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Why Can't I do Inversions When I am Menstruating?
You can’t swim during your period. Using a tampon will trap 'dirty' blood inside your body. Premenstrual symptoms (PMS) exist only in your head. Growing up, many of us heard numerous myths on our visits from 'Aunt Flo'. If yoga is part of your routine, you may have heard that you shouldn’t practice inverted poses during your menstrual period.
From aches and bloating, to moodiness and cramps, you have enough to worry about without having to wade your way through what is fact and what is fiction. So, should you avoid certain poses during your period?
An inverted pose is any posture, such as downward-facing dog and standing forward fold, in which the head is lower than the chest. These poses are common in many yoga programs because they offer a number of benefits, including the relief of pressure on abdominal organs, and the development of balance and core muscle strength. Inverted poses also sharpen mental abilities by increasing blood flow to the brain.
Myth
However, some yoga practitioners recommend avoiding inverted poses during menstruation. Why is that? One reason has been the traditional yoga theory which holds that pieces of the uterine lining may break away during an inverted pose. These pieces were thought to travel to the fallopian tubes and lodge in the pelvis, resulting in a painful condition called endometriosis.
Recent medical research about the causes of endometriosis, though, indicates that inverted poses don’t trigger the condition. Instead, it is caused by cells within the lining of the pelvis. As a result, there’s no reason to fear you’ll develop endometriosis from your yoga sessions.
Myth
For many years, others have suggested that practicing inversions during a menstrual period might lead to infections caused by bacteria being forced into the uterus. The reasoning behind this theory has been vague and there is no scientific evidence that this happens. In fact, few yoga teachers now believe inverted poses cause infections. Like the old wives’ tale that once advised women not to wash their hair during their time of the month, the idea of infection is pure myth.
Maybe?
While science is staring to rule out the role of inverted poses in endometriosis, it has not ruled the postures out as cause for another condition, vascular congestion. Hanging upside down may cause the thin veins in the uterus, which take blood out of the organ, to partially collapse. The problem is that uterine arteries, which bring blood into the organ, do not collapse. That means more blood flows into the uterus than flows out, potentially creating a heavier menstrual flow—something most women would be glad to avoid.
Although there is no research to date which supports this idea, there is also no research that debunks it. As a result, many yoga instructors still recommend avoiding inverted poses during menstruation.
So what’s a girl to do?
There are women who practice inverted poses no matter what time of month it might be. In fact, some students may be comfortable doing inversions during menstruation. Others, however, find inversions make them feel less than comfortable. Some women report that they only need to avoid inverted poses during the first two or three days of a period, when flow is naturally heaviest.
If you want to avoid inverted poses during menstruation, you don’t need to give up yoga practice entirely. When you take class, you don’t need to announce to the class that you have your period. Instead find a comfortable alternative, perhaps child’s pose or mountain pose.
Remember, even though you may need to avoid some poses during your period, that doesn’t mean yoga isn’t beneficial. In fact, there are poses that can alleviate those uncomfortable aches and pains that are common. For example, if your period brings on backaches, twisting poses can open up the back and relieve the pain. Supported calming poses, such as triangle pose or revolved half-moon pose can lessen the abdominal pressure that comes with periods.
Every woman is different. If you find that practicing inverted poses during your period results in heavier bleeding or if they cause you discomfort, don’t do them. Focus on finding comfortable poses that relieve your aches, and use your yogic meditations to find peace and relaxation.
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