Women and Yoga

From day 1 of menstruation until menstruation ends which may take up to 7 days, you should stick with the asanas that help keep you healthy and do not obstruct the menstrual flow.  Your asana practice should be done in such a way that the body is supported.  The muscular systems needs to be relaxed and the nervous system soothed.  Often props are used to support the head and soften the abdominal region.

Asanas that may be beneficial include:

  • Standing forward extension such as uttanasana and adho mukha svanasana (down face dog).  Preferably these are practiced with the head supported by a  blanket or bolster
  • Supine (reclined) asana’s can also be beneficial. These include poses such as supta virasana, supta baddha konasana and supta padangustasana 2. Again they should be practiced with support to main softness in the abdomen and nervous system.
  • Simple forward extensions such as adho mukha virasana, janu sirsasana, marichyasana and paschimotanasana with the head supported.  These asana’s can also help those suffering from head ache, back ache and abdominal cramps.

According to Ayurveda what ever has to be thrown out should be thrown out and not held or retained inside.  If you practice inversions during menstruation the flow can be arrested. This is not good for your health and can lead to complications such as fibroids, cysts and endometriosis.  For this reason, inversions such as headstand, shoulder stand, hand stand etc should not be practiced.  Any pose where the head remains down and the body is in the air should be avoided.

Also during menstruation, heat predominates through the body. For this reason you should practice cooling poses that will not overheat the body. Poses to be avoided for this reason are arm balancing, backward extensions, strong twists and abdominal contractions.

The above explanation gives you a brief understanding of your practice during menstruation.  As everybody is different you should always practice with thoughtfulness and caution, particularly if you experience abnormalities.  Always let your teacher know when you are menstruating if attending a class.

This information has been compiled from information published by Geeta S Iyengar.  For more detailed information please refer to Yoga a gem for women by Geeta Iyengar 1990 Timeless books and Geeta S Iyengar’s Guide to a Woman’s Yoga Practice, Volume 1, Lois Steinberg, Ph.D. Parvarti Productions, 2006.