Influence of Iyengar Yoga on the Bio-functional Age of Postmenopausal Women

Inclusion Criteria:

• Informed consent

• Women after Menopause (defined as 12 months of spontaneous amenorrhea or 6 months ofspontaneous amenorrhea with serum FSH levels >40mlU/ml or 6 weeks postsurgicalbilateral oophorectomy with or without hysterectomy)

• Age over 18 years

• At least 4 hot flushes per day (examined through the Menopause rating scale MRS-II)

• No regular yoga practice for two years

• German as native language

• Willing to participate in 12 yoga classes as well as two 45 self practice sessionsper week

• Willing to assess biofunctional Status and give blood samples

Exclusion Criteria:

• Acute and/or serious disease in the past two years (e.g. Cancer, major surgery)

• Autoimmune or chronic inflammatory disease (e.g. rheumatism, thyroid dysfunction)

• Mental illness (e.g. Depression or anxiety disorder (HADS >8))

• Acute or chronic back pain or herniated vertebral disc

• Compulsion to participate in the trial

• Attendance of less than 10 yoga lessons out of 12.

• Hormone replacement therapy (HRT)

• Smoking > 20 Cigarettes per day or over 20 packyears

• Consumption of >30g alcohol per day (>1 liter of beer or >0.3 dl of wine)

• Previous periodic participation in yoga classes within the last two years

• Inability or contraindications to undergo the investigated intervention

• Participants incapable of judgement or participants under tutelage Diabetes mellitus