Can I perform Sun Salutation during my period days;also how many times should I repeat this routine.Thankyou.
Surya Namaskar And Periods
The practice of yoga postures is not necessary during your period. It is better that you rest for a couple of days before resuming practice. However, it does not mean that you should avoid practicing other techniques like meditation, yoga nidra, and pranayama. It is considered to be fine to practice Sun Salutation if you do not experience cramps or heavy bleeding. However, the performance of the sun Salutations should be in a manner that is fast paced. Another alternative that is more calming, harmonizing, and soothing is Chandranamaskar (Moon Salutation), and it is considered to be effective in cultivating feminine aspects.
You could perform some forward bends that are gentle to provide a light massage to the pelvic and abdominal region and help to relieve heavy bleeding, cramping, heaviness, and congestion. If you experience any discomfort during your practice of the Sun Salutation, make sure that you stop immediately. It is also recommended that you first consult a gynecologist before practicing any of the yoga postures during menstruation.
Submitted by R J on September 27, 2011 at 12:24
Surya Namaskar During Periods
The Sun Salutation is an extremely powerful collection of yoga asanas done in quick succession of each other. It is said that the Sun Salutation or Surya Namaskar uses nearly 95% of all the body’s muscles and is an excellent cardio vascular work out as well. The Sun Salutation should ideally be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach to receive the most benefits.
Practicing the Surya Namaskar during your period is a matter of personal choice. There is no real risk attached to doing any of these poses or asanas. In fact the meditative nature and strengthening poses can actually relieve symptoms such as crankiness, mood swings and cramps. If, however, you suffer from heavy bleeding, severe cramps or lower back pain, you could skip the Sun Salutation on the days of your period. Alternatively you could just do one round of all the exercises on day one of your period and work your way up to four or five rounds on the fourth and fifth days of your period respectively. Slowly stretch your muscles this way without causing any extra discomfort. If at any point you feel uncomfortable, stop what you are doing and resume your regular routine only after your period.
Submitted by G M on September 20, 2011 at 12:54
How Does Physical Activity Impact The Menstrual Cycle And Cramps. Which Yoga Will Be Best During This Period?
Menstruation is a very personal subject. Some women suffer from heavy cramps, bloating, irritability, heavy bleeding and lower back pain. For them, the five or so days of the menstrual cycle means a complete reduction in all other activities including exercise. Energy levels are extra low and you could feel tired faster as well. For others, having a period may not affect them in any significant way. If you feel generally fit and do not suffer from any pain or cramping, continuing with your normal exercise routine is recommended. Yoga is an ideal way to continue exercising throughout your menstrual cycle as it has poses and breathing exercises that can in fact reduce cramps, alleviate crankiness and irritability and improve blood circulation.
Yoga poses such as Triangle Pose, Standing Pose, Dead Man’s Pose and Yoga Nidra can help you relax, even if you are a beginner. Other recommended poses are Lotus Pose, Diamond Pose, Head to Knee Forward Bend Pose, Seated Forward Bend Pose, and Butterfly pose. Follow it up with Alom Vilom Pranayama, Ujjayi Pranayama and Shavasana.
Poses to avoid include any inverted poses that prevent normal blood flow, asanas that put pressure on your stomach, and any extra strong breathing exercises such as Bhastrika, Surya Bedan, and Kapalbhati as these increase the heat in the body and put extra pressure on the abdomen.
Submitted by V A on September 20, 2011 at 12:45
Can Yoga Help Regulate Your Period?
The art for of exercise known as yoga was developed in ancient India, and has a wide variety of well-known benefits. There are a number of queries about the benefits of yoga and one of these queries is, “Can Yoga help regulate your period?” Knowing that yoga has a large range of benefits, women who suffer from irregularities in their period have made an attempt at regulating the menstrual cycle through yoga exercises that have been recommended by people who practice this form of exercise. One of the most probable causes of irregularities in the menstrual cycle is physical and mental stress. Yoga helps the body to relax, while exercising every muscle present in the body itself. Yoga exercise also provides mental relief from stress, thereby enabling your body and mind to work in unison with each other. When the body is relaxed, the hormonal balance is restored in the body and menstrual or ovulation cycles are regulated to a certain extent. Regulating the period through yoga is extremely beneficial to the woman’s reproductive system because it does not involve the ingestion of chemically produced medications. The intake of chemical medication could further have side effects, causing increased problems to a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Submitted by A V on August 5, 2011 at 12:50
Is It Bad To Do Yoga When You Have Your Period?
During menstruation, the woman’s body releases the unused egg along with the unused lining of the uterus. This results in blood being released as well. Many women, particularly unfit women, tend to suffer from cramps during this time. There is no rule to suggest that yoga cannot be performed during this period. In fact, many women report that yoga helps them reduce the effects of cramping, thus providing them with relief.
During menstruation, the woman should follow proper sanitary practices. Apart from this, there is not much that she needs to do. Many women report that they feel tired during their periods. With this in mind, the yoga session may be curtailed or performed at a slower pace so that the woman’s reduced energy levels do not hinder her performance. One may also perform fewer sequences than normal when there is fatigue due to the period. This is particularly important because many people have a habit of pushing their bodies too far, something that could lead to the development of giddiness. During periods of fatigue, the body is also not capable of stretching as much as it would normally be able to. It is therefore best that a woman restrict herself to basic yoga poses during menstruation.
Submitted by C D on August 5, 2011 at 12:47
Why Are You Not Supposed To Do Yoga While Menstruating?
Yoga is a form of exercise that is gaining importance all around the world as a result of its many benefits. It has been known for its ability to help in relieving menstrual related problems. However, the main reason why experts recommend that certain yoga asanas or poses must not be attempted during menstruation is due to the fact that a woman’s energy levels are believed to be low during this phase. Hence, postures that require a lot of energy should be avoided as they could result in more harm than good. These postures mainly include inversions and it is believed that inversions may affect the natural flow of energy during this period. However, some people tend to feel energetic during menstruation and short duration inversions may not have any adverse effect on them. Hence, we see that the effects of yoga during menstruation would vary from individual to individual. A few yoga experts also have contradictory ideas and they feel that inversions help in alleviating instances of heavy menstrual flow as well as irregularity of periods and could be practiced without any side effects. The best option is to choose postures that are comfortable and relaxing. If you feel that your energy level is low or that certain postures are causing a strain, it is better to avoid them for the period of menstruation.
Submitted by A on August 5, 2011 at 12:41
Sun Salutation (Surya Namaskar) is a yoga asana that stretches 90-95% of our body’s muscles. In our day-to-day routine considering the sedentary lifestyle that we follow, only 30-35% of body muscles are used. Sun Salutation should be performed early in the morning at sun rise (empty stomach) since it is a tribute and respect given to the Sun God.
This yogic asana of Sun Salutation is not just about certain postures. It should about calming the mind, body and soul. The objective is to bring peace as well as vigor in one’s life. It aims at enhancing the flexibility, firmness, strength and immunity. Try as far as possible to keep the mind blank while doing Sun Salutation.
Having looked at these basic features of Sun Salutation, there is no harm if it is done during periods. However, it depends on your condition doing periods. If there is heavy bleeding, cramps in legs, stomach or lower back – ensure that you consult your gynecologist before performing any yoga asanas or exercises. If you have no such trouble, Sun Salutation can prove to beneficial during menstruation since it helps in digestion and increases the energy levels to manage the process of outflow of waste during this time. You may also take the approach of doing one 1 round of Sun Salutation on day 1 of the periods. You can increase the count of Sun Salutation as the menstruation comes to an end on the 4th, 5th or 6th day. The idea is to provide stretching to the muscles but without causing any harm or discomfort. Do not hesitate to stop at any point if you feel slight discomfort while doing Sun Salutation during your menstruation. There is no rigid schedule to follow or a standard count. It varies for every woman depending on her menstrual cycle. Sun Salutation also helps bring mental peace that gives the strength to combat mood changes that occur during periods. Sun Salutation is beneficial when it is done before or during sunrise. However, during periods or otherwise also if you are unable to do Sun Salutation in the morning, you can do it anytime during the day or evening. Just remember that you should not have eaten for the past 4-5 hours.
Individuals who have arthritis, heart related ailments or pregnant women should avoid Sun Salutation and consult a doctor before undertaking it. Sun Salutation is considered a yoga asana that is able to burn the maximum amount of calories; therefore, it is one of the most widely practiced yogic exercises.
Submitted by C D on August 31, 2008 at 01:27
Find Pose