Yoga & Menstruation By Dr.Prafulla Dorle - Dr. Prafulla is a Doctor, senior yoga teacher and yoga therapist from Yoga Vidya Gurukul. He has rich experience in Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga practices, he is teaching and practicing yoga for the last 10 years along with his medical profession.	Print This Page
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Yoga and Menstruation

“Can I practice yoga during menstruation?” is a frequently asked question. It mentions in the authentic and ancient texts that asanas should be avoided. It is a controversial issue and here we will look at the reasons why asanas should be avoided.

1. Inverted postures – if they are practiced during menstruation they can cause reflex or back flow of menstrual blood from the uterus to the fallopian tubes and then to the abdominal cavity. The blood would carry along with it some endometrial cells and tissue - this is called retrograde menstruation. It is quite possible that the endometrial cells could get implanted and grow in the pelvic peritoneum and abdominal cavity. These implanted cells would cause menstrual bleed during each cycle under the hormonal influence, a condition called endometriosis.

2. Increased pressure in the abdomen – just before menstruation there is regression of the endometrium. The coiled arteries become buckled up and there is stasis of blood flow in them. This local stasis and the vasoconstriction of the arteries supplying the endometrium causes the necrosis of the endometrium. At this stage the arteries relax and the menstrual bleeding starts. An increase in abdominal pressure, through certain asanas, the blood flow through the arteries would increase causing more blood loss.

3. Aches and pains – though some asanas may decrease the pain it is important to be aware that we should not practice any asanas that cause pain or strain to the body. Every woman is different and will have different effects of the asanas. So it is important that they listen to their own body.

Instead of practicing asanas; meditation, omkar chanting, mantras, yoga nidra and relaxation can be practiced as this is a time when a woman is more in tune with her mind and can become more easily focused.

Considering the above discussion, it is up to the individual woman to decide on the practice of yoga and to develop their own personalised program.

- Dr.Prafulla Dorle