Yoga is an ancient exercise practice that helps you achieve greater flexibility, strength and peace of mind. Yoga practices range from calm and sedate restorative interpretations to rigorous, heart-pumping power styles. Whatever type of practice a woman chooses, she can use specific poses to help satisfy her unique physical and emotional needs.
Conception
Yoga offers a gentler alternative of encouraging conception in women seeking starting a family. Yoga can help reduce a woman’s stress levels, which, when they are too high, can hamper fertility. Restorative moves like child’s pose and reclined bound angle help soothe the spirit and promote focus on the breath to encourage relaxation. On the Yoga Journal website, Jaki Nett, a certified Iyengar Yoga instructor, recommends moves like reclined hero’s pose to elongate the abdominal area and legs-up-the-wall pose post-coitus to encourage flow of sperm.
Menstruation
Yoga can help relieve symptoms of PMS and menstrual cramping. A regular practice relaxes the nervous system, balances hormone production, increases blood flow and strengthens the muscles surrounding the reproductive organs, affirms Yoga Journal contributor Linda Sparrowe. Stress reduction achieved through yoga also helps with the efficiency of hormone regulation and encourages a woman to connect to her feelings more deeply. Back bends, such as bow pose, bridge, fish and camel help lengthen and expand the front side of the body which addresses the area around the ovaries and uterus. Some twists, like half lord of the fishes, can resolve cramping and soothe abdominal discomfort.
Menopause
Hormonal changes related to menopause wreak havoc on your emotions and physical being. Hot flashes, irritability and fatigue are hallmark symptoms of menopause and can be soothed with certain yoga poses. Gentle inversions like bridge pose and shoulder stand can help bring relief from anxiety and irritability without creating extra body heat. To soften and soothe the abdomen, try reclined hero’s pose. Props are also helpful to a woman going through menopause as they can help you achieve range-of-motion without inducing stress. Try half plow pose with your legs resting on a chair to ease anxiety.
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