Yoga for Fertility helps a woman become more in touch with her menstrual cycle.
Learn to honour your cycle by listening to your body and understand what is happening on a physical level. Your periods are not a curse, they are a blessing! Cherish the bleeding days of your cycle by taking time out to rest and replenish your body. Your uterus is working hard to contract and push out the endometrial lining- the same contractions during labour are happening during menses.
We advise gentle exercise by keeping your belly soft and your breath full. We avoid deep twisting postures, strong abdominal postures, strong backbends and full inversions as they oppose the flow of blood. Use your bleeding time to give yourself some love, relaxation and a break from your usual routine.
There is significant fluctuation in your hormone balance each month. The hormones of the menstrual cycle are:
- FSH (Follicle Stimulation Hormone)
- Estrogen
- Luteinising Hormone (LH)
- Progesterone
Your moods, energy levels and vitality vary based on the dominant hormone. Learn to recognise how these hormones affect your body. Each woman is unique, and each menstrual cycle is unique.
During your bleeding time you must let your body rest. Give yourself permission to slow down, sit in stillness and treat yourself with tenderness.
Around ovulation time, notice how you feel more energetic, outgoing and sensual thanks to the rise in estrogen.
We are all familiar with PMS (pre menstrual syndrome) which results from rise in progesterone. Can you channel your increased sensitivity into creative energy during this time?
Common Menstrual Disorders
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS occurs when there is excess testosterone in the female body. This is the primary male sex hormone, however it is produced in small amounts in the ovaries. An ovarian follicle matures into a dominant, ovulatory (egg releasing) follicle in response to Luteinsing Hormone (LH) and Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH). This dominant follicle uses testosterone to create estrogen which is needed for ovulation.
Women who suffer from PCOS do not produce a dominant follicle and no egg is released, turning the follicle into a cyst. This results in the ovaries being filled with cysts which release excess testosterone and disrupt the fine hormonal balance of the menstrual cycle. This causes increase in body hair, weight gain, irregular periods and infertility.
Endometriosis
The uterus is lined with endometrial tissue which grows and sheds based on the fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. Endometriosis occurs when the uterine tissue (endometrial tissue) spreads and grows outside to the ovaries, bowels and other areas in the pelvis. The menstrual cycle hormones affect this misplaced tissue causing pain and inflammation. Normal endometrial tissue in the uterus breaks down and flows out of the body during the bleeding phase, but the misplaced tissue remains trapped in the body. This trapped tissue causes severe pain and heavy bleeding during periods, scar tissue, pelvic organs adhering together, pain during intercourse and infertility.