Menstrual Cramping

Cramping can be quite painful and upsetting for everyone, especially for women during their periods. Menstrual cramps are even more hurting & discomforting, as this time of the month is always an overwhelming experience. Cramping can cause obstructions in your day to day tasks by limiting your body movements with pain. While many women might take medicine to get relief from the menstrual cramps pain, but it is not the healthy way. Contrarily, Yoga can help in getting relief from cramping healthily and naturally.

Yoga Asanas or Poses can help in treating all kinds of health problems like obesity, depression, cholesterol, thyroid, and many more. Also, these poses can be really helpful in reducing the cramping pain, discomfort and headache during the periods. Therefore, we have created a list of the best yoga poses that can help in relieving menstrual cramps easily.

Yoga Poses For Menstrual Cramps

• The pigeon pose

The Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana is a very effective yoga pose for opening the hips joints and muscles. Thus, it helps in reducing the cramping pain during menstrual cycles. Along with this, it offers many other benefits like digestion improvement, stress relief, back strengthening, and flexibility improvements. Many yoga experts recommended the women to do this pose during periods.

How to do the pigeon pose correctly?

1. Sit down on the floor on your knees.
2. Bring your right leg near your pelvis by bending it towards the left leg.
3. After that, extend your left leg in the backward direction forming a straight line with it on the floor.
4. Lift your face and look at the ceiling.
5. Stay in this pose for 15-20 seconds
6. Then, relax a bit and repeat these steps by switching the legs.

The child’s pose

The Child’s Pose or the Balasana is an excellent pose to reduce the pain caused due to menstrual cramps. This pose also helps in massaging the internal organs, improving blood circulation, providing energy, and boosting digestion. Moreover, it also helps in the strengthening of muscles in the back, abdomen, arms, legs, and shoulders. It might be a simple pose, but it offers an immense number of health benefits.

How to do the child’s pose correctly?

1. Get down on your knees & sit with a straight spine.
2. Slowly shift your knees apart while keeping your toes joined.
3. While exhaling, try bringing your torso down between your thighs.
4. After that, you need to bend forward while stretching your arms in the front as much as possible.
5. Try touching your head on the floor, while your hips are resting on your heels.
6. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.

The knees to chest pose

The knees to chest pose or the apanasana is a great pain reliever for the cramps during menstrual cycles. It also helps in stretching of the lower back area, while massaging the internal organs in the abdomen area.  Moreover, this pose can improve your blood circulation, prevent acidity, and boost energy levels. It is a simple yet very effective Yoga Asana.

How to do the knees to chest pose?

1. Lie down with your back on the floor.
2. While exhaling, pull your knees upwards towards your chest.
3. Keep your back completely straight and try to touch your tailbone on the floor.
4. Hold your knees with both your arms for support.
5. Lift your head towards your chest.
6. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds.

The supine spinal twist pose

Also known as the Supta Matsyendrasana, this yoga pose is ideal for relieving menstrual pain and calming down the nerves. Also, it helps in stretching the back muscles, spine, and legs. Moreover, doing this pose will massage your abdominal organs, hips, and complete back.

How To Do The Supine Spinal Twist Pose?

1. Lie down straight with your back and palms on the floor.
2. While exhaling, lift your right leg and rest it on the left side of the left leg.
3. Keep your right foot on the left knee.
4. Make sure to keep your both shoulders firmly on the floor, while twisting your lower body i.e. spine & hips.
5. Hold your breath in this position for 10-15 seconds.
6. Then, return to the initial position and switch legs.

The wide-angle seated forward bend

Also known as the Upavistha Konasana, this pose offers a wide range of health benefits to women suffering from menstrual cramps. This pose improves the stimulation of abdominal organs to reduce the menstrual cramping pain. Apart from this, it helps in relaxation of mind, stretching of hamstring muscles, and strengthening of back & abdominal muscles.

How to do the wide-angle seated forward bend?

1. Sit down on the floor & keep your legs straight in front of you.
2. Slowly shift your legs apart from each other.
3. Make sure to provide support to your upper body with your hands on the floor, between both knees.
4. Keep your back straight and try to bend down in the forward direction.
5. You can use pillows to support your torso.
6. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.

The camel pose

The Camel Pose is commonly known as the Ustrasana, and it is very effective for relieving menstrual cramping pain. It helps in opening up the hips, massaging abdominal area, reducing lower back pain, and stopping uterine muscle contraction. Moreover, this pose is great for strengthening the core, shoulders, back, and hips.

How to do the camel pose?

1. Get down on your knees and keep the rest of your body completely straight.
2. Keep both your knees and feet joined.
3. Bend in the backward direction, while pushing your hips forward.
4. Now bend your head and spine in the backward direction, as much as you can.
5. You can also touch both your feet with your hands to get support.
6. Hold this position for 15-20 seconds.

The legs up the wall

Also known as the Viparita Karani, this pose is really good for reducing the menstrual cramping pain during periods. It helps in relieving lower back pain, improves blood circulation, relaxes the pelvic area, and calms down the nerves. Moreover, this pose helps in stretching lower back muscles and hamstring muscles, while healing the cramps.

How to do the legs up the wall pose?

1. Sit down on the floor with your right side of the body touching the wall.
2. While slowly turning to your right side, lift both feet and place them against the wall.
3. Lie down on the floor with a straight back and push your lower body forward until your hips touch the wall.
4. Lift both your feet up straight and keep them joined.
5. Hold this position for a few minutes, and then slowly push yourself away from the wall.
6. You can also use a pillow to support your hips while doing this pose.

The bottom line!

These are the top 7 yoga poses recommended by experts for relieving the menstrual cramping pain. By practicing these regularly, you will not only feel better during periods but also experience a large number of other health benefits. Expert assistance is always recommended to make sure that you’re doing all the poses correctly.