Hey peeps! I am very excited today, I am going out to a party after such a long time with my friends. But wait! God no my periods are here! Cramps and uneasiness will follow soon…
This could have been my reaction. But since the last 2 months, my cramps are less painful! Yes, you read it right. I wasn’t amongst those lucky ones who don’t experience pain or discomfort. You would be thinking, she might be using some heating pads or some commercial product.
Well NO! I am simply practicing YOGA! Yes, you heard that right yoga! Yoga can help to alleviate some of the common issues like irritability, mood changes, stress, anxiety, or frustration.
But the primary question here is, “Is it advisable to do Yoga when you are menstruating”? Well, the answer is, Yes. Even on your worst cycle days, a few light yoga moves, gentle stretching, and deep breathing might be beneficial.
So, let me share some yoga postures which will help you…Make sure that you avoid deep backbends, inversions, and core exercises.
Yoga Asanas:
1) Balasana (Child’s Pose):
To do the pose-
- Sit on your heels on the yoga mat or the floor
- Stretch your arms above your head and bend forward
- Your head should touch the floor
- The pelvis should rest on heels
- Maintain this position for a few minutes
Benefits-
- Stimulates digestion
- Calms the mind
- Lengthen and stretch the spine
- Alleviates back and neck pain
- Eases anxiety and stress
- Enhances blood circulation
- Relieves fatigue
2) Dandasana (Staff Pose)
To do the pose-
- Sit on the Yoga mat or floor with your legs placed in front of you.
- Keep your back straight.
- Your toes should be pointing upwards( Towards the ceiling)
- Keep your arms beside you, palms beside your hips flat on the ground
- Hold this position for about 60 to 90 seconds
Benefits-
- Relieves asthma
- Alleviates sciatica pain
- Improves posture
- Enhances focus
- Relaxes the mind
- Strengthens back muscle
- Strengthens core
- Lengthens spine
- Enhances hips flexibility
3) Santolasana (Plank Pose)
To do the pose-
- Lay on your stomach on the yoga mat or floor
- Place your palms in line with your shoulders
- Push the palms on the floor
- Keep the pelvis, spine, and heels are in the same line
- Hold this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Strengthens core
- Calms the mind
- Alleviates stress
- Builds main muscles
- Strengthens the back and abdominal muscles
- Enhances regulation of the nervous system
- Enhances balance
- Enhances flexibility
4) Paschimottasana
To do the pose-
- Sit on the Yoga mat or floor with your legs placed in front of you.
- Keep your back straight.
- Lengthen the arms above your head
- Fold forward and try to touch nose to the knees
- Hold this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Calm the mind and body
- Aids digestion
- Tones the organ
- Alleviates fatigue
- Reduces abdominal fat
- Reduces frustration.
- Strengthens back
- Strengthens spine
5) Badha konasana (Cobbler’s pose)
To do the pose-
- Start with dandasana
- Bend the knees such that soles of the feet touch
- Move heels as close to the groin as possible
- You can stay or add on by bending forward
- Maintain this for sometime
Benefits-
- Beneficial in asthma
- Opens pelvic region
- Prevents sciatica
- Tones kidney
- Strengthens knees, ankles, and hips
- Reduces fat from the thigh region
- Enhances blood circulation
- Relieves stress and anxiety
6) Janu Sirsasana (Head to knee pose)
To do the pose-
- Start with dandasana
- Bend your left leg such that it’s sole touches the right inner thigh
- Lengthen the arms above your head
- Fold forward and try to touch the nose to the right knee.
- Stay in this position for some time and then repeat it in the opposite direction
Benefits-
- Alleviates back pain
- Strengthens calves and hamstring muscles
- Tones kidney and liver
- Alleviates stress and anxiety
- Reduces belly fat
- Aids digestion
7) Upavistha konasana (Seated Straddle)
To do the pose-
- Start with dandasana
- Open the legs wide
- Now bend forward with slowly shifting your hands forward.
- Maintain this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Alleviates stress and anxiety
- Improves body posture
- Alleviates back pain
- Reduces fat from the thigh region
- Tones kidney and liver
- Strengthens buttocks, abdomen, and spine
8) Supported Bridge Pose
To do the pose-
- Lie down your back and bend the knees
- Adjust your feet and arms
- Lift your hips
- Tuck your chin
- Interlace your hands behind your back
- Relax your glutes and engage your inner thighs
- Lift your hips higher
- Relax now
Benefits-
- Alleviates anxiety and depression
- Reduces fatigue
- Alleviates headaches
- Stretches the neck and shoulders
- Promotes relaxation
- Soothes the nervous system
9) Bhujagasana (Cobra Pose)
To do the pose-
- Lay on your stomach on the yoga mat or floor
- Keep palms next to shoulders
- Straighten the arms and lift the chest up
- Keep the feet together
- Maintain this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Strengthens spine
- Soothes sciatica
- Useful in asthma
- Stretches chest, lungs, shoulders, and abdomen.
- Alleviates anxiety and depression
10) Marjaryasana (Cat Pose)
To do the pose-
- Start in tabletop position
- Make sure that knees are hip-width apart
- Inhale and raise the chin
- Push the tailbone above
- Navel is low
- Maintain this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Enhances concentration
- Alleviates stress
- Increases flexibility of spine and shoulder
11) Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
To do the pose-
- Sit in lotus pose or simple cross-legged position
- Start bending backward
- Take the support of hands while doing so
- Lift the chest a little up
- Make arch of the back
- Maintain this position for sometime
Benefits-
- Strengthens spine
- Cures abdominal ailments
- Relaxes neck and shoulders
- Alleviates asthma
12) Bharadvaja (Reclining twist)
To do the pose-
- Lay on back
- Bend the right knee and keep the left knee straight
- Keep the right hand sideways and let the left-hand guide the right leg to left
- Maintain this posture for sometime
Benefits-
- Relieves lower backache, neck pain, and sciatica.
- Alleviates stress
- Aids digestion
- Strengthens lower back
Concluding…
We hope, that after practicing a few of the asanas listed above you won’t have many of the previously stated problems. These asanas provide long-term physical as well as mental benefits to the practitioner.
This article is contributed by the Fitnastic team!
About Fitnastic: Fitnastic was founded in January 2020 with the aim to help individuals go through their fitness obstacles and transform them into stronger, fitter, and confident individuals. Rishi Nagar being the founder and Ojas Bhatt being the Co-Founder, believe in the ideology that exercise and nutrition are the utmost priority for healthy well-being.
At Fitnastic, they craft an individual’s well-being by not only providing customized diet plans and live training/training routines, but also provide conversations with doctors on various health issues, easy-to-make healthy recipes & also educate people by providing scientific knowledge about different dieting patterns, herbs, and physiological functions of the human system.
Because, Fitness is not a joke!
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