Yoga should be avoided or can be followed during menstrual periods is always a controversial issue. Some say that there is no side-effect of practicing yoga at this time and it should be continued while others say that it can be dangerous during the menstrual period and should be avoided.
It is said there is no side-effect in practicing easy asanas of yoga which do not include a lot of body movements or inversions and they can be practiced avoiding other asanas.
So, the upcoming article will give you the complete detail about whether it is safe to practice yoga during menstrual periods and if yes then which one is safe and which one is not.
Table of Contents
Is It Safe To Practice Yoga During Menstrual Periods?
The answer to the question whether it is safe to practice yoga during menstrual periods totally depends on women, those who feel totally fit and fine during menstrual periods can practice yoga while some women start getting wrong emotions and weird thoughts, they should yoga practice at this time.
Overall, it depends on you if you feel comfortable then go for it but does not push your body to do anything.
Even those who feel totally comfortable, even they should not push their body to something difficult. They should do their yoga asana at half the frequency with which they normally do.
Some of the asanas are totally safe to be practiced during menstrual periods but keeping in mind that do not push your body to do anything if your body cannot do it especially in this sensitive time.
Yoga Poses That Are Safe During Menstrual Periods
Although it is advisable to avoid asana during first two days of menstrual periods but if you are used to yoga then you can continue it as well. You can easily practice pranayama, yoga Nidra or meditation.
These yoga asanas are totally safe during menstrual periods. You can practice any of this asana that do not include must strain to the body but must remember that do not push your body to anything.
1.To warm up you can practice some preparatory movements like 1 to 12, simple arm, legs and knee movements.
2. You can also go for Surya Namaskar if you not facing heavy bleeding and cramps.
3. Chandra namaskar can also be practised. Even it is said to be preferred as this time you get more calming and rejuvenating feeling.
4. Easy and gentle bends like half forward bend, forward bend and light massage on pelvic region and abdominal helps you to have relief from cramping and heavy bleeding.
5. The Vajrasan series is also very helpful for removing tension from your back and to remove pelvic congestion. That’s why Vajrasan can be done at the time of menstrual periods but only at the low level. Do not bend much. Just do it lightly.
6. Leg up taking the support of wall is helpful for removing stagnant blood from the legs without lifting your pelvic region. This asana is also helpful to open your pelvic region. Legs can be totally straight or at some comfortable distance. Do the way you are comfortable to do.
7. You can get relief from back pain and pelvic tension by doing marjari asana and vyaghr asan (Tiger Pose)
These both are very helpful but do it slowly.
1. Cobbler’s Pose – Baddha Konasana
This pose is also known as the butterfly pose.It is basically taught to them who are the beginners of yoga but this is very safe during menstrual periods.
During menstruation, you feel lower portion to be heavy and you want to give rest to your lower body. This yoga poses includes the sitting posture and sitting posture is the most comfortable one during menstrual periods. This is helpful during periods as it opens up your pelvic region. You can sit in this posture for several minutes.
How To Do This Asana?
- First of all, sit on a yoga mat.
- Bend your both knees and bring together the soles of your both feet.
- Let your knees fall on another side just like a butterfly.
- Bring your feet closer to your body till you are comfortable.
- Sit up tall, your back must not be bent.
- You can tightly hold your joint soles and move them slowly.
2. Head To Knee Pose – Janu Sirasana
This also includes the sitting posture and it is also totally safe during the menstrual periods.
How To Do This Asana?
- Sit down on a mat.
- Straighten your one leg.
- Try to hold thumb of your straightened leg if you can or you can also hold anything where you can reach comfortably.
- Now breathe in extending your spine long and then leave breathe by deepening the forward bend.
- Repeat this for five breathes and now change the leg and repeat this again.
3. Seated Straddle – Upavistha Konasana
This asana is also a comfortable one during menstrual periods but do it slowly and only to the extent that is comfortable for you.
How To Do This Asana?
- Sit down on a yoga mat.
- Open your legs wide as much that is comfortable for you.
- Now bend forwards in between your legs and breathe in and out for about 4 to 5 times in bending mode.
- Then straighten yourself.
- Repeat till you are comfortable.
4. Seated Forward Bend – Paschimottan Asana
This is also a comfortable one during menstrual periods but does not apply much force. Do it lightly.
How To Perform This Asana?
- Sit down on a yoga mat.
- Straighten both of your legs.
- Now hold your both of the toes with hands and bend yourself forwards.
- Keep yourself in this position till you are comfortable.
5. Pranayama
Pranayama is very beneficial during menstrual periods as it is very helpful in keeping you calm and balancing your emotions which are needed at the time of periods. It also gives the power to face pain with calmness.
But take care that while doing this, do not put any strain on your breathing. And pranayama should not include bandhas and kumbakh as these can increase heat in your body. Deep breathing is very beneficial.
So, breathe deeply with calmness. Do whatever and at what extent your body is allowing you to do and what is making you feel better.
But, you should avoid right nostril breathing, bellow’s breathing and front brain cleansing as these three increases the amount of heat which leads to increment in the bleeding and with this it also puts more pressure on the abdominal region.
How To Use Pranayama?
- You just need to sit down on a yoga mat.
- You just need to breathe in and breathe out calmly.
6. Supported Bridge Pose
Supported bridge pose can also be done during menstrual periods. In this exercise, you need to elevate your hips using your shoulders as a bridge. But remember to avoid the abrupt movements, try to take slow and easy movements.
How To Perform Supported Bridge Pose?
- Lie down on a yoga mat.You need to lie down straight on your back.
- Keep your knees raised and hands should be completely straight towards your legs.
- Now using your hands, lift your hips forming a straight line between your shoulders and your hips.
- Keep yourself in this position until the time you can. Initially, time should be about 5 seconds.
- Now slowly return your buttocks towards the floor.
Note that you should avoid abrupt movements, you need to slowly move everything.
7. Goddess Pose – Suptabaddha Konasana
Goddess pose is also very comfortable during menstrual periods but do this until the time you are comfortable in it.
How To Perform Goddess Pose?
- Take a yoga mat. Lie down on the yoga mat on you back.
- Now open your hands at 90 degrees to your body.
- Now bend your knees to move your feet together forming a namaskar pose with legs.
- Yes, you need to meet the soles of your feet by bending the knees like you do namaskar by joining hands bending the hands.
8. Vajrasana
Vajrasana can also be done at the time of menstrual periods but perform it lightly. You should not bend for much time.
How To Perform Vajrasana?
- Sit on the yoga mat.Sit in the posture such that your butt touches your feet by folding your legs.
- Place your hands on your lap facing the sky.
- Remain in this position for the time you are comfortable.
- Bring yourself in the comfortable position and you can repeat it till you are comfortable to do it.
9. Surya Namaskar
If you are not facing much bleeding or cramps then you can also go for Surya namaskar or Chandra namaskar.
How To Perform Surya Or Chandra Namaskar?
- Surya Namaskar includes 12 poses.
- First of all, stand in the erect position, keep your feet together and join your hands like in the prayer position.
- You need to bring this position with inhaling and exhaling.
- As you breathe in, lift both of your arms up and then join your hands in front of your chest by exhaling the air.
- The second one is raised Arms pose
- In this pose, breathe in and lift your arms up and little back by keeping your biceps close to your ears and then come in the comfortable position by exhaling.
- The third one is hand to foot pose.
- In this pose, you need to bend your body by touching your hands with your feet but keep your spine erect.
- The fourth one is the equestrian pose.
- In this, you need to do your right leg back as far as possible and keep your left leg till ankle at a right angle to the floor.
- Do your face towards the sky.
- The fifth one is stick pose
- This is the extended pose of the fourth pose in which you need to back your left leg as well by breathing in.
- The sixth one is salute with eight points.
- In this exhaling the air you need to touch your knees to the earth and try to do your hips back as much is comfortable.
- Next is cobra pose.
- Now you need to touch your legs with earth completely.
- Now raise your chest keeping your elbows bend.
- Next, you need to do a mountain pose.
- In this, you need to keep your chest downwards and hips upwards like a mountain.
- Next is again an equestrian pose.
- In this, you need to repeat equestrian pose but with opposite legs.
- Now repeat again hand to foot pose.
- Then repeat raised arms to pose.
- Then stand straight vertical in a relaxed position.
10. Meditation
Meditation is a really a good and calming practice especially at this time as at this time you need to control your emotions, yourself. Om chanting and Om meditation are really helpful at this time. Yoga Nidra is also very beneficial at the time of menstrual periods and that’s why highly recommended.
11. Cleansing Practices
Some of the cleansing practices can also be done but many of these should also be avoided as well. those which can be done are Jalneti and dandaneti but you should avoid vaman, lagooshankarprakshalan, kapalbharti, purmashankarprakshalan.
Whether You Should Prefer A Class Or Do It At Home?
Many of you used to go to the yoga class. But during menstrual periods you should avoid going to the class as in the class all are given equal counting and you need to do the yoga practices.
You are not allowed to force your body to do anything but in the class, you can force yourself to match yourself with others. So, try to do easy yoga practice and at home with proper calmness and slowly.
Yoga Asanas That Should Be Preferred For The Rest Of Month For Balancing The Menstrual Cycle
There are various asanas that are preferred to be done during rest of the month to balance your menstrual periods but remember not to practice these asanas at the time of menstrual periods. These are:
- Halasan
- Surya namaskar
- Chakrasan
- Shalabhasan
- Dhanurasan
- Kandharasan
Asana That Should Be Strictly Avoided At The Menstrual Periods
There is various asana that is needed to be strictly avoided during the time of menstruation. – This asana mainly includes the asana related to the inversion.
Inversion asana should be strictly avoided. This is because when you do inversions then one type of prana called as apana which flows from the naval center to cervix that is in downward direction gets reversed.
This is usually done for helping in the increment of prana in the body and for helping in awakening the kundalini but when you are menstruating then this procedure does not work as it should do. If you practice this at the time of menstruation then this can lead to the break on the menstruation and other reproductive problems in the near future.
Also, when you do inversions then you are inverting your body which pulls the uterus towards the head. This causes the broad ligaments to be overstretched which lead to a collapse of veins and it leaves arteries to pump blood continuously. So, at the time of menstruation, this can lead to over bleeding. This can also lead to vascular congestion.
Very strong asana like strong twists, strong backbends, standing position and arm balancing should be strictly avoided especially if you are going through a lot of pain as this asana put a lot of stress on the abdominal and pelvic region which is not good at this time.
This is very obvious as if you are going through a lot of pain then why should put stress on these regions more. This asana also needs a lot of strength and during this time women feel a lot of restlessness, no strength. They just feel like not to do any work at this time.
- Strong vinyasa and power yoga should also be avoided at this time as this can also lead to the increment in the menstrual bleeding.
- Surya namaskar is allowed but at the lower frequency. But if you going through heavy pain or heavy bleeding then try to avoid this yoga practice as well.
Bandhas should also be avoided at the time of menstrual periods as they move in opposite direction leading to a lot of contractions. This can also produce a lot of heat in your body and heat leads to the increment in the menstrual bleeding. So, try to avoid this as well.
Final Talk
Firstly, if you can avoid then avoid yoga asana for at least first two days of menstrual periods. But if you want to do then do according to the information provided. But one thing you should always remain in mind that do only for which your body is comfortable.
Do not push your body at all to do anything. Do, gentle and slow asana and do only for small time till the time your body is allowing you to do.
Also Read: Yoga Poses For Relief In Menstrual Cramps
