this forward.

The treatments put me into medical menopause, creating a complete disconnect from my body. I dealt with hot flashes, mood swings, and severe brain fog daily. I felt like a stranger in my own skin, lost and struggling to find my way back.

When a friend mentioned Hormone Yoga Therapy's popularity in Austria, I decided to try it myself. Two weeks later, my cycle returned; a moment that changed everything. I immediately began studying with Dinah Rodriguez, the founder of Hormone Yoga Therapy, and became certified in 2017.

If you're navigating the turbulent waters of perimenopause or menopause, you're not alone in seeking natural alternatives to hormone replacement therapy. Today I want to share three of the breathing techniques that first pulled me out of the fire - practices that have since helped more than 700 women through their own transformations.

Before we begin: These techniques are gentle, but if you have heart, lung, or thyroid conditions, please talk with your doctor first.

Your breath is a natural hormone balancer

Menopause brings a decline in estrogen and progesterone, affecting more than just reproduction. These hormonal shifts provoke symptoms like sudden hot flashes, sleep disturbances, overwhelming mood swings, and thyroid fluctuations that influence energy and metabolism.

But here's the remarkable discovery: your breath, something you do 20,000 times a day, can be consciously harnessed to influence your nervous system and endocrine (hormonal) balance.

When stress shifts the body into fight-or-flight, levels of cortisol rise and the delicate dance between the brain, thyroid, ovaries, and adrenals stumbles. Slow, purposeful breathing flips the switch to rest-and-digest, signalling safety and allowing the endocrine system to find rhythm again.

Recent studies confirm what yogis have whispered for centuries:

• Humming breath (Bhrāmarī) lowered serum cortisol by up to 18% after eight weeks of daily practice (Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine, 2024)
• Slow-paced breathing improved heart-rate variability, a gold-standard stress marker, across 54 of 72 clinical trials (PMC Study)
• A four-month yoga program that included breathwork raised estradiol in post-menopausal women, hinting at direct hormonal support (Menopause Journal, 2016)

Every calm exhale is therefore a chemical love letter to your hormones.

The vagus nerve: Your body's reset button

The vagus nerve, the longest cranial nerve that runs from your brain through your face, throat, and into your body, serves as your parasympathetic powerhouse. Certain breathing techniques directly stimulate this nerve, triggering immediate relaxation responses and promoting hormonal balance.

Research using heart rate variability (HRV) shows that specific pranayama practices can rapidly boost HRV and produce remarkably low stress readings, even more effectively than sleep.

Three powerful breathing techniques for hormonal balance

Technique 1: Humming Bee Breath (Bhrāmarī)

Feeling: A warm buzz behind the nose, like friendly bees tidying the mind.

What it is: Cover your ears with your thumbs, place your index and middle fingers over your closed eyes, control with your forefinger the outer nose to control the air flow, your pinky fingers rest on your upper lip to feel the air flow and hum like a bee as you exhale.

How it works: The gentle vibration created by humming directly stimulates your vagus nerve, while the sound resonates through your skull, potentially affecting the pituitary gland, your body's "master hormone controller."

The research: A clinical trial published in the Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine found that practicing Bhramari twice daily for two months led to an 18% reduction in cortisol levels. Lower cortisol means less interference with your ovarian function and thyroid conversion.

Benefits for menopause:

• Rapidly reduces stress and anxiety
• Improves sleep quality through increased melatonin production
• May stimulate the pituitary gland, which governs ovaries and thyroid
• Releases feel-good neurohormones (endorphins, oxytocin)

How to practice:

1. Sit tall; soften shoulders
2. Close ears with thumbs and rest fingertips lightly over eyelids to invite darkness
3. Inhale through the nose. Exhale with a deep, steady mmm
4. Repeat for 3–5 minutes, morning and night

Technique 2: Cooling Straw Breath (Śītalī/Śītkārī)

Feeling: A mint-like breeze across the tongue that chills a rising flash.

What it is: Roll your tongue into a tube (or purse your lips if you can't roll your tongue), inhale cool air through your mouth, then exhale through your nose.

How it works: This technique literally cools your core temperature while activating your parasympathetic nervous system through slow, controlled breathing. The cooling inhalation and gentle exhalation naturally lengthen your breath, slowing your heart rate and easing blood pressure.

The science: Yoga therapists consider Sheetali one of the most effective techniques for relieving hot flashes and night sweats, as documented in traditional Ayurvedic texts.

Benefits for menopause:

• Immediate relief from hot flashes and overheating
• Reduces intensity of vasomotor symptoms
• Calms anxiety and emotional reactivity
• Improves digestion and sleep

How to practice:

1. Roll your tongue into a tube (or gently clench teeth and part lips if your tongue won't roll)
2. Sip cool air for a count of 4
3. Close the mouth and exhale through the nose for a count of 6–8
4. Repeat 6 rounds whenever heat surges

Caution: If you have hypothyroidism or very low blood pressure, go slow with this practice. It can cool your system even more and may lower your energy. If you often feel cold, it’s best to use it gently and not too often. Your body knows, listen to it.

Technique 3: Bellows Breath (Bhastrikā)

Feeling: A quick inner workout that swaps foggy fatigue for bright energy.

What it is: Vigorous, rapid inhales and exhales powered by your diaphragm, like a bellows stoking a fire.

How it works: This energizing technique generates internal heat, boosts circulation, and may "wake up" sluggish endocrine glands by delivering increased oxygen and nutrients. Traditional tantric practices use Bhastrika while focusing on the soft palate area, as detailed in Tantric Practice studies.

Benefits for menopause:

• Combats fatigue and low energy
• May stimulate thyroid and adrenal function
• Increases metabolism and circulation
• Activates the pituitary gland
• Releases endorphins for mood enhancement

How to practice:

1. Place hands on knees; keep spine erect
2. Inhale sharply through the nose, expanding the belly
3. Exhale with equal force
4. Pump 10 times, then take one slow, full breath and hold for 5 seconds
5. Rest and repeat up to 3 rounds

Caution: Avoid if pregnant or if blood pressure is uncontrolled. Stop if you feel dizzy.

Creating your personal practice

Start small: Begin with just 5 minutes daily, focusing on one technique that resonates with you.

Be consistent: Regular practice (even brief sessions) is more beneficial than occasional long practices.

Listen to your body: Notice how each technique affects you and adjust accordingly.

Track your symptoms: Keep a simple journal noting your practice and any changes in hot flashes, sleep, mood, or energy.

The holistic approach

What makes breathwork uniquely powerful for hormonal harmony is how it bridges the gap between mind and body. Unlike pharmaceutical interventions that target specific pathways, pranayama works holistically:

Physically: Stimulates circulation, oxygenates tissues, and may directly influence endocrine glands

Neurologically: Activates the vagus nerve and shifts autonomic nervous system balance

Energetically: Yogic tradition teaches that breath directs life force energy (prana) to specific organs and energy centers

Psychologically: Reduces stress, anxiety, and negative thought patterns that can worsen hormonal symptoms

Safety & progress tips

• Practise on an empty or light stomach
• Keep breath smooth—never strain or rush
• Stop if you feel dizzy; resume when steady
• Track flashes, sleep, and mood in a journal to see progress week by week

While breathing techniques are generally safe, certain conditions warrant caution. Always consult with healthcare providers before making significant changes to your health routine, especially if you're considering reducing or stopping hormone replacement therapy.

Ready for deeper guidance?

Breathwork is the doorway; Hormone Yoga Therapy is the full home. If you'd like step-by-step video lessons and live support, apply to work with me in private here, or join the waitlist for the next HYT Group Program.

Alternatively start with my no-cost Five-Day Email Course.

Your breath, your power

Your breath is an always-available tool for navigating the complexities of hormonal change. Through these simple yet profound practices, you can begin to influence your nervous system, reduce stress hormones, and create internal conditions that support hormonal balance.

Start today. Start small by watching the below 5 minutes video I recorded for you.
Start with just one conscious breath. Your hormones and your whole being will thank you.