Menstrual yoga: a natural way to get rid of pain

Not all yoga instructors believe that exercises are advisable during menstruation - it also depends on the yoga school they represent. - Some yoga schools claim that it is better not to practice yoga at all during menstruation - says yogi Ewa Biała , owner of the Joga Biała school. – In yoga using the Iyengar method, it is believed that yoga during menstruation is not only permissible, but even advisable, but we only practice selected asanas - we do not do inverted positions , i.e. headstand or candle positions, when the legs are higher than the heart, because it reverses the natural blood flow, nor strong twists in which we squeeze and crush the belly, which is then very sensitive - adds the instructor.

Calm exercises performed under the supervision of an experienced instructor will help you relax and alleviate the symptoms that occur during menstruation: abdominal and lower back pain, nausea, dizziness and general weakness . It's not only about endorphins released during exercise, which act as a natural painkiller, but also about breathing practice , the so-called pranayama. Breathing, done consciously, has a relaxing effect: focusing on a long exhalation allows you to get rid of the tension accumulated in the body and helps to get rid of abdominal pain.

The most recommended asanas during menstruation are sitting positions in which the thighs are spread wide apart. These positions open and relax the pelvic floor muscles, allowing blood to be removed from the body faster, and the internal organs float in them, stimulating the ovaries, says Ewa Biała. Examples of such items:

Baddhakonasana : Knees bent, soles of the feet together, and heels brought towards the groin.

Upavisthakonasana in which the legs are spread as wide as possible and are straight.

Equally good is supta baddhakonasana , a lying position in which the thighs are also widened and the soles of the feet are together. You can place your arms on the sides of your body or move them behind your head.

During the first days of menstruation, when the symptoms are most noticeable, relief will come from the lying cobbler's pose ( supta badhakonasana ), which will help to relax the pelvis.

When performing asanas, it is worth remembering that the most important thing is to listen to your body and not do anything that would cause discomfort. And the most universal exercise during menstruation for every woman and girl will be meditation and breath work .

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In the photos - yoga instructor Wiki Aleksandrowicz at Yogovo Studio. She has been practicing yoga for 7 years. Her adventure began with aerial yoga, and then she fell in love with vinyasa. She completed a 200-hour teacher training course. She teaches meditation and yoga, combining with psychology, which she studies. Her mission is to help, which she fulfills by accompanying her in practice. On a daily basis, he works at Yogovo Studio , which is located on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw and offers a lot of interesting classes to choose from, which can be combined with admiring the views of the Royal Castle.