Many women suffer abdominal cramps during their menstrual cycles. At times, the cramps are combined with shooting or burning sensations in the lower abdomen. Nausea is also common during periods in females.
However, by practising the below-mentioned yoga postures, females can be relieved from period cramps.
Forward bend
Stand straight on your toes with the heels touching each other. Now raise both your arms slowly and bend forward while stretching the shoulders, hips, spine, hem strings, calves, and heels. By doing this asana, your body will get the appropriate circulation and hence get relieved from cramps.
Utthita parshavkonasan/ twisted or extended side angle pose
Raise your left hand and stretch it towards the ceiling. Then turn the left palm to face your head. Breathe regularly while reaching the arm over the back of the left ear with the palm facing downwards. This posture helps reduce bloating.
Marjari asana/ cat pose
Stand on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Your knees should be aligned to your hips and wrists, arms and shoulders perpendicular to the floor. Keep your head in a neutral position, with eyes looking downwards.
Butterfly pose/ titli asana
Sit with your legs relaxed in front. Breathe out, bend your knees, pull your heels towards your pelvis, stretch your knees out to the sides and press your soles together. This asana helps reduce mild depression, anxiety, and fatigue.
Pawanmuktasana
Lie flat on your back, raise your knees to your chest, and hold them in position. Breathe mindfully and let loose of any built up strains throughout your body while relaxing your mind of any anxiety due to cramping.
Markatasan / Spinal Twist
Lie on your back and take your bent legs over to one side. You can stay and relax for 2-3 minutes then switch sides. This is incredibly helpful in relieving cramps.
Naari Shodhan/ Anulom-Vilom Pranayama
Sitting in a comfortable position with your spine straight then Bend your first two fingers of right hand making the prana mudra. It relieves the cramps, keeps you calm. It helps to relieve anxiety and fatigue.
Bhrahamari Pranayama/ Humming bee sound
Take a long, deep breath in through the nostrils, bringing the breath all the way into the belly. Drop the chin to the chest and breathe out slowly, making a swift, low-pitched ‘hmmm’ sound at the back of the throat like the humming of a bee.
Dr. Archana Dhawan Bajaj, Gynecologist & Obstetrician, Nurture IVF Centre, said, “Menstrual cramps affect the health and lead to several mood swings and mood disorders. Yoga can help in healing the pain and keeping you away from the emotional and physical stress. Once period starts, practising pranayamas, meditation and try simple yoga poses.”
“Instead of self-medicating or just skipping out on everyday activities, you can turn to yoga to soothe aches and pain to regenerate the lost energy and to get rid of the cramps,” said Yogacharya Bhaskar Malik, Anytime Fitness India.
The fourth edition of International Yoga Day will be observed across the globe today.
To celebrate the day, various Yoga training programmes, camps, seminars, workshops have been organised across the world at big levels.
(With inputs ANI)