Yoga Practice For Irregular Periods

(February 10, 2011)

Please suggest some yoga asans for irregular menstruation cycle

Irregular Periods

Irregular periods and pregnancy are connected because having irregular periods accounts for about 30% to 40% of all cases of infertility. So what exactly are irregular periods? Irregular periods are any kind of bleeding that is not normal when compared to your usual menstrual cycle. Menstrual cycles that vary for a few days more in length each month are considered irregular cycles. Irregular periods could be the cause of a woman taking long to conceive. This is due to the fact that there is no ovulation or abnormal ovulation. However, one can conceive even if one’s periods are irregular. Check with your doctor for more advice on this.

Irregular Menstrual Cycle

An irregular menstrual cycle can be a source of great worry and tension to a woman. More so if she is trying to get pregnant. Symptoms of an irregular menstrual cycle begin with either profuse or less bleeding. Bleeding sometimes occurs apart for the regular period too. The gap between the two menstrual cycles is either shorter or longer as compared to the normal cycle. Irritability, mood swings and pain in the pelvic region is common as well. Many factors can be responsible for an irregular menstrual cycle – stress, eating disorders, over exercise, smoking, breastfeeding, recent childbirth, a miscarriage and so on. An irregular menstrual cycle can also occur due after using birth control due to the hormonal changes that occur in a woman’s body while she in on the pill, and when she goes off it as well.

Yoga for Weight Gain

Yoga postures, like the one’s in Power yoga are well known and practiced to help you lose weight. However there are also some yoga postures which can be used for to gain weight as well. Performing this weight gain exercises is the best treatment for weight gain as these exercises also endow the person with more stamina. Like any other form of physical exercise, yoga helps one to feel hungrier, therefore one’s appetite increases and this leads to weight gain. Shavasana (Dead Body Pose) is one exercise that helps one to gain weight as it involves lying down on the ground and breathing deeply. Sirshasana or the Headstand and Matsyasana or the Fish Pose are two other postures that help as well.

Bhujangasana Benefits

Bhujangasana or the Cobra Pose is a yoga posture that has many benefits. These benefits include spiritual, mental, social, emotional as well as physical. This Cobra Pose resembles the pose of a cobra with its hood raised. Some of the Bhujangasana benefits are:-

• Clears the passages of the lungs and heart.
• It tones the spinal column and abdominal muscles too.
• It relieves stress and fatigue
• Stretches the muscles in the shoulders and chest.
• Irregular menstrual cycles can be brought under control with this pose.
• Helps people with backache problems. If done regularly, it will get rid of the backache altogether.

Gomukhasana Benefits

Gomukhasana or the Cow Face Pose has several benefits as well. These are given below:-

• Each part of your body is stretched making it more flexible.
• It improves your breathing and tones up your back as well.
• It helps to improve one’s posture as it helps to straighten the spine.
• Helps to reduce fat on the thighs and hips.
• People who suffer with hernia or arthritis may see a change in themselves after practicing this pose regularly.
• It decreases the occurrence of cramps and strains.
• It exercises the lungs and is thus useful for respiratory problems.
• It also helps to treat various digestive problems.

Yoga for Irregular Periods

Before you choose yoga to help you with irregular periods, do find out the cause behind your irregular periods. Yoga postures are determined and can help you in treatment once the main reason behind this is ascertained. For instance, if a thyroid disorder or a hormonal imbalance is the culprit, then the asana chosen will be the one that can correct the imbalance. Yoga is also good for irregular periods as it relaxes and de stresses a person. Stress is often the cause of an irregular menstrual cycle. Swami Ramdev is a popular Indian Hindu swami who is known for his efforts to popularize yoga, advocates pranayam or breathing yoga to help with calming a person down, which in turn could solve the problem of irregular periods.

Yoga for Irregular Menstrual Cycle

A regular menstrual cycle is 28 days. However, this can vary from woman to woman. Some women have cycles of 24 days, some of 34. If the period between your two menstrual cycles is longer or shorter than usual and this continues for quite a few months, it could be that your menstrual cycle has become irregular. There could be several causes for this which include stress, illness, and medication and so on. The type of yoga posture you will be advised to practice depends on the cause of your irregular cycle. The posture will be decided in accordance with this. The deep breathing and medication that yoga postures bring along with it contribute to your health and well being. Yoga is also known for its healing properties as well.

Yoga for Periods

Practicing yoga for periods has many benefits as this can help deal with issues such as irregularity, heavy bleeding, period pain, pelvic discomfort and so on. Some beneficial yoga postures include Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose), Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend Pose), Janu Sirshasana (Head to Knee Forward Bend Pose) among others.

Yoga for Hormonal Balance

Yoga is good for restoring hormonal balances. You would have to practice yoga daily and regularly to ensure that this happens. Hormones affect the physical and mental state of a person but the body can rejuvenate itself and rebalance itself. This is where yoga plays an important role. The breathing exercises and medication help one to balance and stimulate the endocrine system.

Yoga for Menstrual Cycle

It is well known that yoga has many benefits and doing yoga for the menstrual cycle is one of them. Yoga helps to alleviate menstrual pain, counteract the symptoms of PMS, and also helps with regularizing the menstrual cycle. Yoga should be practiced gently during one’s menstrual cycle.

Submitted by A on February 10, 2011 at 04:20

Irregular periods are a problem with many women and the causes are also many. In your case, it would help to know what the reasons for the irregularity are. Hormonal imbalances, stress, and PCOD are the common cause for menstrual imbalances. If you are indulging in sexual activity for the first time, or after a long time, then irregularity of periods is common. You haven’t mentioned your age either. Onset of menopause could also lead to irregularities. Check with your doctor for determining the exact cause.

The reason for determining the root cause for irregular periods is because the cause is critical to deciding the yoga Asanas. If hormonal imbalances, such as thyroid disorder are the reason, Asanas that focus on correcting the imbalances are suggested. For stress, breathing exercises are helpful. Hatha yoga would be highly beneficial in treating your problem, as in the absence of specifics we shall adopt a broader approach. Like other forms of yoga it also stresses on breathing correctly along with doing the Asanas. However, it specializes in unblocking the energy channels and balancing the nervous system.

Yoga Practice For Irregular Periods

There are certain general yoga Asanas, which are beneficial in addition to specific ones targeting the root cause. They are as follows:

Baddha Konasana (Cobbler pose, sitting)
Supta Baddhakonasana (Cobbler pose, lying down)
The Cow Pose (Gaumukhasan – extremely beneficial for irregular periods)
Janu Shirasana (Head to Knee Pose)
Virasana (The Hero Pose)
Supta Virasana (Hero Pose, lying down)
The Cobra Pose (Bhujang Asana)
The Half Wheel Pose (Ardhachakrasana)
The Lion Pose (For thyroid disorders)

These poses are aimed at increasing spinal flexibility, toning abdominal muscles, reducing stress levels, and regulating the endocrine system to restore hormonal balance. Some re-energize the energy centers of the body and help balance body functions. It is advised to do these poses for 3 to 5 times and hold your body in the stretched position for at least 30 seconds each time.

Along with these Asanas, breathing exercises (Pranayama) are very beneficial to regulating the menstrual cycle. Anulom Vilom (deep breathing through alternate nostril) is very beneficial to reducing stress levels and cooling your body and Kapalbhati (forceful breathing focusing on pressurizing the stomach) is helpful for regulating thyroid, obesity, and digestive disorders. All these factors can sometimes work together to cause irregular periods.

Diet wise, regularize your meal times, reduce intake of caffeine and meats, especially red meats, and avoid subjecting your mind and body to unnecessary stress.

Submitted by V A on March 2, 2009 at 04:35