Nov 123 min read

Yoga During Menstruation

By acknowledging the unique demands of the menstrual cycle and adjusting the yoga practice accordingly, women can optimize their well-being and enhance their yogic journey.

Let´s look at beneficial postures during menstruation that soften the abdomen, help reducing cramps and providing relief. This is a cooperation in sharing knowledge and practice experience with the great team of RUN TO YOGA.

What and how to practice during menstruation?

Supta Svastikasana Yoga poses for Menstruation

A women's yoga practice during their monthly cycle requires adjustments to maintain physical and mental health. While general guidelines exist, individual needs vary. Focusing on supine postures and forward extensions during menstruation brings relaxation and calmness to the nervous system. As these poses are practiced supported with bolsters, blankets or cushions, we can make sure to give extra intention on creating space for the lower abdomen area. Discomfort, complications, cramps or pain can be avoided with the right practice.

Inversions like headstand and shoulderstand should be avoided during menstruation, because they hinder the natural flow. However Iyengar Yoga students are encouraged to practice their inversions both in the pre-menstrual period to prevent potential complications and immediately after menstruation to restore hormonal balance.

The Best-ofs during menstruation

Let´s have a look at the Best-ofs-poses during menstruation to bring you relief from pain or cramps during menstruation and to energize your whole body during this moment.

#1 Relaxation & Rejuvenation: Yoga Supine Poses during Menstruation

Supine yoga poses like Supta Svastikasana, Supta Baddha Konasana or Supta Virasana help you relaxing and rejuvenating body, nerves and mind. These postures are activating the parasympathetic nervous system and they induce a sense of peace and calm.

Often during menstruation there is fatigue and pain. Settling down into supine poses at the beginning of the yoga practice brings relief and preprares the body to continue with other beneficial poses.

#2: Cooling & Grounding: Yoga forward extending poses during Menstruation

Supported seated forward bends calm the mind while bringing awareness inwards. These poses also cool down which can be a pleasent experience because many women experience heat flashes during menstruation. Take enough hight under the sitting bones as well as under the forehead to be able to relieve stress, anxiety and headaches without a huge pysical effort.

As lower back pain ist another issue during menstruation, supported forward bends alleviate tension in the lower back muscles, which can help reduce lower back pain and stiffness there. Is a bloster doesn´t feel like enough hight, try resting the forehead on the edge of a chair or on the sofa.

#3: Hormonial Balance: Alternatives for yoga inversions during Menstruation

In Iyengar yoga, inversions such as headstand, handstand and shoulder stand are considered very important postures for maintaining hormonal balance as well as key postures for promoting blood and lymphatic circulation. Inverted postures test our strength and boost our energy levels and self-confidence. No wonder the headstand is considered the king pose and the shoulder stand the mother of all asanas. During menstruation, inversions should be avoided as they hinder the natural flow. Instead, various T-shape or Ploster set ups can be practiced.