What difference does it make to your yoga practice if you are on your period?
Short answer - it depends!
We talk about listening to our body and honouring our body a lot, but what does that exactly mean? Menstruation for many women can mean feeling low on energy and having cravings for certain (usually sweet) food. A good question to ask is, does ‘honouring your body’ then means the same as going with your body’s cravings and feelings like eating rubbish, doing nothing and just feeling blue?
I personally don’t think so. We all know that eating extra sugar or chocolate for example isn’t really going to make you feel better. So not wanting to do any yoga, and just hiding on the couch, even if that is what you feel like, might also not make you feel better.
Experiment with what works for you
I find in my yoga practice, sometimes a more energising class can be wonderful, exactly what I need to ground myself and to shift the blues and the sluggishness. Other times a restorative practice is just what I need. Trying out what suits you, and keeping an eye on how you feel the rest of the day, is the best advice, I think. This is how you get to know your body and what works best during that time of the month.
If a particular pose or practice really drains you, don’t do it. Having your period means going inward; listen to and respect your body and energy. Remembering that you’re not sick, you are perhaps just more sensitive, can also be helpful.
Should you avoid inversions on your period?
The yoga community has differing recommendations on which poses you should and shouldn’t do while menstruating. I might mention that deep twists for example don’t feel good on my body, but that is usually as far as I go. Swapping your stronger inversion with legs up the wall pose – or any kind of restorative pose with bolsters might feel more beneficial for you.
But it’s personal. A lot of women still practise inversions throughout their cycle without any issues.
If you are interested in finding out more about practising yoga during your cycle, Jose de Groot has a really interesting talk this subject from a Chinese medicine point of view:
Make yoga part of your life
A health perspective
It is completely okay to do yoga on your period. In fact, it can help loosen up your body from feeling period cramps and help relax your mind and body. Keep in mind your body is going through a lot of hormonal changes while you’re on your period which can cause mental and physical discomforts.
While a difference of opinion may exist regarding women’s ability to practice yoga during menstruation, it is still a scientifically proven fact that yoga does improve our health. Deep breathing practices, meditation, and gentle yoga pose that emphasize stability and flexibility alleviate many of the problems that women generally experience during their monthly cycles such as cramps, weakness, nausea, or emotional symptoms like anxiety, irritation, mood swings, pain and etc.
Concentrated breathing, and body alignment through gentle, focused movements allow better oxygenation throughout the body, and with regular practice, yoga can improve a woman’s menstrual health.
