Self-care is important no matter who you are, but during menstruation, self-care is essential. With that time of the month comes gastrointestinal trouble — constipation, diarrhea, nausea, headaches, moodiness and fatigue. The nice thing is, if you love yoga, you can look to your regular practice to relieve some of the most common symptoms of PMS. Here are my six favorite yoga poses for doing just that.
1. Supine twist for constipation
One of the more annoying symptoms of PMS is constipation. It can lead to increased abdominal discomfort, and when you’re already feeling bloated, it will make you feel worse. Try a supine twist to massage the digestive tract and get things moving again.
Lie on your back and bring your legs to your chest. Then, gently extend one leg out. Draw your bent leg toward the opposite side of your body (if your right leg is bent, twist toward the left side of your mat). Keep your shoulders flat on the floor and look in the opposite direction of the way you twisted (look right if you’re twisting left). Hold for ten seconds before switching sides.
This pose helps increase blood flow to the gut which will, in turn, move food and help your body expel waste easier.
2. Hero pose for nausea
When nausea during your period hits, try to make room in your abdomen with hero pose. It will help you focus on your breath too, which will calm the nervous system and help you relax.
Sit on your knees, with your heels under your hips. Keep your knees together and shift your feet to move your heels wider than your hips and let your bottom rest on the mat. If it’s too much of a stretch on your knees or hips, use a block or a rolled yoga blanket under your rear for support. Raise your arms and place your hands on your head to create more space in your abdomen. Breathe and rest in the pose for ten breaths.
3. Cobra pose for fatigue
Cobra pose opens your heart and energizes you when you’re feeling tired. It can also give your abdominal and back muscles a gentle stretch — a welcome relief during that time of the month.
To practice the pose, lie on your stomach and stretch your legs back with the tops of your feet on the floor. Place your hands, with fingers spread, under your shoulders and hug your elbows against your sides. Press the tops of your feet, thighs and pelvic bone against the mat on the inhale as you press up with your hands and create a gentle backbend. Draw your shoulder blades together and avoid the temptation to push your ribcage outward. Hold for up to 20 seconds before gently releasing on an exhale.
4. Extended puppy pose for low mood
When your cycle gets you down, do a little bit of a modified downward facing dog with extended puppy pose. This gentle pose helps extend the breath and calm the mind.
Come up to all fours and make sure that your hips are above your knees and your shoulders are aligned with your wrists. Then walk your hands forward and curl your toes under. Inhale and move your rear halfway back toward your heels, resting some weight on your hands but keeping your elbows off the ground. Drop your forehead to the mat in this pose, which looks like a cross between downward facing dog and child’s pose. Hold for ten to 20 seconds before coming gently out of the pose.
5. Happy baby for diarrhea
If it’s not constipation that’s got your digestive tract acting abnormally during your cycle, then it’s probably diarrhea. As hormones fluctuate before and during our cycle, our digestive tract responds. Help calm things down and combat diarrhea with happy baby pose.
Lie on your back and draw your legs to your chest. Hug your knees there and take a breath. You can even gently rock side to side, giving your back a nice massage. Then, let your knees drop apart and flex your feet, so your soles are parallel to the ceiling. Hold onto each big toe and relax here for ten breaths. You may even find that this pose helps relieve some menstrual cramps.
6. Seated forward bend for headaches
This pose helps boost circulation which, in turn, can help relieve your headache. It will also give your back a nice stretch if it’s tense.
Sit on your mat with your legs extended forward and your spine straight. Bend forward at the waist and reach your arms straight ahead. Relax into the pose by grasping your feet (if you can) or resting your hands on your shins. Keep your gaze soft and continue to look forward. Breathe and hold the pose for up to 20 seconds before gently releasing.
Avoid inversions
Depending on the yoga teacher you talk to, many will advise you to avoid large inversions like headstand, shoulder stand and even downward facing dog. Some believe inversions can cause an increase in menstruation, while most teachers agree that energizing poses like inversions can be particularly difficult when you’re tired and running on low energy. Use your judgment and check with your yoga instructor to determine the best sequence for combatting PMS symptoms.
Do you have a go-to yoga pose when PMS strikes? Tell us about it in the comments below.