Hello,
I have several thoughts on this.... First things first. The reason why it is cautioned to not practice inverted postures (where the feet are over your head) during menstruation is because Nature wants the energy to go down and out towards the earth (that's the way the blood flow is happening at that time of the month). When we stand on our heads, etc... we reverse that flow of energy back up towards the head.
Having said that.....Way back in the day (thousands of years up until not too long ago) the science & art of yoga was only taught by men to men... so "menstruation" wasn't really an issue.
There are some styles/traditions of yoga that suggest a woman shouldn't practice yoga at all when she has her period. In India they call this "lady's holiday" (pretty cute!)
Some practitioners feel that movement helps them and they feel worse if they don't do their practice as they normally would.
Some women do their regular practice but with modifications. So instead of doing 'INVERTED" posture like shoulderstand, plow, headstand and full locust they will just use alternatives like simply raising their legs up the wall but keeping the hips/butt/pelvis on the floor. Or they will do semi-inverted postures such as bridge and downward facing dog (downdog).
Personally, I am from the school of thought that if it feels good to you to do your practice, then do it. If a certain posture doesn't feel good in YOUR body, don't do it. After all, yoga is a way for us to become more in tune to our OWN body's wisdom. What works for me or for your yoga teacher or friend, might not feel right for you. Trust your own intuition and self knowing. Experiment, see how it feels and go from there.
Hope this helps.
Peace,
Yoga teacher
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"You have to be the change you wish to see in the world." Mahatma Gandhi
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Re: Yoga and Menstruation
