Yoga for Periods: Sustainability, Mindfulness, and Your Menstrual Cup

Yoga is a fantastic form of exercise. There are many different styles and asanas to help you move your body. They also support the practice of mindfulness to help you be in the moment. It’s the ideal exercise for your period. Yoga teaches you to slow down, focus on your breath, and connect with your body on many levels. With the help of sustainable period care, like a menstrual cup, you can gain all the benefits of yoga without concern for your period. If you want to care for your body and mind during a trying time of the month, yoga may help.

Yoga and Your Period

In modern society, people feel pressured to keep up with the “always on the go” mindset. Even when you’re bleeding for four to seven days straight, you just can’t stop. Yet periods bring hormone changes. They affect mood, appetite, energy levels, and other aspects of daily life. It’s especially important to slow down and support your body as it works to maintain your health. Your period is a natural part of life—it’s healthy to have a period. It’s okay to skip that high-intensity workout. In fact, slowing down with a few yoga asanas (poses) could be exactly what you need. Yoga may support hormone fluctuation and reduce uncomfortable cramps. The practice also helps you listen to your body.

Period Care for Your Flows

Before diving into the asanas for your period, you need to get more familiar with period care. You have two different flows going, and you must cater to both. With all the movement of yoga practice, even a gentle one, you want period care products that move with you. What you don’t want is a wet tampon string or a pillowy pad getting in the way of a smooth flow or stretching session. Moving your body on your period requires high-quality products. They should fit securely in your vaginal canal and/or collect and absorb your flow easily.

An excellent option for your yoga practice is sustainable period care. Sustainable products are a great fit for many forms of exercise. A menstrual cup, menstrual disc, or leakproof underwear can offer you easy movement. It’s on a completely different level than conventional period care. Keep in mind that period yoga is all about tuning in to your body’s feelings. The medical-grade silicone of a quality cup for period days forms to your unique anatomy. A menstrual disc sits just below your cervix without a seal. Leakproof period underwear absorbs your flow. With it, you can avoid disposable products as well as the wet feeling of wearing a pad.

The Best Menstrual Cup for Yoga

A menstrual cup is great for sustainable period care beginners. They’re easier to insert into the vaginal canal regardless of your shape. Plus, you can find menstrual cups in different sizes and degrees of firmness. Many first time users prefer a cup that’s slightly firmer because it maintains its structure and seals well.

You may be turning to a yoga practice to help you manage period cramps. If that’s the case, a softer cup designed for people who are sensitive to cramping could be a better fit. You want to find ease and comfort during a gentle yin yoga flow. A menstrual cup allows you to feel conscious of your body and mind. Additionally, this option is more environmentally conscious.

Yoga Poses for Your Period

Now you know what you need for a successful period yoga practice. It’s time to learn which poses can be most beneficial. You can practice these asanas on their own or put them all together for a gentle yoga flow. You can also create more warmth without intense or rigorous movements. Just try these movements out in the sunshine to get some vitamin D while you’re at it.

Child’s Pose

Start with your knees on the floor a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Fold your torso over your knees and stretch your arms out in front of you. Make sure you are sinking back between your legs. Take three to five deep breaths. You can shift your body from side to side for a bit of a side stretch as well.

Cat-Cow

Slowly move onto your hands and knees into a neutral tabletop position. Next, inhale into cow pose, with your hips up, chest forward, and belly sinking down. Your shoulders should be relaxed as you gaze forward. Then, shift into cat pose. Exhale and round your spine, tucking your tail bone and releasing your head toward the floor. This movement warms up the spine and helps release the lower back.

Downward Dog

Start in a tabletop position with a neutral spine. Move your hands a little in front of your shoulders. Curl your toes under and press back into a downward facing dog. This pose leaves your head low between your arms and your hips as your tallest point. It stretches out the backs of your legs, but it’s okay if your heels don’t touch the floor. Remember to be gentle with yourself. In this pose, you may feel your period cup more than in others. With the proper seal, it won’t be a problem. You will walk, step, or hop to the front of your mat for the next pose.

Yoga Squat

Roll up to standing and set your feet apart about the width of your mat. Turn your heels in and your toes out. Put your hands in prayer position. Gently lower yourself until your bottom is almost touching the mat. Press your elbows into your knees and hold the yoga squat. Breathe for three to five breaths. If you have a menstrual cup inserted, you can breathe through this challenging pose without worrying about your period care product. If a yoga squat feels too much for your body, skip it and move on to the next pose.

Bound Angle or Cobbler’s Pose

From a yoga squat, release your hands and set them on the mat behind you. Slowly lower yourself to the floor. Let your knees fall to the sides and press the soles of your feet together. You might have heard this pose called a butterfly pose, but it is also known as a bound angle or cobbler’s pose. Sit upright and pull your shoulders away from your ears. You can bring your legs further or closer to your body—whatever feels good. If you want more, you can lay on your back in a reclined bound angle position.

Supine Twist

Lying on your back, let your legs lay straight out in front of you. Press your shoulder blades against the mat and bend one leg up. Rest the opposite hand on top of your raised knee and let the knee fall across your body. This creates a twist in the lower back and belly, but don’t twist too hard. Take three deep breaths, come out of the pose, and repeat on the other side.

Inverted Leg Pose

If you’re near a wall, face the wall in a seated position and then lie on your back. Slowly start moving or walking your feet up the wall until your legs are straight. This inverted leg pose is fantastic for circulation. It can also help you feel reenergized, even on sluggish-feeling menstruation days.

Corpse Pose

Finally, the most important asana in a yoga practice—the corpse pose. A much prettier-sounding name is savasana. Lie on your back with your feet slightly apart. Put your arms in a comfortable resting position at your side. Let your feet relax outward. Breathe in a natural rhythm. Let your breath guide you.

Flow Into the Rest of Your Day Mindfully

After that double flow, try to move through the day with mindfulness. As a person with a period, mindfulness has a big impact on your daily life. You can recognize when you need rest, and thoroughly consider matters of period care. Ultimately, practicing mindfulness with exercise and period care helps you connect with your body. It’s incredibly important to your health and your mindset as someone with a period.

About Saalt

Your first period was a big deal. You quite literally flowed into a different stage of life. Guess what? It’s still a big deal. Your period is a major part of your life, and Saalt can help you take care of yourself. The brand works modern period magic, offering a new way to support your body and the planet during the first week of your cycle. Their period care products, including the Saalt Cup, Saalt Disc, and Saalt Wear, are reusable and sustainable options to help you go with your flow. The medical-grade silicone period cups and discs and the absorbent leakproof underwear help you celebrate your life as a person with a period. Updated period care, a supportive Saalt Squad, and a happier planet—that’s definitely a big deal. Period.

Support your body and your yoga practice with period care from https://saalt.com/