A flow for flow
Menstrual periods. They can result in headaches, back pain, cramps, fatigue, cravings, nausea, and so much more. You may suffer from any combination of these or something I haven’t even mentioned. When that time of the month hits you may reach directly for the Advil or heating pad to soothe your woes. But what about reaching for your mat? Here are some asanas to hopefully help that time of the month pass with as little discomfort as possible.
Supported bridge pose/Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
I love supported bridge anytime of the month but if you suffer from low back pain, this asana is great for you. Adjust yourself as if you were to take the active variation but have a block handy. Place the block (most likely on the middle height but do what feels right for you) under your sacrum. You should feel a nice release through your lumbar spine.
Supine twist/ Supta Matsyendrasana
Twists are thought to detoxify the internal organs by “wringing out” the torso. Following this train of thought, practicing a supine twist can help relieve bloating or indigestion. Twisting also gives a gentle massage to your organs providing relief for cramps.
Child’s pose/Balasana
You know those times you just want to lay in bed and curl up in a ball? Child’s pose is the yoga version of that. It can provide comfort to the mind and the body. Child’s pose is going to give you release through the hips and low back. During that time of the month we can hold a lot of tension in our hips and pelvic region. Child’s pose is a gentle asana to stretch and open up through the hips. Rest your third eye center on the earth to feel calmer and more grounded.
Reclined butterfly/ Supta Baddha Konasana
Going back to the tension we hold in our hips, Supta Baddha Konasana is another posture that will release the hips. This posture will provide a more intense stretch than child’s pose, but you can also take a supported variation by utilizing blocks to lessen the intensity. Place a block underneath each of your thighs to support them as opposed to letting them fall freely towards the earth. Either way you feel a nice opening sensation through the inner thighs.
Sage’s pose/ Marichyasana III
Back at the twisting, Marichyasana is a more active twist that you can deepen if you feel you need more. Similar to Supta Matsyendrasana, this pose will help with bloating and provide a gentle massage to your internal organs. It will also strengthen, lengthen, and stretch the spine. More so than the reclined variation, Marichyasana III will activate and engage your abdominal muscles, something that can be hard to tap into during menstruation but will release back pain.
The most important thing to take away here is to listen to your body. Asanas are going to feel different in your body at different times in your cycle. Know and acknowledge this, but don’t beat yourself up if you need to take a breather. Even if it is every single month!
