Are you feeling crampy, bloated, or exhausted? Try these restorative postures before and during your menstrual period to support quieting your nervous system.  Your body will appreciate the nourishment!

Restorative child’s pose

Restorative child’s pose

Restorative child’s pose is a beautiful posture to practice while you are premenstrual, menstruating, or if you are experiencing pelvic pain. It calms the sympathetic nervous system, opens the hips, and lengthens the low back.

Modifications

Hip pain: pad with additional pillows or blankets under the head, between the abdomen and thighs/bolster.

Knee pain: pad with additional blankets between the heels and the buttocks

Reclined goddess pose

Reclined goddess pose is a wonderful, chest-opening posture that encourages downward flow, while supporting and grounding.

Modifications

Restrictions in the chest/arms: pad under each forearm

For more focus on hip opening, take out the bolster under the knees and replace with a strap. Place the strap around your sacrum (low back) and circle it around your feet to maintain a butterfly position.

Restorative fish pose

Restorative fish pose

Restorative fish pose offers a delicious back extension with the chest-opening and grounding properties. This yoga postures is shown with her knees bent, but you might prefer your knees straight. See what works best for you!

Modifications

If your back is sensitive to extension, you may prefer Reclined Goddess or chose Child’s Pose or a side-lying restorative postures.

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Originally published 8/3/14.