086: Hot Flushes in MENOPAUSE: How to Manage Them Naturally

Hot flushes (or hot flashes) are one of the most widely known symptoms of menopause. But they don’t have to run your life. In this episode, Carly explores what really causes hot flushes, how to manage them naturally using Breathwork and lifestyle tools, and why compassion and mindset matter just as much as what you eat or wear.

Learn how to:

• Use cooling breath techniques like Sitali to calm your system
• Understand the nervous system's role in temperature regulation
• Shift your mindset from frustration to self-support
• Make small changes that reduce the frequency or intensity of flushes
• Explore whether HRT might be right for you

✨ Don’t forget to grab your free “Could it Be Menopause?” guide, including the Greene Climacteric Scale and GP questions → carlykillen.com

🎥 Watch the Sitali Breath video on YouTube → Cooling Breath

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📧 Email: carlykillenpt@gmail.com
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Transcript

Carly: 0:37

Hello and welcome back to The Strong Bones Coach Podcast. I'm Carly Killen, and today we're going to be talking about something so many women bring up to me, and it especially came up a lot over the Wellbeing and Lifestyle Weekend where I was running an all star at a local fair. So many amazing conversations and beautiful connections. But one particular topic was running the show when we were having our chats, and that is hot flushes or hot flashes, depending on where you're listening from. So whether they're just a mild nuisance or something that's really impacting your quality of life. This episode is here to help you understand what's really happening and how you can manage them better, and why self-compassion is key. So if you've ever felt caught off guard by a sudden heat wave from within, let's talk about how you can support yourself through it. So let's start with the basics. Why do hot flushes happen? Well, hot flushes are one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, or perhaps the most well known and most talked about. But just because they're common, it doesn't mean you have to suffer through them alone. They happen due to hormonal fluctuations, especially falling estrogen levels, which affect your body's internal thermostats called the hypothalamus. Suddenly, what used to feel like a normal room temperature can feel unbearable, and your body kicks into heat dissipation mode, cue the flushing, sweating that internal feeling of. Rising heat just like a furnace. But for many women, it's not just a physical experience, it's the emotional load that comes with it. The embarrassment, frustration, worried that others will notice. I've even had former colleagues refer to them jokingly as tropical moments, which I actually quite liked. There's something empowering about naming the moment and owning it rather than shrinking away from it or pretending it's not happening. So today I'm gonna cover off ways that you can support yourself, and I'm gonna start with something super empowering the most accessible tools you have is your breath. You've probably heard me talk about how versatile the breath is. It's not just about relaxation, it's about regulation. And your breath can help you calm your nervous system, lower your core body temperature, help you feel grounded when emotions or discomfort are running high. There's one breath I particularly love for hot flushes, the sat breath, a yogic cooling breath. So this is a simple practice where you can curl your tongue into a straw shape or use purse lips if that's more comfortable. If you're one of these people that don't have the genetics for the curled tongue, and then you would inhale through that shape. Followed by a tiny hold, a slight pause, and then exhaling through the nose. It has a direct cooling and moistening effect on your throat and support your nervous system. Back into a more calm state if you'd like a demonstration of this.'cause I realize you are probably listening to this on a podcast platform and can't see me right now, but I do have a video that I can share with you telling you all about how to do it. So I'll pop the link into the show notes. And just remember, this is a practice. If you try it once and it feels a little bit awkward, it doesn't instantly help be kind with yourself like anything. It takes time to build that connection, but it is worth giving it more than one go before you decide whether or not this is for you. Again, it's just one tool in a vast toolbox that we get to build on our journey. The hot flushing aside, learning to use your breath to activate your rest and digest system has powerful effects beyond comfort. Your parasympathetic nervous system is where our muscle recovery begins. So if you are doing strength training, doing all the right things, but living in constant stress mode, your results might plateau. After your workout, just three to four exhales after you've finished training can really help you switch gears, supporting your recovery sleep, and yes, even helps regulate temperature more efficiently. So if you feel like your hot flushes are. Taking you away from exercise because you're worried that you won't be able to regulate your temperature. This is a great way to do that. So either this breath or extended exhales are just some of the breaths that you can do to support yourself. So now let's get honest. Sometimes it's not the hot flush, it's itself, but how we feel about the flush that causes most distress, we might start to fight it. We might brace against it. We worry what others think. So this is very much a mindset and acceptance thing here. So the truth is accepting what's happening in your body with kindness. It doesn't mean giving up, it means creating space to respond rather than react to your experience. Now this is where I'd like to give a shout out to Sophie Fletcher on her book, mindful Menopause. There's so many great tips in here for managing hot flushes and a lot around the menopause experience in and of itself. So if you haven't read that one, I would recommend. And she talks about some great things about meeting that hot flush with curiosity, perhaps asking, what is my body trying to do for me right now rather than, why is this happening to me? This great reframe alone can help reduce the emotional charge of the experience and help you feeling more back into yourself, back into your center than if you try to deny or fight this experience. And of course there's more than one way to manage any of our experiences. So here's a few lifestyle support tips that can help to give you even more tools in the box. So let's wrap up with some practical reminders. So if hot flushes are becoming a daily challenge, here are a few things that can make a difference. So you may want to consider reducing caffeine and alcohol, especially in the afternoon or in the evening. These act as stimulants, antidepressants, so when we have our nervous system trying to regulate us throughout the day, sometimes external substances can make this a little bit harder, especially when our hormones are already fluctuating in themselves. So perhaps we can give our bodies a hand by reducing some of these things. So. Our body can do its job better. Also, let's look at our clothing. So wearing light, breathable layers, especially natural fibers, can really help to dissipate some of that heat and again, stop some of that sticky, sweaty feeling that we get when we have those artificial fibers, those manmade fibers. Again, when we're looking at our sleep, staying cool at night is really supportive. So think lighter bedding, a cooling pillow. Again, natural fibers in your nightwear, they're gonna help you have a much more comfortable night. Next, looking at our body shape and size, so our excess body fat that is unwanted can increase our heat retention. It can make life a little bit harder. So maintaining a healthy weight for your body is something that is definitely worth having a look at. And we're not talking about trying to have a lot of weight loss. We're looking at seeing what feels right for you. And if you need some help with that, you can always get in touch for some tips and to see what might be right for you. And next we have regular exercise, so including strength training, which can really help to improve your thermal regulation over time. You might want to also consider a switch in your usual exercise habits. So if you did usually prefer a aerobic style class, but you're now finding this is too much for you, especially if the hot flushes are becoming unmanageable in the style of training, switching over to something that allows you to take more time to work at your own pace can be really supportive and still help you take care of your health. Of course, because we are dealing with hormones here, you may wish to consider if HRT hormone replacement therapy is something that might support you here. This can significantly reduce hot flushes. So this is a very personal decision and one worth discussing with a knowledgeable gp. Remember, if hot flushes are affecting your daily life, you don't need to just put up with it. Support is here. Feel free to reach out for me book on one of my free clarity calls if you want to talk this through and about how you can further support yourself. So hot flushes might be part of your menopause journey. But they don't have to steal your piece. You can learn to support your body, shift your perspective, and feel empowered again. So if you'd like to explore more support or learn calming breath techniques, you can check out my YouTube channel., I'll link this Atali breath video in the show notes. And if you're looking to understand your menopause experience more deeply, don't forget, you can grab my free guide. Could it be menopause, which includes. A screening tool that you can take to your GP and guide your questions better. You'll find that over@kyliekillen.com and I will link it in the notes below as well. So remember, your body isn't failing you, it's speaking to you. You deserve to feel strong, supported, and seen. So until next time, stay strong and take care.