Manage menstrual cramps with yoga

There really is nothing worse than suffering from those monthly menstrual pains while trying to meet those short deadlines.

Ladies, there’s an easy and healthy solution to all our problems…

Certain yoga poses are known to assist in managing headaches and pains without us having to consume all the medications we usually take just to get through.

Yoga can become a positive and charismatic way of life as the practice allows you to understand your body and the limits it is able to withhold.

For yoga to be used as a method of pain relief throughout our menstrual cycle, it is important to practice yoga regularly and not just every 28 days.

We can’t just push our body past the limits of what it’s used to at an already painful time. Be sure to know your limits and listen to your body.

Here are some simple poses to help ease those terrible cramps:

Camel pose – Kneeling on the floor making sure your legs are shoulder width apart, push your thighs out and reach back trying to rest your hands on the balls of your feet, or as far as you can go. This pose helps stretch and open the front of the body. It relieves the body of lower back ache and helps overcome menstrual discomfort.
Wide child pose – while kneeling, ensure your knees are spread shoulder width apart and stretch your arms out in front of your body, ensuring the palms of your hands stay firmly on the mat. Rest your forehead on the mat to reach complete relaxation. The post addresses lower back pain and offers relaxation.
One-legged pigeon pose – this pose is designed to open your hips and stretch out the lower belly to relief cramps. Sit on the floor with your right knee bent in front and have your left legs stretched out behind you. Arch your body back and place each hand, palm down on the mat next to your hips. Once you feel satisfied, make sure you swap legs and repeat pose.

These poses need to be practiced throughout the month until your period begins.

Once the period starts, the practice should be simplified with a higher focus on pranayama, meditation and simple poses like seated bound angle pose, child’s pose and corpse pose for relaxation.

Emotional stresses in life are known to increase menstrual discomfort every month, so in attempt to avoiding those stresses women everywhere should ensure they live a healthy lifestyle by eating correctly and drink plenty of water regularly, practicing yoga and generally have a positive outlook on life.

Have you tried yoga to reduce your menstrual cramps? Did it help? Please share in the comments below.

Image courtesy of Shutterstock.com

18 Comments

- - mom134803 said
  - 28 Oct 2016
    3:37 am
Think yoga could be very helpful indeed by menstrual cramps.
Some pictures of the described poses would also be helpful

- - june11 said
  - 07 Feb 2016
    6:21 pm
This is going to sound really strange. Because of a indigestion problem I am unable to digest milk. I also suffered from excruciating period cramps, then pain for 2 – 3 days. Because my bone density was low I was prescribed Calicum / Vitamin D tablets. 3 months later I suddenly realised I was only getting mild cramps, then pain for 21- 24 hours for 2 consecutive cycles.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 16 Jan 2016
    8:56 am
groan – I will give it a go!!

- - rachelvk said
  - 30 Dec 2015
    9:34 pm
Definitely worth a try. Thanks for sharing.

- - curlytops said
  - 19 Dec 2015
    12:14 am
I would love to give these a try. do you have a picture to know what pose it supposed to look like?

- - mom160421 said
  - 10 Dec 2015
    11:49 am
Anything is worth trying when you have menstrual cramps. Thanks for the info.

- - mom94125 said
  - 03 Dec 2015
    3:45 pm
oh yeah, so i guess, you are saying to incorporate yoga into everyday life and this will be helpful come that time of the month. i think yoga is beneficial in many ways and this is a new reason to give it a try.

- - coastalkaryn said
  - 01 Dec 2015
    6:27 pm
oh, great post! thanks for sharing

- - mum4107 said
  - 22 Nov 2015
    5:53 am
Thank you very much. I will try them

- - mom81333 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    10:01 pm
I will pass these exercises onto my daughter, hope they will help.

- - robyn_smithwick said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    3:58 pm
Sounds good.

- - cherz said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    2:52 pm
Alternative methods to menstrual cramps are always helpful.

- - mom165081 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    12:49 pm
Yoga is very calming with or with our menstrual cramps
- mom93821 replied
  
  23 Nov 2015 , 5:59 am
  Yoga is definitely calming and good for you.
- - mom90758 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    11:55 am
Luckily I never had menstrual cramps in my life. But it’s no nice to read about how helpful yoga can be.
- mom93821 replied
  
  22 Nov 2015 , 11:19 am
  You are very fortunate to never have experienced cramps!
- - mom74640 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    11:11 am
Lke gs

- - mom81879 said
  - 21 Nov 2015
    6:31 am
I’ve had terrible terrible menstrual cramps ever since they first started. I spent many a day doubled over in agony, missing school, nearly crying. I took Codral pain relief for my pain, it worked. When I was first pregnant, I had what I thought was period pain. I downed lots of Codral until the pain stopped. My period didn’t come,ma week later I found out I was pregnant. 26 years later, I still stress over the damage I may have done to my unborn baby :,(