YOGA AND MENSTRUATION
At some stage in our yoga practise, women (and men out of
curiosityJ) might come across the issue of whether or whether not to
practise yoga during the menstruation cycle.
Sometimes, I recommend to take three days off or even a week,
depending on how low the individual energy level is.
The founder of Ashtanga yoga as we practise it today, Sri Pattabhi
Jois recommends three days of complete rest
during menstruation. The body goes through intense changes while a woman is
bleeding and the vigorous practice of Ashtanga may interfer with this purifying
process. According to Pattabhi Jois the uppwards contraction of the bandhas as
practiced during yoga is contrary to the natural downward movement of
menstruation- referred to as apana (downward flowing energy).
Having said this, menstruation is experienced
vastly different by each woman. Some women go through severe pain and might
even have to take a few days off work or stay in bed.
Ashtanga yoga is a very intense practise that
requires strength, energy and focus. If menstruation is experienced with low
energy and pain it seems unnatural to me to force yourself onto the mat just to
tick off the practise for the day.
On the other hand I know that many Ashtangis obey
to Pattabhi Jois rule of three days no matter how they feel. And some women
might even feel full of energy during the menstruation period.
As with most things, I do not think there is a
general ‘rule’ that applies to everyone.
We are intuitive beings and yoga is all about
connecting with that inner intuition, the self that is free from conditioning
and acts according to a higher wisdom.
I remember when I was doing my yoga teacher
training and we had many sessions on ‘yoga and menstruation’ mainly taught by
teachers with a strong Iyengar background.
Iyengar has some pretty strict rules in terms of
what or what not to do during menstruation.
There even was a “special practice” particularly designed for menstruation days. It
involves mostly restorative poses and completely avoids inversions (such as
headstand, shoulder stand, elbow balance, or full- arm balance) and vigorous
standing poses. Twists are also to be avoided as well as any strong
abdominal asanas such as Navasana.
Personally I do not experience menstruation as an
obstacle to do my practise. Sometimes I feel low of energy for a day but
sometimes I don’t feel much different at all. I feel that a general rule about
anything is somewhat limiting because we are all different beings, we
experience things differently and why should it not be like this?
A woman who feels tender and low of energy and
wants to rest should follow this intuition and rest.
Another women might not feel different at all and
why should she stop practising?
Same thing applies to the inversions.
There are no clear proven studies that show that
inversions during menstruation actually harm the body.
Geeta Iyengar, BKS
Iyengar’s daughter said that during inversions the blood flow will be
arrested, which is detrimental as it may lead to fibroids, cysts, endometriosis,
and cancer.
Well,
if you have a history of such illnesses in your family or fear that such things
may happen follow your instinct and stay away from inversions.
But
if you are used to do them and feel great even during your moon days, same
thing, follow your intuition and enjoy them!
I
believe that yoga is a purely cleansing, purifying practise. It is free as it
is designed to lead us towards freedom.
There
are no rules for yoga- (there are so many different ways to explain, get into
and out of poses, sometimes even contradicting each other…)
If
you really understand the essence of it.
Yoga
is for freedom, the body, the mind, the soul.
It
assists us tapping into a intuitive knowledge that is beyond any signpost or
conditioning.
Menstruation,
just as anything else… can become an excuse to follow tapas tendencies, the
tendency of laziness and inertia
Or
Ashtanga can become an obsession whereby the needs of the body are ignored and
then it can lead to injury and illness.
So
best thing is to keep finding your true self… and everything comes naturally.
If
you know who you truly are (or what you are not: a limited person with ego in a
body) than your actions unfold in a sweet natural way, are always appropriate
and no one has to tell you what to do.
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