Yoga for PMS and other menstrual disorders

Yoga is an ideal and dosed exercise for the human body, which not only strengthens muscles, but also helps to open all the necessary energy chakras. Women who practice yoga look great and are in optimal emotional balance. But beginning girls often wonder how safe these spiritual-physical practices are during menstruation. It's no secret that intense physical activity is not recommended for women during their periods. It's unlikely that you already know how to hold positions like a headstand, but still, you're probably wondering how yoga can affect your period.

1. Yoga during your period is perfectly acceptable, but only if you focus on doing the “right” asanas that won’t disrupt your hormonal levels and won’t lead you to emotional decline.
2. All positions must be selected in such a way as not to disrupt the flow of menstruation.
3. In addition, we recommend that you give preference to asanas that are aimed at strengthening women's health.

The practice of yoga is a complex and responsible process that should be pursued purposefully and responsibly. It’s worth doing it regularly to discover all its delights and feel them in your own body. The period of menstruation in this regard is no exception. Yoga complexes during menstruation should differ slightly from the standard ones.

However, there is no need to cancel classes at all, and there is no point in fearing for your health in this case. It is worth understanding that menstruation is not a disease at all, but a completely natural physiological state of the female body.

During this period, particles of the endometrium, the layer lining the inner surface of the organ, are rejected from the uterus. This phenomenon can be accompanied by pain of varying intensity in the lower abdomen, and yoga will be an excellent help in relieving it.

Is it possible to do yoga during menstruation?

Each female body is unique and there cannot be a single answer to the question of whether it is possible to do yoga during menstruation. But it’s definitely worth reducing the intensity and load during practice. Some asanas, due to their active effect on the body’s hematopoietic system, should be abandoned for a short time, but exercises that stimulate the strengthening of women’s health and equalize the emotional background are ideal.

The ability to listen to your body during menstruation will be very useful. If the discharge is profuse and painful, it is better to stop exercising. If the condition is smooth and the discharge is moderate, there is no need to completely exclude kundalini practice for fear of harming your health; the main thing is to understand what techniques can reduce pain and ensure relief of unpleasant symptoms.

You can do yoga during your period, but you should avoid certain asanas.

Useful exercises - list of asanas

Yoga during menstruation, with the right choice of exercises, can significantly alleviate the condition. Experts do not recommend completely giving up exercise if a severe painful condition occurs. You should choose light, breathing exercises. They will help you relax as much as possible, this will help get rid of disturbing pain.

It is forbidden to perform asanas during periods of heavy discharge. It is better to take a break from training for a few days, then return to it again when menstruation becomes less heavy. These days, exercises that are performed standing or sitting are very useful. Experts recommend performing a yoga complex with the following asanas:

1. Shavasana is one of the most important poses that helps relieve tension and fatigue. It calms and relieves stress.
2. Uttanasana is a pose that helps stabilize the menstrual cycle and relieves abdominal pain.
3. Vrikshasana - relieves back pain, promotes the development of slender posture, helps get rid of depression, and normalizes biological rhythms. Tree pose has a positive effect on the abdominal organs.
4. Baddha konasana - improves blood circulation in the pelvic organs and helps improve their general condition. The asana has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the ovaries. Women who regularly perform this exercise gradually get rid of pain during menstruation.
5. Janu Shirshasana – helps strengthen the muscles of the back, hips, and improves kidney function.
6. Balasana. Crow pose brings harmony to the body and mind, allowing you to concentrate on important things. It helps get rid of forgetfulness and absent-mindedness.

A set of correctly selected exercises will calm a woman, relieve discomfort during menstruation, allow her to concentrate and find inner harmony.

What positions should you avoid during menstruation?

Which asanas should not be done during menstruation? Yoga classes on critical days should be based on a reasonable approach and special care. You should not provoke unpleasant consequences by risking your well-being, so it is important to completely abandon inverted positions, twisting and asanas that involve strong bending and pressure on the abdominal cavity.

If suddenly familiar and safe positions cause pain and discomfort, you should also abandon them for a while.

It is very important to remember about breathing: during exercises it should be even and calm.

A woman’s reproductive system is a delicate mechanism that needs a gentle approach, and therefore during menstruation all asanas must be safe and comfortable. Why? Some postures provoke inhibition of blood flow, which in turn causes blood stagnation, which can cause gynecological diseases such as fibromas, cysts and endometrial lesions of the pelvic peritoneum.

Prohibited asanas:

• Sirsasana (head pose);
• Sarvangasana (performed on the shoulders);
• Adho mukha vrikshasana (performed on the hands);
• Halasana (or plow pose);
• Viparita karani mudra (or bent candle position);
• Vrishchikasana (Scorpio);
• Pincha mayurasana (yogic peacock feather);
• Bakasana (crane asana).

Important! It is strongly recommended not to perform complex or master new poses, or to use exercises that require active tension of the abdominal muscles. Such postures provoke increased pain and change the natural course of menstruation.

You should pay special attention to independent practice using books or videos during this period. Yoga during menstruation should be structured correctly, and the set of exercises itself should be simplified.

Points for and against"

Regular yoga classes help harmonize internal currents, strengthen muscles and ligaments, and increase the mobility of joints and the spine.

Performing the “right” exercises during menstrual periods will help improve your mood, relieve stress, normalize the amount of discharge, eliminate discomfort and relieve muscle spasms.

Despite the visible benefits that yoga classes bring during menstrual periods, they can cause harm if the asanas are selected incorrectly.

• Positions that require muscle tension may lead to increased menstrual bleeding and increased cramping.
• Intensified yoga exercises during menstruation are fraught with hormonal imbalance.

• The benefits of yoga can be obtained provided that asanas are correctly selected, which are recommended for performance during critical days.
• You should not start classes in a bad mood. On the contrary, a positive attitude will help you get rid of menstrual pain and overcome irritability.

Exercises to relieve menstrual symptoms

During yoga classes on menstrual days, special attention is paid to joint exercises, useful stretching exercises, focusing on meditation and general relaxation of the body. Thanks to smoothness and concentration, periodic pain will be minimized over time, the cycle will normalize, and mood swings and depression will disappear.

Women who regularly practice yoga note a general improvement in their condition and easier menstrual days. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether yoga helped with period pain is clear: “Yes!”

Poses allowed to be performed:

1. The following yoga poses are recommended for painful periods, heavy discharge, and spinal spasms: Utthita Hasta Padangushth asana (stretching one leg forward) or Ardha Chandrasana pose.
2. To improve blood flow in the pelvic area, relieve nervous tension and pain, Matsyasana (or butterfly), Supta Virasana pose, but using a bolster or rolled blanket under the back, Supta Baddha Konasana are suitable.
3. To normalize discharge, both heavy and scanty, improve mood and general condition, it is recommended to regularly do these exercises: Padmasana, Sukhasana, Upavishta Konasana, Adho Mukha Sukhasana, the popular Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana or Janu Shirshasana, as well as most sitting poses and variations of forward bends from them. It is worth adding that performing these gymnastics will be a cure for stress, eliminate insomnia, and normalize the emotional background.

It is important to remember that none of the permitted exercises should be performed through pain or excessive tension.

Arms, legs and back are included in the work without unnecessary discomfort. The neck, stomach and face remain calm and relaxed.

Yoga during menstruation: is it possible or not?

This issue is considered individually. It all depends on the decision of the practitioner himself.

In case of severe pain, emotional instability and lack of energy, preference should be given to yoga nidra and performing light pranayamas (breathing techniques), for example, Ujjayi, Anuloma-Viloma or Bharamri.

Chanting appropriate relaxation mantras will also help.

In the absence of severe discomfort during menstruation, practical yoga exercises are of great benefit.

They help cope with pain in the pelvis and lower back.

They help to level out the emotional state, get rid of mood swings, anxiety, anger, irritability, and cope with depression.

Properly selected asanas help relieve physical stress and normalize the functioning of the reproductive system during this period and in the future.

Menstruation is not a contraindication to yoga. In this case, it is worth taking into account your general well-being and overall health status. The issue must be approached strictly individually, taking into account your own preferences and recommendations of the masters.

Little feminine tricks

So, if you decide to practice yoga during menstruation, there are a few tips that will help you avoid excessive stress and achieve a fragile psycho-emotional balance.

1. Before performing adho mukho shvnasana, bend back slightly (for example, in urdhva mukho shvanasana). This will help to better relax the abdominal muscles and relieve spasm;
2. If you have recently mastered a pose and are having difficulty performing it, use the help of available tools. For example, when performing Janu Shirshasana, you can throw a belt over your foot. And while doing prasarita padottanasana, place a bolster or pillow under your head;
3. If you want yoga on special days to include intense pranayama, make sure that the practice does not last longer than 15 minutes.

So, the right asanas can bring great benefits and relief during menstruation. In any case, when performing the complex on these special days, make sure not to overexert yourself.

Good day, dear blog guests. We continue the topic of yoga and women. Many representatives of the fair sex suffer from severe emotional stress and physical discomfort once a month. Our topic today is yoga and periods. We already know that with the help of yoga you can improve your health and achieve harmony.

But is it possible to do yoga during menstruation and how it can help you will learn from this article. I will tell you how yoga will help you relieve pain during menstruation and PMS, how it will help you regulate your cycle and restore peace of mind. After all, hormones are putting on a show at this time, and sudden mood swings during menstruation are considered normal.

Menstruation is a natural process, although many people call this time critical days. They only say that the woman is of childbearing age and the body is removing toxins these days. By the way, this is one of the reasons why the fairer sex lives longer than men.

Nowadays, it is common to lead an active lifestyle and menstruation is not a reason to lie on the couch and do nothing. It is enough to use a tampon and continue to exercise, work at full capacity, tidy up or do repairs. In some countries, on the contrary, critical days are considered a time of rest and purification. They say that a woman these days is connected with the other world.

Which method to choose for yourself is up to you. But doctors recommend not to overload yourself artificially. That is, if nature dictates that a woman can pick up a child in her arms in an emergency and carry him as long as she likes without causing harm to her health, then if you lift other heavy objects on purpose, your health may suffer.

Discomfort and mood swings may occur a few days before your period begins. But most women don’t even want to fight the pain; it’s easier for them to take a pill that will drown out the symptom. But many don’t even think that there is a real way to combat the cause - yoga! The most important thing is to approach your studies correctly so as not to make things worse. Regularity of classes is also one of the main criteria. you learned from the previous article

During your period, you definitely need to adjust your exercises, and it doesn’t matter whether you feel discomfort or not. It is necessary to review the exercises, because yoga has a very deep effect on the body, affecting internal organs and physiology.

In addition to restrictions in postures, experts advise refusing to exercise on days 1 and 2 of the cycle, especially with severe pain and heavy discharge. It may be necessary to give up classes in the first days of the cycle only at the initial stage. In the future, the irregular cycle will stabilize and the pain will go away.

Women's yoga is diverse and there is nothing wrong with revising classes. Even on critical days there are many useful exercises. And so that the lesson brings as much benefit as possible, let's find out what contraindications exist and what poses the instructors do not recommend. And most importantly, why?

There are several groups of exercises that cannot be performed:

• Inverted poses
• Poses that cause twisting and tension of the abdominal muscles, as well as compression
• Asanas that require strong bending
• Positions that require a lot of tension.

This is the main group of prohibited exercises. This includes headstands, handstands, and forearms. In a word, exercises that violate natural gravity (Halasana, Sarvangasana, Vrishchikasana and others)

Twisting and tension of the abdominal muscles negatively affects the cycle, increases tension and directs its actions not against pain, but towards its intensification. These are the poses of Navasana, Kapotasana, Uddiyana, AntaraKumbaka, Yoganidrasana.

Exercises requiring strong bending: Kapotasana, Ardha Chakrasana. Difficult asanas that cause tension in the whole body: Yoga Nidrasana, Eka Pada Sirsasana.

Does a properly selected set of exercises affect the favorable course of menstruation? Yes, it does! Here is a list of poses that are allowed and even recommended to be practiced.

• . You can use a lightweight version. Place your hands, palms on the wall or the back of a chair. Your back and legs should form a right angle. It is recommended to relax your back and stomach.
• Vrikshasana. It must be performed while leaning against a wall.
• Shavasana. You need to lie down, straighten your legs apart, straighten your arms too and place them further from your hips. Lie down so that you are comfortable, because this is a relaxation pose.
• Utthita Trikonasana. The asana should be performed against a wall, resting your hand on your shin or brick.
• Baddha Konasana. For greater comfort and to avoid discomfort in the stomach, sit on a brick or a small bench.
• Supta Baddha Konasana. This asana is perfect for relaxation and will relieve you from pain. If it’s uncomfortable, you can put bolsters under your knees.
• Marjariasana. This exercise should be performed with a relaxed stomach; you should strain it only after the end of your period.
• Balasana. You need to stretch your back, relax your stomach.
• Janu Sirsasana. A wonderful pose for relieving cramps. It can be done against the wall. The back is straight. If you can't reach your feet like that, you can use a belt.

Remember that whatever exercise you choose, you should be comfortable, and your body should be happy and enjoy it. Yoga is not violence against the body, but the achievement of internal and external harmony with your body.

With the help of yoga, we can not only relieve pain, but also normalize our psychological state. Yoga will help you find harmony on those days when you don’t even want to get out of bed, let alone other things.

Yoga during menstruation

Every woman knows that during menstruation, physical stress on the body should be minimal. Is it worth giving up yoga altogether or can they be useful in some way? Let’s find out.

Benefit

The practice involves asanas that are simple to perform, but have obvious beneficial effects on the body, especially with regular practice.

Benefits of performing such asanas:

• reduction of pain;
• elimination of spasms;
• elimination of headaches;
• reduction of chest pain;
• reducing the amount of discharge;
• reducing irritability and calming the nervous system;
• normalization of hormonal levels.

During menstruation, light exercise will increase blood circulation in the pelvic organs, which will help reduce pain and cramps.

Did you know? In Latin America, archaeologists have discovered tablets with drawings of poses that are very reminiscent of some yoga asanas. The artifacts date back 5,000 years.

Harm from exercise is possible if you use poses prohibited during this period. These include inverted asanas and those that are accompanied by a strong load on the abdominal area.

Ayurveda explains why such exercises cannot be performed: these asanas interfere with the natural cleansing of the female body, close the chakras (psychoenergetic centers) and do not allow the release of accumulated negative energy, which creates general disharmony.