Can I practice yoga during my early menstrual period?

Many female friends have the habit of practicing yoga in their daily lives. Basically, they choose some time every day to exercise. Practicing yoga is also very beneficial to the health of women. Choosing different yoga poses in different periods will have better effects on the body. Below, the editor will introduce some common methods and precautions for female friends to practice yoga during the menstrual cycle.

First of all, it may be necessary to understand that traditionally, or at least in ancient India, very few women practiced yoga (at least not publicly). It was not that they were prohibited, but the social, customary and cultural conditions at the time caused women to engage in activities and roles that were quite different from those of men. Unlike today's modern society, women are used by society almost as much as men in their careers and jobs, bearing the same pressure and responsibilities, whether voluntarily or under economic pressure or for any other reasons. Women in the past did not practice yoga, perhaps for the same reason that fewer men practice yoga today (no one forbids men from practicing yoga). Yoga belongs to the male category due to its original seriousness, philosophical, academic and ascetic nature (it has nothing to do with female vocabulary such as flexibility, weight loss, staying slim, maintaining figure, helping with prenatal and postpartum problems, etc. If you can read the Yoga Sutras for an hour without feeling tired or bored, perhaps you will understand what I mean by seriousness). But unfortunately, due to commercial hype, yoga has gradually lost its seriousness and philosophy, and has become a cheap fashion. Elegant men think it is too popular, popular men think it is too feminine, orthodox men think it is too alternative, and alternative men think it is too similar to fitness. In short, all these misunderstandings cannot be cleared up even if you jump into the Yellow River.

In India, women call their menstrual period "moonday," a day for introspection, retreat, rest, purification, and meditation. From a physiological point of view, due to the impact of changes in hormone secretion on physical strength and emotions, it is recommended to minimize intense and busy external activities and stimulation, and instead enter a state of introspection and meditation. Working women may not have much choice to "retreat" when they have to go to work, but they can still practice moving, working and interacting with people in a low-key and retreating mentality during these days and change the way they practice yoga. In principle, practicing yoga during menstruation should help us eliminate discomfort and fatigue, restore physical strength, stabilize emotions, and maintain inner peace (although the opposite is often the case). The degree to which each woman is affected physically and mentally during menstruation varies. Therefore, ladies who practice yoga regularly should develop an inner "hearing" to listen to the signals sent by the body and mind, and use your intuition to judge whether you should practice asanas today, what to practice and how to practice, etc. No one can make decisions for you except yourself. You can choose to take a complete break and stop any asana practice, or you can choose very gentle practices to better relax, such as supine and forward-bending poses, either sitting on the ground or supported by a cushion.

During the menstrual period, female friends can try to choose some gentler yoga poses and try not to do strenuous exercise. This will greatly relieve some menstrual discomfort that women experience. However, if you do some strenuous exercise for a long time, you may experience dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, etc.