Many people know that yoga can help relax muscles and soothe your mind, but one of my favorite uses is to help with menstrual cramps. Whether you get light cramps or severe – like me – these 5 yoga poses can help to relieve you of the pain and eliminate the soreness caused by your monthly friend.
- Cat-Cow
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This pose helps open the hips while stretching out the muscles running along your back giving quick relief to any cramps in your lower back. To do this pose, get on all fours in a tabletop position and then inhale as you curve your lower back down while pushing your hips back and bringing your head up like a cow. As you exhale, roll your shoulders forward to arch your spine and curve your back up like a cat stretching. Be sure to pull your pelvis in under you as you inhale. Repeat 10-20 times focusing on the movement of the hips.
- Child’s Pose
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Child’s pose, also referred to as balasana, is a great way to relax while also getting a stretch in. To get into child’s pose start by kneeling on a soft ground such as your bed or a carpet. Place your knees slightly wider than your hips and with your big toes touching each other. Then reach both arms up towards the ceiling and lean forward resting your forehead and your arms and palms on the ground in front of you. Allow your stomach to rest between your thighs. Hold this as long as you like.
- Corpse Pose
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The corpse pose, or savasana, is the easiest pose on this list. Lie down on a comfortable surface with your chest up. Relax your shoulders and lay your arms comfortably at your sides with your palms open and facing up. Let your body relax by having your legs straight and apart slightly so that your hips are comfortable. Last, close your eyes and breathe deeply from your abdomen.
Personally, when I am in this pose I like to reflect on my day, or I scan my body for tension and pain. To do this, start at your toes and focus on each part of your body relaxing the muscles there and feeling for any pain you may have been overlooking. Slowly work your way up your body, toes to feet, feet to ankles, ankles to calves, and so on, until you reach the top of your head. I find I am often holding tension in my jaw and my temples.
- Pigeon Pose
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The pigeon pose is the most advanced pose on this list, but don’t let it scare you. To get into this pose, start by sitting down on the floor with both of your legs bent and your feet flat on the ground. Let your knees fall to one side and then bring the top leg out and around your body as you shift your hips to be sitting in a modified split where your front leg is bent in, but your back leg is straight out behind you. Press your palms to the floor on both sides of your bent leg and push your chest up while lifting your head to look at the ceiling. You will feel this stretch in your hips and your glutes. If this is too much for you, you can just get your legs into the position and allow your body to fold forward onto your forearms (which is the position I am in while I am writing this). If you want to, you can fully relax this pose by folding your arms in front of you and resting your forehead on your arms.
- Supine Spinal Twist
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This pose is super easy to do in bed or on the floor if you are already curled up into a ball. Lay down on your back and choose one leg to bend and cross outside of the straight leg. Let your arms stretch out to help keep your back flat as you feel the twist happening around your navel. Allow your head to fall to the opposite side, looking away from the direction your knee is pointing. Hold this for 30 seconds before bringing your legs back together and repeating with the other leg.
As always with yoga, these poses will be easier for some and harder for others. While one pose may be very easy to do, you may struggle with another. Try not to get frustrated, as yoga is a relaxing activity that allows you to stretch new parts of the body that you might not normally interact with.
My final note is to always be equal with your stretches– what you do to one side should be done to the other too. In this case, be sure to do the pigeon pose and the supine spinal twits twitch stretching out both sides of the body. I hope you are able to find some relief from the pain you’re carrying with these poses.
HCXO,
Charlotte