Hello and welcome to Yoga with Jaina where I teach you how to practice yoga on and off the yoga mat.
Now this video is specifically for the ladies however if you are a man watching this video please continue to watch this video and share the advice and information to your female friends.
So as a woman should you practice yoga during your time of the month?
The female body goes through a monthly cycle and the more you practice yoga the more you will become aware of your body, emotions and feelings during different times of the month. Therefore it is really important to listen to your body and adapt your yoga practice intuitively to what your body requires. Therefore if on the first day of your period you are feeling really tired and you are suffering from PMS and cramps then a high active yoga class is not going to be great. Instead I would encourage you to work on gentle stretch practice.
If you don’t feel like practicing postures (asanas) then that is completely ok. In fact some schools of yoga call this a ‘ladies holiday’ so take some time out from your physical practice and instead work on your breathing, meditation and relaxation. Alternatively you can work with a restorative passive practice which will also be useful as it won’t require as much energy and can facilitate the natural process that is happening in your body. I would also really encourage a gentle restorative practice if you experience heavy bleeding or cramps.
I will be sharing a restorative yoga practice in my next video so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
Useful postures to work on during your period include twists as this encourages the natural detox and cleanse of the body. Just avoid any strong standing twists and instead work on more passive twists such as a lying down twist. Seated forward bends are also great as they create a passive and calm energy.
Also avoid inversions such as shoulder stand and head stand as this goes against the natural down flow of energy which the body requires during this time. Refrain from strong backbends and arm balances too and preserve your energy for the internal natural process of menstruation.
During your breathing (pranayama) practice avoid strong abdominal breathing techniques such as Kapal Bhati and instead work with deep breathing, alternate nostril breathing, sheetali and shitkari breathing. You can also work with the passive ujjayi breath.
Remember that your period is a time for introspection where emotions and feeling may be heightened providing us with an opportunity to explore our feelings and to release energy which no longer serves us.
Once again watch this space for my next video which will cover a restorative practice which you can use during your period.
Finally I love to hear your thoughts and comments. How do you practice yoga during your period and do you have any useful tips that you can share with the community?
Please also share this video with your friends and family and subscribe to my you tube channel for more videos coming soon!
You can also head on over to yogawithjaina.com and sign up to my newsletter for more useful yoga tips and information.
Namaste.
