HEALTH Relieve period pain with yoga

That time of the month


Yoga
Lee Kennedy

Practising Yoga can help to prevent or reduce the severity of many ailments that specifically affect women. For instance, yoga can help correct gynaecological factors that can cause hypertension, diabetes, indigestion and varicose veins, which last week’s article looked at.
Yoga can also help to regulate menstrual disorders, and the side effects of menopause. Menstruation is not an ailment, but it can certainly cause discomfort. When you have your period, you should avoid standing poses and inversions (poses in which the head is lower than the heart) – apart from forward bends, which can help. Cramps in the pelvic region just before or during menstruation are caused by contractions of the uterus while it sheds its lining. Premenstrual syndrome occurs three to four days before menstruation and is relieved by its onset. Its systems include mood swings, abdominal cramps, lower backache and aching legs.
Upavista Konasana is a seated ‘wide angle’ pose that relaxes stress-related tension in the abdominal muscles; massages the organs of the reproductive system which in turn stimulates the ovaries; helps regulate menstrual flow; and relieves menstrual pain and disorders like PMT. It can also help with a prolapsed uterus or bladder.

> Sit with your shoulders and back against a wall
> Lift spine and keep back erect
> Place hands either side of hips
> Exhale, using hands, spread legs as far apart as possible
> Place hands behind buttocks and press into floor
> Press heels and thighs down on floor
> Lift your waist and sides of torso and chest
> Try rotate your thighs to the front so the knee caps face the ceiling
> Feel the back of the knee moving to the floor
> Stretch each leg from thigh to heel
> To start, hold the pose for one minute, increasing to five minutes with practice.

This article is not a recommendation for your own practice but serves as interesting reading  for anyone thinking of going to a yoga class. As with any form of physical exercise, please consult your family doctor beforehand.

Lee Kennedy runs yoga classes in Empowerium, Market Lane, Westport, as well as in Newport and Castlebar. For more information on classes, call 086 390 6343 or visit www.yogadara.com.