Yoga during Menstruation

In 2022 Dr. Geeta Iyengar, daughter of the great Yoga Master BKS Iyengar gave a lecture in Poland on the yoga practice for Women, emphaszising that a woman's yoga practice during her monthly cycle requires adjustments to maintain physical and mental health.

 

While general guidelines exist, individual needs vary.

 

Focusing on forward extensions and supine postures during menstruation, helps you to release what the body is about to throw out while supporting the energy level in the body at that moment.

 

 

Menstruation is a time to pause and recharge for every woman. Extra support in the form of a bolster to rest your forehead on or to open your chest with, bring relieve from pain, fatigue, headacke or abdominal cramps.

 

It is essential to avoid inversions and balances such as headstand, handstand, forearm balance during menstruation as they hinder the natural flow, potentially causing discomfort and complications. However, the practice of inversions like headstand and shoulderstand should be resumed immediately after menstruation to restore hormonal balance.

Instead of inversions, supine postures like Supta Svastikāsana, Supta Baddha Konāsana, Supta Vīrāsana and Matsyāsana are recommended. These postures promote relaxation.

 

Learn more about your Yoga practice during menstruation with Claudia Lamas in the up-coming Online-Workshop:

 

• Guided by Traditional Insights: Based on the teachings of the Iyengars, who emphasized the importance of adapting yoga practices during the menstrual cycle to support women’s physical and mental health.
• Practice Modifications: Understand how forward extensions, supine postures, and gentle poses can bring comfort and reduce symptoms such as cramps and fatigue.
• Discover why specific postures like Supta Svastikāsana, Supta Baddha Konāsana, and Setubandha Sarvāngāsana are recommended, while inversions are best resumed after menstruation.
• Personalized Guidance: Address individual needs for menstrual discomfort, dysmenorrhea, and fatigue, with supportive postures that ease abdominal discomfort and promote relaxation.
• Pre-Menstrual Adjustments: Explore practices that can help prevent problems during menstruation, including recommended inversions in the days before your period.