Go together with the Stream: Inversions and Your Moon Cycle

After I was a young person, outdated wives warned that there have been sure belongings you shouldn’t do if you have been in your interval. The forbidden actions included swimming, horseback using, bicycling and showering. Because it turned out, none of those ended up being an issue. To make certain, there are issues which can be finest averted whereas in your interval. However today gynecologists really suggest transferring your physique—and showering. Early on in my yoga follow, I ignored warnings about training inversions in your interval, pondering that they have been simply extra outdated wives’ tales. For a short time, this labored out okay—till it didn’t.

Usually I don’t appear to understand ideas till they grow to be bodily actuality for me. In different phrases, I needed to study the exhausting method. About 10 years in the past, I practiced Sirsasana (Headstand) on the third day of my interval. It felt okay within the second, however an hour or so later, I got here down with a horrible case of cramps. What was particularly notable is that it was the primary time I’d ever skilled cramps. The opposite uncommon factor that occurred was that for a number of hours after my Headstand, my interval fully stopped.

How Inversions Can Interrupt the Stream

Right here’s what occurred: Going the other way up interrupted the pure stream. As a result of the fluids that ought to have continued to stream out backed up in my uterus, it began cramping to attempt to push issues out. When my stream lastly restarted, in fact, all hell broke unfastened as a result of my stream had been stopped for a number of hours.

So, that is the bodily cause to not invert in your interval: Inverting can interrupt the stream and trigger cramping. There are different causes too. In line with the yoga system, apana is the downward-flowing vitality that governs elimination. It is likely one of the 5 vayus, or vitality flows acknowledged in yoga follow.

If you end up in your interval, apana is the predominant vitality in your physique. Going the other way up contradicts the downward apana stream. This might have contributed to the signs I skilled after training Headstand. As my follow turned extra mature, I noticed that inversions have been solely essentially the most excessive instance of poses that contradicted apana. I turned so delicate that even sitting on a meditation bench invited sufficient of an upward stream throughout my interval that I needed to change to a meditation cushion. Sitting on a bench made me really feel endlessly agitated. As soon as I sat on the cushion, all the pieces settled down.

Inversions and Others That Don’t Comply with the Stream

Listed below are some kinds of poses, together with inversions, which can be finest to keep away from if you’re in your interval:

• Inversions: Sirsasana (Headstand), Sarvangasana (Shoulderstand), Pinca Mayurasana (Peacock Pose), Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand), Viparita Karani (Legs Up the Wall Pose). Even Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Dealing with Canine Pose) is an inversion.
• Backbends: As a result of the uterus swells considerably throughout your interval, it’s finest to not do any form of excessive backbending, even Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose), which can be a slight inversion.
• Belly strengtheners: Any form of crunches—assume Navasana (Boat Pose)—may presumably provoke cramping.
• Excessive twists: If you wish to twist when you’re in your interval, don’t go to your edge. Keep about 10 p.c inside your edge.

Poses That Stream with Your Cycle

After I was in India finding out with the Iyengars, we didn’t follow standing poses whereas on our intervals. Usually, in case your vitality is low, particularly within the first few days of your interval, that is most likely sound recommendation.

As you progress into the later phases of your interval, you may experiment with what feels good in your physique. Typically you may return to light backbends, twists and standing poses on the third, fourth or fifth day, relying on how heavy your intervals are. As at all times, hearken to your physique.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and commenced instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the writer of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Observe and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Pink Rock Rondo, whose DVD gained two Emmy awards in 2010.