Easy Yoga Asanas For Your Daughter While She's On Her Periods

Introduction

The day your daughter’s periods start is both an apprehensive and a proud one. It not only refers to their entry into puberty and womanhood but also starts their menstrual cycle and sets off a series of hormonal changes. Periods are different for every girl and woman.

Some may experience minimal pain, light bleeding, and zero physical signs or side effects during periods. Others may endure severe cramps, back pain, heavy bleeding, ovarian cysts, and sharp mood swings. As a result, it is impossible to determine a single, uniform plan of alleviating period pain for all.

However, what can be done is laying out a mapwork of physical activities that have a healing and relieving effect on the pelvic and back muscles of females. An easy way of doing it is by doing yoga asanas, pranayama, and meditation. Yoga is an ancient Indian physical and mental practice that offers multiple health benefits.

It lowers stress, relieves muscle tension, strengthens and tones the body, enhances joint mobility, and improves blood circulation, among other benefits. Yoga also inculcates mindfulness in kids and helps prevent several mental, chronic, and lifestyle diseases.

Thanks to its powerful benefits, yoga makes a wonderful physical activity for alleviating pain during periods and strengthening the responsible muscles for better and smooth flow. Here’s a quick guide with some easy yoga asanas for your daughter during her periods.

Easy Yoga Asanas For Your Daughter While She’s On Her Periods

1. Apanasana

Apanasana, or knees-to-chest pose, is particularly helpful for alleviating intense period cramps. To do this, ask your daughter to lie on their back. Then, using her hands, she should gently lift her knees, which are joined together, to her chest. Her toes should point straight and remain parallel to the ground. Your daughter does not need to force herself; let her lift her knees to a comfortable level and hold them before releasing them. Let her increase the duration according to comfort and level of pain.

2. Balasana

Balasana, or the child’s pose, creates a slight pressure above the pelvis and alleviates pelvic pain. To do this pose, your child needs to sit in a kneeling position or Vajrayana. Then, ask her to hold out her arms straight above her head and gently lean forward until her upper body is almost parallel to the ground and her arms are splayed straight on the floor.

3. Supta Matsyendrasana

Supta matsyendrasana or the supine spinal twist, is ideal for generating movement in the pelvic region without over-exerting the body. To do this pose, your child needs to lie supine on the floor with her arms stretched on her sides. Then, ask her to hold a bolster or pillow between their legs and slowly rotate and twist the lower half of her body, from the pelvis to the side. Let her twist according to her comfort and pain level and not overdo it.

4. Utkata Konasana

Utkata konasana or the Goddess pose, is wonderful for alleviating menstrual pain in girls. To do this pose, ask your child to stand with her feet apart and knees bent at 90 degrees. Her feet and knees both should point strictly outward. Her upper body should be straight, and her lower body in a semi-sitting posture. Her hands should be in the praying pose.

5. Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Setu bandha Sarvangasana or the supported bridge pose is a gentler and more alleviating version of a backbend. It helps relieve lower back pain which is associated with pelvic cramps and discomfort.

To do this asana, your daughter must lie down on her back. Then, she should press slightly into her feet to lift her hips as much as comfortably possible for you to slip a yoga block or flat pillow in

Let her hold the pose as long as comfortably possible before resting on the block or pillow. Her arms can be stretched on her sides for support. When the pose is practiced, ask your daughter to lift her hips and allow you to take out the support to return to a rest position.

6. Utthita Trikonasana

Utthita Trikonasana, or the revolved triangle pose is perfect for stimulating blood flow and relieving pelvic discomfort and pain in young women. To do this, ask your daughter to stand in front of a low bench or a short, safe block of furniture.

Then, ask them to stretch a leg forward, bend their body to touch, and properly place the opposite hand on the block for support. Then, ask her to twist her upper body towards the side of the forward foot while lifting the corresponding arm straight into the air.

Your daughter must have the opposite hand on the block and not on the ground to avoid over-stressing the pelvic muscles. She must also lean back as comfortably as possible and look at the ceiling while twisting her upper body. This yoga asana should be practiced on both sides for at least 10 reps.

Taking up exercises during periods is a choice. Experiencing period cramp is different for everyone. For some, the pain is too severe, and they need to be completely at rest.   Whatever your daughter’s period pattern, these yoga asanas will help address any pain and discomfort they experience. So do not delay in giving this guide a try.

References

https://www.yogapoint.com/yoga-poses/yoga-for-menstruation.htm

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit/menstruation/yoga-poses-for-period-cramps/