Because of my history with hormonal imbalances, I am passionate about women wellbeing and yoga. And that means, a yoga practise adapted to each phase of the menstrual cycle.
As the Moon cycles, women’s cycles can be divided in 4 phases:
Menstruation – This phase of the cycle can be compared to winter, this is a time where your body needs to restore its energy to prepare for the next cycle as it clears the non-used blood in your uterus.
For this phase, I would recommend getting as much rest as possible. This is important so you start afresh and with great energies for the new cycle. The yoga type that I associate to this phase is Yin or Yoga Nidra, depending on how much energy I have.
Therefore, avoid any asanas that generates heat and are physically demanding (this includes standing poses, inversions and back bends). Also, I would recommend avoiding inversionsbecause they are quite strong poses and they only have few benefits during menstruation.
The most restorative poses are the most welcome during this phase, so get into your favourite forward bends with lot of props (brick, pillow, etc) and ENJOY this time with yourself.
When looking for public classes, try out yin and restorative yoga.
Post-menstruation and Ovulation – Once you feel that you have retrieved your energy, you can get back to your normal yoga practise.
Try to include a mix of standing and sitting poses, twists, forward and backward bends as well as inversions. This is also a good time to try out more public yoga classes that include a mix of yin and yang postures, even dynamic classes if you would like!
I like to start moving back into my physical practise with Chi Gong exercises and, as my energy rises, follow stronger yoga sequences and work on strengthening asanas (standing and arm balance poses, etc).
Inversions are really beneficial when practise right after menstruation as they will make the uterus stronger and help balance the hormone levels.
Pre-menstruation – As when Autumn starts to settle, during this phase we tend to slow down a bit and start turning inwards.
In preparation for menstruation and to help with PMS, I recommend focusing on back bends poses as you continue with normal sequences but maybe a bit slower than in the previous phase. This might be a good time to join slow vinyasa flow classes or sequences focused on opening the heart.
Personally, I feel that this is the perfect moment to add on Energy Medicine exercises as it helps regulates my body energy circuits and boost my lymphatic system, in preparation for the deep cleansing that will take place during menstruation.
As you try adapting your practise to the corresponding phase of your cycle, notice if you feel a difference as the month pass, with your usual pre-menstrual symptoms as well as your energy levels.
Remember, we are beautiful and unique individual beings so there is no generality here, it’s up to you to try and see what feels the most beneficial to you.
Wishing you a beautiful journey through your next cycles!Â
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!