Yoga during your Menstrual Cycle

Ever since my first period, I have always experienced a heavy flow. 

As a result, they were accompanied by intense pain from cramping.

This pain led me on the journey of discovering how to utilize the benefits of Yoga during my menstrual cycle.

I am excited to share my experience with you and hope that you also benefit from this information to find ease and relief during your sacred moon cycle too.

LET’S TALK ABOUT PERIOD PRODUCTS

First, let me share with you the number one thing that helped me reduce my cramps.

Warning: this may be controversial for you, but hear me out! 

My #1 tip for reducing cramps is:

DITCH THE TAMPONS!

I speak from experience, as I used tampons consistently for over 10 years.

I can only share with you MY experience, but here is why I decided to ditch the tampons.

First, the whole point of a period is to drain out. Shedding the uterus, out.

So, by the nature of gravity, it began to feel unnatural to “hold it in” via tampon.

Your flow is meant to flow, baby.

Secondly, I believe the only natural insertion vaginas should receive is from sex or from your OBGYN appointment. 

Now if you have a whole cabinet full of tampons, I am not saying to go throw them all away. 

You can safely use the rest of them, or donate them to your local women’s shelter.

I am proposing you ditch the tampon as a lifestyle choice and never look back.

Not only are they breeding grounds for bacteria, but the cotton is also produced in crops that are sprayed with Round-Up, (a.k.a. glyphosate) a harmful, herbicidal chemical.

The tampons then go through a “bleaching” process, which sounds to me like more chemicals.

Please understand this post is not meant to make you feel bad about using these products or scare you about chemicals. Although, I do find it alarming.

I expect you to do your own research and make an informed decision.

Goop has a good Q & A on some of this here: 

https://goop.com/wellness/sexual-health/are-tampons-toxic/

There is also TONS of material to read on the internet regarding this subject.

In the meantime, here are a couple of other good articles regarding this issue to check out.

https://betches.com/4-dangers-of-using-tampons-you-may-not-know-about/

https://time.com/4422774/tampons-toxic-cancer/

Alternative Products

Luckily, there are brands coming out such as Lola and L. that you can find easily at your local pharmacy or purchase online. 

Below I have linked the pads that I have currently been using:

https://www.target.com/p/l-chlorine-free-maxi-extra-long-overnight-pads-with-wings-20ct/-/A-53039652?ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&fndsrc=tmnv&DFA=71700000080040639&CPNG=PLA_DVM%2B0060H00000vkiakQAA-P%26G_Fem+Care_L._Google+Search_2021_Flight_AO&adgroup=PLA_Liners&LID=700000001393753pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9061181&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgtWDBhDZARIsADEKwgOJFFQiPEfPyC8V2BqHz4KoDKEe19mJ5XD3df53pWIx4DL5n_fQ454aAuoyEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

There are also a number of other choices, such as Period Underwear, 

( https://www.shethinx.com/pages/thinx-it-works ) or even reusable pads!

I know many women who have opted to use the Menstrual Cup which is made of medical-grade silicone. A much better alternative than chemically altered cotton, but consider that it still blocks the flow. 

Not to mention, removing them looked like something out of a crime scene.

My personal decision to ditch tampons was among one of the best things I did for my period health.  

I feel more connected to the rhythm of my Moon Cycle now than ever before.

Of course, don’t take my word for it. Try this for yourself and see what you find.

I’d love to hear about your experience!

SAUCHA (PURITY) Relates to Yoga during your Menstrual Cycle.

Saucha, meaning, purity &/or cleanliness, is a Niyama from Pantanjal’s 8 Limb Path of Yoga.

Simply put, Saucha aims to uphold purity in your mind, body, and spirit. 

Saucha may be described as a pathway of practicing self-love, through pure thoughts, actions, and habits that heal you.

This refers to what we consume, eat, drink, watch on television, listen to, read, engage in conversation, etc.

For example, someone may not be practicing Saucha if they eat ice cream and chips for breakfast every day, gossip consistently or have been holding onto a grudge towards someone.

Moderation and Mindfulness are key here.

During my moon cycle, I practice Saucha by ditching the tampon, making a conscious choice not to insert a foreign, chemically altered substance inside of my body. 

When you begin to eliminate impurities from your life, you may find that other problematic things naturally begin to clear up as a result. 

The “impurities” could be old beliefs, attitudes, bad habits, unhealthy food, or content consumption. 

Take a moment to notice and ask yourself if there is anything in your life holding you back from experiencing the full sacred moon cycle in all of her beauty.

A beautiful way to get in good habits of clean living is to create a morning routine. Check out my blog post about this for how to create your own morning routine.

HEALING FOOD

So we have all the crazy cravings, right! I’ll be wanting pickles and chocolate followed by tons of coffee and then chase it down with some salty chips. Like what?!?! 

Although I do believe in indulging every once in a while, it is also very important to be mindful when these cravings come up. 

Everything we eat is either healing or hurting us.

My Dad always says, “there is no such thing as junk food. There is junk and there is food.”

WOW! That gets me every time.

During the shedding process of your moon cycle, you are likely to lose more red blood cells than your body can produce.  As a result, your iron levels lower, which makes it harder for your body to produce hemoglobin which is needed to carry oxygen to all the cells of your body.

This can result in Iron Deficient Anemia. I experienced this a few times during my teenage years with excessive flows and improper nutrition. 

Nowadays, in the spirit of Saucha, as opposed to taking an iron supplement I prefer to eat more iron-rich foods to keep my levels healthy.

It is also much easier to become dehydrated so drinking a lot of water is imperative.

Additionally, it’s best to keep the caffeine level to a minimum. I find the most success if I skip the coffee and stick to a Mate’ or Green tea instead.

Below I have listed out some of my favorite vegan iron-rich foods:

• Almonds
• Spinach/Kale
• Walnuts
• Avocado
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Chickpeas
• Cashews
• Hemp Seeds
• Chia Seeds
• Chickpeas
• Potatoes (the skin contains the most nutrients)
• Quinoa
• Dark Chocolate!
• I LOVE to make smoothies for a jam-packed breakfast during my moon cycle!

PRANAYAMA (BREATHING TECHNIQUES)

Here are some of my favorite yogic breathing techniques while on my period.

Alternate Nostril Breath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VwufJrUhic

Ujjayi Breath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQrsJ-yZWV8

Sitali and Sitkari Breath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfmxjmXAqVo

ASANA (POSTURE)

Below I have listed some of my favorite yoga postures during the menstrual cycle.

It is recommended to avoid poses that involve intense twisting, backbends, and inversions, during your cycle to alleviate discomfort in your abdominal and pelvic regions.

• Child’s Pose
• Cat-Cow
• Bridge
• Squatting
• Cobra
• Head-to-Knee Forward Bend
• Shoulder openers
• Legs up the wall
• Reclined Butterfly

In conclusion, I hope my perspective experience here has been helpful and encouraging to you along your journey!

I would love to connect with you and hear about how any of these aspects of  Yoga have helped you during your menstural cycle!

Thank you for joining me,

Infinite Love to YOU.

-Taylor